Writing for October

[mistressofmuses]

Today mostly inspired a feeling of "ugh, yuck." Just kind of a lousy, hectic, frustrating day.

I'm still weighing whether I'm going to do any prompt lists for October, for art or for writing. I'd like to - I always enjoy prompt lists, but... idk. Last year, I remember seeing TONS of "inktober alternative" lists going around, as people either learned that the guy associated with inktober is an asshole, or just didn't care for last year's list. This year I haven't seen *any.* And I only even saw the "official" inktober list once, on FB.

I did a quick search on tumblr, and found a lot of fandom-specific lists, which is cool, but of course not for any fandoms I'm in, lol. (And I'm not connected enough to any of "my" fandoms to see anyone's prompt lists if they do exist, ha.) I did find a few general ones, but nothing that SUPER grabbed me as "yes, so inspiring!"

There's still one day left to decide, but at the moment I'm leaning toward probably not. If I wasn't in the middle of something already, and with even more stuff backed up behind it on the "to-do" list, maybe I'd feel more inclined to, but... I also know that I over-promised myself a few months ago, and I'm still playing catch-up, and I don't want to do that to myself again, even in a low-pressure way.

I feel like it'd probably be better to try and get some more done on Connections of the Heart (tentatively two chapters + one scene left), do the second draft of chapter 3 of Step Right Up, and maybe try to get a bit more on the vampire/monster hunter AU for a more "spooky/Halloween season" fic. Even that is probably too ambitious, really. It's taken me a month to scrape out a couple thousand words, much less get three fics into various stages of post-ability!

Thinking further ahead, I'm still at a loss for NaNoWriMo. I don't want to break my streak! I've participated every year since 2016, and "won" every year except 2018. But I have no idea what to try and write 50000 words of. (I generally cheat, in that I just aim for the wordcount, not necessarily a complete work, but still.) I guess I should sit down with my idea documents and take a look to see if something sticks out to me.

Comments

[olivermoss]

drawsome has a list crowdsourced from the community. I'll be doing at least a few of those.

Good luck getting writing done! I Should focus on that more, but I am going to bang my head against my drawing pads for a bit.

[mistressofmuses]

Ooh, I do like that list! I may try to make something happen with some of those prompts. (Subscribed to the comm, too. Maybe I'll join if I ever actually draw a thing!)

Thank you! Good luck with either writing or banging your head into drawing pads. :)

[olivermoss]

Thank you! Yeah, hopefully something comes of it :)

[scarlipswolfwife]

First off, I'm assuming that "Midnight Mass" in your 'music' is the mini series? Because that was a fun-ass wild ride, and I love it.

Second, I hear you on the prompt things. I saw one in Marvelrarepairs (that I co-mod with my friend, so she must've reblogged that one there) that sounds so, so, so tempting. It's a Comfort list. I just can't decide if I want to jump into a prompt list thing while I've got so many other fics that I'm working on at the same time. I especially don't always like working from other people's lists of wants/don't wants/pairings, etc. I mean, I got pretty lucky last Yule that the person I got in the FrostIron one had things I could work with and they wound up loving the fic I worked up for it. But I almost count that as a fluke. LOL

[mistressofmuses]

Yup! I usually just put whatever I'm listening to, whether it's really "music" or not. I just finished the series last night, and I did really enjoy it!

Yeah... if it weren't for the fact I've got several things currently in-progress, I'd be more inclined to try and get inspired for some of the prompts. But I'm not always great at working on more than one thing at once, so I know that I'd wind up dividing my attention too much.

I definitely know what you mean when it comes to the wants/don't wants/pairings/etc. I think a lot of the prompt lists are intended to be free-use, do what you want with them type things, without those constraints, but some of the fandom-specific ones may be way narrower. (I saw some nice lists that I discarded, because I don't want to step on someone's toes by taking their ideas that are meant for a certain fandom/character/pairing and doing something else with them. Not that it'd be like... morally wrong, and they don't own the prompt words or anything, but it still seems rude in a way, ha.)
Gift exchange type things are WAY trickier! I would always want to make something that someone wound up happy with, tailored to what they love... but hoo boy, is that sometimes very much not the same thing as what I love or am good at writing!

