NaNo

[seventhe]

Additional problem:

Last weekend, an old idea for an original story basically... leapt into my head and wouldn't let go. And now I am thinking about taking that for my NaNo idea, mostly because it's different and -- more importantly -- short. I can get 50,000 words out of it (I could get 50,000 words out of anything), but additionally there's a good chance that I could finish the story in November. Even with our vacation. That's promising.

For those interested, the story's about a girl born with magic that's a little too big for her body, and the problems she faces trying to deal with this "gift" that's actually just a life-long pain in her ass. (It's kind of the quintessential anti-Mary-Sue.) She ends up becoming an averagely-talented healer kind of despite herself, and her estranged cousin ends up asking for her help on a pilgrimage the cousin is taking to a foreign land. I think the funniest part is that since in my head the girl is telling the story in first-person, my heroine actually doesn't have a name yet. Clearly I am a professional!

Anyway, the pilgrimage is the main storyline, but behind it is, of course, this poor girl learning to love herself and to use her magical gift (rather than letting it beat her senseless all the time, which it does). There are a bunch of other characters in it who are kind of interesting, if a little undeveloped as of yet.


Most of all, it's a concise story, unlike Beacon (which does have a beginning and an end, but is very long and complex).

So now I'm really torn...

• Write Beacon, because it's what you should be working on anyway -- it's your most important project and what you really want to do but are scared to start because it's huge and also really important.


• Draw, once a day, for the Beacon webcomic, so that you can get started on that. You know the story, it's all outlined; there's no point in writing it if it's going to be a comic.


• Write this other story; it's short and interesting and something different. Beacon is too overwhelming for you right now -- this story would be really feasible and doable for NaNo, and you'd get to write something new.

Augh..... thoughts?

Comments

[lassarina]

I vote new thing. Think of all the feelings of accomplishment when you finish it!

[venefica-aura.livejournal.com]

I vote for new story!

And I'm debating actually trying Nano, just not so... hardkore.

[first-seventhe.livejournal.com]

NaNo is usually fun, and I mean, I don't ever post anything from it -- I only post whines and complaints and panicking! XD

[venefica-aura.livejournal.com]

Ha, I thought of a solution.

Now I feel less like a loser. XD

~Cendri

[redgoldenglory.livejournal.com]

Hey! I'm sort of an outsider to the world of your mind and I don't know what Beacon is about, and could be really awesome. In my experience though, writing concise stories always helps with writing complex stories. With long works the most important things are pacing and structure - at least for me, the more practice I get at that stuff the better, so I would feel more comfortable honing my skills on the nano story and then applying them to the longer project. But! This is just where I'm coming from. I think you should work on the one that would honestly excite you the most.

[first-seventhe.livejournal.com]

This is... actually a really good point! One of the biggest things keeping me from finishing Beacon* is the fact that it's so huge and massive and almost overwhelming! I might feel better starting with a smaller worldbuilding project! XD

*Beacon is a huge, world-like RPG-based fiction story my brother and I "wrote" (i.e. outlined) a long time ago. I eventually plan to turn it into a webcomic, because I want to learn how to draw, and/or a written novel.

[redgoldenglory.livejournal.com]

Hmmm, a webcomic sounds pretty interesting! I too will recommend keeping the creativity flowing to Beacon visually, even while you work on other projects :)

[shanaqui]

I vote the new thing!

[katmillia.livejournal.com]

New thing so we can bitch to each other over our failure and gripes and other story concerns. xD And you can make a soundtrack, too!

But I also vote get yur little butt on drawing, cause I wanna see it!

[first-seventhe.livejournal.com]

We should start up cockeyed_art again, methinks! Because I really need something kicking my ass into drawing!!

[katmillia.livejournal.com]

I thought about it, but I'm still sort of anti-FF right now, so I don't think I would want to do much with it unless we expanded it for other stuff, too. :(

[first-seventhe.livejournal.com]

I don't know what other games me, you, and Enkida might all share... but then again, we can always post reference pictures? I don't know, we could ask her.

[katmillia.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I mean I'm probably just being weird anyway, so you guys can totally go ahead and start doing FF stuff again, I think I'm still FF-ed out, myself.

[first-seventhe.livejournal.com]

I'll see if she's interested.... it's the time of year when things get hard overall, though. Holidays, NaNo, finals, etc etc...

[mad-rex.livejournal.com]

I'd have to agree with most here and vote for new thing. It's been a while since I've been to the official NaNo site (the last time I seriously considered doing it was 2006), but I seem to remember it saying you shouldn't try it for any really important projects. I thought that sounded like a good idea, and still do; it's enough pressure for me to get a piece just right without having to do it under deadline.

I am still interested in seeing more of Beacon eventually, though!