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[edenfalling]

Dunno quite why I'm bothering at this point, but NaNo at 17,020 words. Which, actually, while fairly pathetic when viewed against the goal of 50,000, is almost equivalent to two chapters worth of "Secrets." And considering that I usually feel lucky to write 10,000 words a month, this 17,000 (plus the other stuff I was unable to stop myself from scribbling at, and which probably adds up to at least 3,000), is rather impressive.

Heh. Maybe next year. At least then I shouldn't have the whole "suddenly you have a JOB!" distraction halfway through. (I certainly hope not, anyhow. Because that would mean I'd have been unemployed again, and unemployment? It sucks.)

Congrats to everyone who made it!

Comments

[annearchy.livejournal.com]

And considering that I usually feel lucky to write 10,000 words a month, this 17,000 (plus the other stuff I was unable to stop myself from scribbling at, and which probably adds up to at least 3,000), is rather impressive.

That's a good way to look at it.

The only way I was able to do NaNo was by not writing anything else. I just shoved all my plot bunnies, sequels etc. into a dark corner and let them fester, really since mid-October. I'm kind of afraid of what they look like now ;)

[edenfalling]

In my experience, they tend to either wither away and not require any more attention, or develop interesting plot twists as they stew in the back of your mind.

You can get some interesting stuff that way! (And it's also a very useful idea-strainer, so to speak. Idea collander? Whatever. Anyway, if it doesn't still 'grab' you after a few weeks, it probably wasn't worth writing in the first place.)

[missmurchison.livejournal.com]

You had a lot on your plate this month, and your word count is impressive, especially considering what a careful writer you are. I wrote on my LJ that the real NaNoWriMo goal for me developed as the month wore on, and that the word count wound up being one of the smallest parts of it. I meant that. And I mean this:



You are a winner. I sat down to read the first chapter of "Secrets" tonight and wound up reading the first five. This is very good writing. I was able to fully identify with Ginny; at times I felt uncomfortable reading this story, because it reminded me so much of what it was like at that terribly difficult age. I liked the different view you give of Hermione from a younger student's point of view. Her turning to Tom for friendship was believable, as was the way you drew his character.

I also liked touches like this:

"True," Ginny said. "I wonder why there's a squid in the lake -- they're not magical, are they?"

"No, but wizards have kept them in moats for ages," said Apple. "We used to have one at Aster House, actually, but Great-aunt Hortense turned it out and replaced it with goldfish. She said they were more cheerful, and a suitable Hufflepuff color."


Sounds very homey to me. (Actually, the contents of the lake make me think of the stuff my husband has stashed in the fridge.)

Oddly enough, I went to a big old private high school in a huge building on a hill, but I never compared it to Hogwarts when reading the books. Your fic reminded me more of what it felt like to be a girl in that environment--the good and the bad.

[edenfalling]

Mmmh. "Secrets" has become an unintentionally personal story for me. Originally I was just trying to answer the question of why Ginny started writing in the diary, and why she didn't stop or tell anyone after she threw it away, but I think, in retrospect, the reason I was so fascinated by Ginny's first year is that her situation reminds me of the years before I admitted I suffer from depression. The isolation, inward focus, and heavy dependence on one or two friends is very much drawn from my own life.

I try to make JKR's world feel lived-in and magical. I'm not sure I always succeed, but I am fond of little tidbits like the Aster House goldfish. :-)

Thank you for your support!