[scarlipswolfwife]

Scottxlogan and I reblogged two lists to the marvelrarepair tumblr that we co-mod together. They're fandom open, there's a semi-deadline, but if you read the FAQ, there's really no deadline. LOL There's also no sign-ups, no assigned people to write/draw for. You don't even have to do a new prompt a day. It's really open the way they all used to be, and I tell you, that's what I'm there for. I'm going to try some of them with a variety of my favorite pairings (all Marvel probably). It's a Comfort (Comfortember), so while it can have the hurt/angst, it's more about the moments of comfort and tenderness.

https://marvelrarepairs.tumblr.com/post/663818154060939264/hey-guys-comfortember-2021-is-upon-us-whos

https://marvelrarepairs.tumblr.com/post/663742360763711488/comfortember

Used to when I'd do gift fics, it was the LJ Yule Wishlist thing, so I knew the people I was writing for. Last year was the first time I participated in one where I didn't know the person at all, and they wound up loving my fic and were surprised it was so long. The person who wrote one for me did a good job, too. I'm kind of difficult to write for, I guess, because I don't want a lot of the favorite things fandom folks usually jump for, but they pulled it off really well.

[mistressofmuses]

I'll take a look! I do appreciate stuff that's open to whatever kind of fill people want to do.

It's been a while since I did any gift exchange stuff, but it's definitely tricky to fit your own writing to specs set by someone else (especially a stranger), or to provide your own guidelines that get you something you want without being too hard to please, haha. I am glad that the one last year for you went so well!

NaNoWriMo

[disgruntledgirl]

I came here to see if anyone had given you NaNoWriMo ideas.
I'm considering making the worst bodice ripper. I have a script for my detective show and in the background, the lead character is trying to make an erotic novelette to sell to Harlequin. "Cupid's Trebuchet". Throughout the story, there's constant criticism of his writing but in the end, the publisher accepts it - to his secretary's dismay. Here: enjoy!

Grey: typing Her eyes were black as caviar.
Trudy: That's a color?
Grey: yes, it is.
Trudy: I dunno - comparing a woman's eyes to fish eggs?
Grey: Knock it off, I'm trying to write here.
Trudy: Beluga Sturgeon orrrrrr?
Grey: SALMON
Trudy: Oh my gawd - those are orange!
Grey: What?
Trudy: Look it up!

Trudy: Fish eggs, Fish eggs rolly polly -
Grey: That's Fish Heads!
Trudy: Eggs roll, heads do not
Grey: Heads will if …. if .. um..
Trudy: You got nothing for that.
Grey: Dammit. Yer fired.
Trudy: You owe me 2 weeks severance, the back pay of the vacations AND my paycheck. Also the coffee pot is mine.
Grey: You're unfired.
Trudy: What are you even trying to do?
Grey: Writing nickel novels. I figure with some of my real-life experience -
Trudy: Amateur
Grey: I figured the royalties might cover gas!
Trudy: Is that a romance novel?
Grey: HARD BOILED!
Trudy: More like Soft boiled from here. 'She clutched the shaft to her bosom as she pulled it slowly out -' ew gross.
Grey: She just stabbed the guy with an arrow. That he fired at her. It's empowering.
Trudy: "For your information, Mr Black - we women do not ""slowly pull"" sharp objects out of people - we yank. and we certainly don't clutch a bloody item to our bosoms - it stains our shirts."
Grey: Well, I need a little sex to sell it.
Trudy: Then Write about your -
Grey: Stop talking to my ex!
Trudy: Answer the damn phone
Grey: That's your job
Trudy: I'm fired, remember?
Grey: God - dammit - Hello, Grey Black. Solutions, spying and sleuthing.

Re: NaNoWriMo

[mistressofmuses]

"Cupid's Trebuchet" lmao that's FANTASTIC.

I love the whole exchange, haha

THOSE ARE ORANGE.