Nano progresses
Nov. 3rd, 2010 06:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysobelDay 1: 2180
Day 2: 1259 - 3439 total
Day 3: 1751 so far - 5190 total (ETA @7:20: 2193 / 5632) (ETA @11:20: 2633 / 6072
Per the baseline average of 1667 words/day, I am pretty much on target. Per the intended average of 2000 words/day, I am 1k behind. Per the part of my brain that is obsessing about how much I suck unless I have more words than anyone else, I am perpetually behind and should just give up.
(Not giving up. I was close to it last night, in a "I should just give up being a writer" fit of emo, but then![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
apocalypsos linked to an article that was all "lol nano is the stupidest thing ever", which made the contrary part of my brain go "um haha not a chance of me giving up", and I don't know how long that will last but.)
(I am kind of worried about stuff because 2k is a marathon for me, and yesterday's words were probably the most I could expect out of a tuesday-or-thursday because of rehearsals, and thanksgiving will mess things up, and birthday celebrations [which LJ oh so thoughtfully sent an email going "hey isabeau, did you know isabeau's birthday is coming up?" to which I snorted because yes, yes I did indeed] will mess things up and I can barely scrape by on *good* days and flaaiiil.)
I have completely given up on writing linearly; so here, have a random snippet. You know that bit in the Valdemar books where the herald-to-be looks into their Companion's eyes and is lost in the ZOMGBLUE♥LOVE♥ACCEPTANCE♥YouWillNeverBeAloneAgain?
Yeah.
A section written out of time, after Marek et al have found the unicorns:
He felt a sudden compulsion to look into the creature's eyes. The words of the Nameless Prophetess echoed in his mind: Whatever you do, do not look into their eyes. It will cost you your soul.
"Do you feel it too?" Aniela whispered to him.
The compulsion intensified. Marek closed his eyes. I will not, he thought savagely, I *won't*; and abruptly the pressure eased. "Yes," he said in response to her question.
"And?"
He turned to look at her. She had her head lowered so that there was no danger of eye contact with the unicorn that stood patiently in front of her, and Marek found himself smiling. Good girl.
"And it is unwise, and I dislike being coerced." Was it his imagination, or could he feel *amusement* radiating from the unicorn in front of him? "But," he said, and took a deep breath, "it is something I can choose to do out of my own free will." And so, heart beating hard in his chest, he raised his gaze and met that of the unicorn's.
They had blue eyes, rather than the dark he was used to seeing in normal horses, but unremarkable other than that.
Marek relaxed.
"It is all right," he said to Aniela. "As far as I can tell, I still have my soul." To the unicorn, as he let his gaze travel from the unnervingly blue eyes to the jet-black unmarked face to the long spiral sweep of their horn, he said, "Why so much fuss?"
It gazed back unblinking, and did not answer.
Day 2: 1259 - 3439 total
Day 3: 1751 so far - 5190 total (ETA @7:20: 2193 / 5632) (ETA @11:20: 2633 / 6072
Per the baseline average of 1667 words/day, I am pretty much on target. Per the intended average of 2000 words/day, I am 1k behind. Per the part of my brain that is obsessing about how much I suck unless I have more words than anyone else, I am perpetually behind and should just give up.
(Not giving up. I was close to it last night, in a "I should just give up being a writer" fit of emo, but then
apocalypsos linked to an article that was all "lol nano is the stupidest thing ever", which made the contrary part of my brain go "um haha not a chance of me giving up", and I don't know how long that will last but.)(I am kind of worried about stuff because 2k is a marathon for me, and yesterday's words were probably the most I could expect out of a tuesday-or-thursday because of rehearsals, and thanksgiving will mess things up, and birthday celebrations [which LJ oh so thoughtfully sent an email going "hey isabeau, did you know isabeau's birthday is coming up?" to which I snorted because yes, yes I did indeed] will mess things up and I can barely scrape by on *good* days and flaaiiil.)
I have completely given up on writing linearly; so here, have a random snippet. You know that bit in the Valdemar books where the herald-to-be looks into their Companion's eyes and is lost in the ZOMGBLUE♥LOVE♥ACCEPTANCE♥YouWillNeverBeAloneAgain?
Yeah.
A section written out of time, after Marek et al have found the unicorns:
He felt a sudden compulsion to look into the creature's eyes. The words of the Nameless Prophetess echoed in his mind: Whatever you do, do not look into their eyes. It will cost you your soul.
"Do you feel it too?" Aniela whispered to him.
The compulsion intensified. Marek closed his eyes. I will not, he thought savagely, I *won't*; and abruptly the pressure eased. "Yes," he said in response to her question.
"And?"
He turned to look at her. She had her head lowered so that there was no danger of eye contact with the unicorn that stood patiently in front of her, and Marek found himself smiling. Good girl.
"And it is unwise, and I dislike being coerced." Was it his imagination, or could he feel *amusement* radiating from the unicorn in front of him? "But," he said, and took a deep breath, "it is something I can choose to do out of my own free will." And so, heart beating hard in his chest, he raised his gaze and met that of the unicorn's.
They had blue eyes, rather than the dark he was used to seeing in normal horses, but unremarkable other than that.
Marek relaxed.
"It is all right," he said to Aniela. "As far as I can tell, I still have my soul." To the unicorn, as he let his gaze travel from the unnervingly blue eyes to the jet-black unmarked face to the long spiral sweep of their horn, he said, "Why so much fuss?"
It gazed back unblinking, and did not answer.