Snakenaps

I should be thankful that there aren't any sentences that I forgot about that just randomly end in the middle. This really bugs me too, but I haven't thought of a good solution and I didn't want to get stuck on this chapter for weeks. Feels good to hear my own thoughts echo back at me. Thanks @ginger_reckoning !

Ooooh boy, what a journey you are starting!

This is a heavily cut and/or rewritten chapter. I'm not 100% sold on the rewritten portion, as the original was fairly strong. However, I feel like this new one adds a bit of proactivity to Ir, which she needs.

I'm actually thinking about capitalizing on this. I've got a scene in the next chapter where she laments her inability to lie well. It would be a great character development to go from someone who doesn't lie well and sucks at keeping secrets to the opposite, and the consequences that follow both. This is a really valid point I have not given enough thought to. Something I definitely am going to now. That's one of those major things that can really tighten the book up sharp if I can hit it right.

No, I love him too. Which is why this scene is still around even though it needs to get cut :/ The whole point of this group is to get as many different perspectives as possible. Which means if you want to pick apart the micro, please for the love of God do. Anything and everything that can make the next draft really shine.

May I please have a slot for Monday, November 9th?

You and I must have connected telepathically because I was thinking the same thing. Have it kick off with Sue and end with Wo. That way Wa is introduced in Sue's POV and then you actually see him behind the scenes with Wo.

I still own all of mine!

Poem: I unfortunately read like...zero...poetry so I feel like I can't critique this well. My thoughts were, "This is a poem. It does poem things with words. A seashell is a metaphor for...getting old and maybe Alzheimer's? This is a poem, and like all poems, is going completely over my head." Plays and poems, man, are two things I'm just not good with :/ not you, definitely me. Prologue: Dragons? Dragons?? Dragons??? I'm down for a book starring dragons. I legit looked for more pages. My trouble with prologues is...they aren't the real story. Will Z matter at all? Will anything in the prologue matter? This didn't lay down the stakes to hold me captive, except hint that there are lost Sparks. I can't answer for you if this prologue holds information that will be mind-blowingly relevant in the future, since I don't know the rest of the story. Only you know if this is a prologue that must stay, or if it is just a tonal exercise like you talked about. I once used a metaphor with someone else that a lot of prologues are like being handed brownies, then having that taken away before I can take a bite and given cake. Like, the cake might be good and all, and I might like it more in the end, but I really became invested in those brownies. I mean, now I want the rest of the story with Z, to find out where the tension is and what the stakes are, but prologue history tells me no more Z and now our true protagonist will appear. I don't know if any of this made sense. Sorry. I am zonked. But dragons as protagonists? I have a strong weakness for non-human characters and an even stronger one for dragons.

Hello! I read the revised version of Chapter 1 before diving in. I think what I'm thirsting for most is a little more explanation of what the A look like. What color are D's...weavings? Do the A have hair or are they like a walking, twisted up silicon mannequin? Are their eyes woven too? I feel like I can wait on some information (Do they eat? How do they reproduce?) but I am having a tough time nailing down exactly what I should be imagining. What do the S look like, for instance? I love non-human characters, so I'm excited about such different lifeforms, especially for the protagonist. I am a trifle confused if D uses he/him pronouns or they/them, since both chapters appear to jump back and forth. I am curious about the Tide. Great name, by the way. Curious to see if this is like a god, a collective consciousness, or something like the Force. Yeah, I was wondering this myself. I mean, screwing around with the space station that is keeping you alive seems like a poor idea. It's one thing to try to steal a spaceship, it is another to start breaking important pipes. Curious to see where this will go!

I was like 80% sure it needed to go, but I needed to hear someone else say it. That first part that is all over the place with Sue is the scene that has been causing me pain for two weeks and I finally just went "screw it!" And puked this up.

HAPPY NANOWRIMO!!! GOOOOOOOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE PARTICIPATING THIS YEAR!!!

I'm not dead, I swear. To all of those whose critiques I have fell behind on - I don't have the time to go backwards and write my comments but I will be reading all past submissions so I can move forward with your new content. Onto NotK... This is a largely rewritten chapter with a new scene. This and the following chapter has caused me writer's block for nearly two weeks. Lovely writing for an hour and a half and then realizing it wouldn't work because of XYZ and having to try again. I cannot say I am happy with this, but I am happier than what I had previously. This is a step forward. Minor violence warning.

I'm currently virtually attending the World Fantasy Convention. I attended Tech for Writers, and two of the hosts (they are married) have posted their list of tech resources on their website as a free pdf, http://chewsjoy.com/. For ease, I also copy and pasted it below. Tech Tools for Writers [by Jonathan and Mandy Chew] TW & IG: @JonathanGChew, @MandyDChew World Fantasy Convention 2020 Brainstorm/Notetaking/Plotting: • Bear (Mac) - Typing • Flow (Mac) - Handwriting • OneNote (All Platforms) – Both typing & handwriting allowed • WikidPad (Wiki Style Program)- http://wikidpad.sourceforge.net/ • Intuiti Creative Cards - https://intuiti.it/ • yEd Graph Editors (Mindmapping) [Online & Download] - https://www.yworks.com/yed-live/ • Fantasy Name Generators - https://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/ • Emotion Thesaurus - https://onestopforwriters.com/emotions • Rory’s Story Cubes - https://www.storycubes.com/en/ Task Management/Project Tracking (FREE): • Basecamp (Collaboration) • Redbooth (Task Management) • TeamGantt (Overview) • Bullet Journaling Writing: • Scrivener (Mac & PC) • Ulysses (Mac App) • Highland 2 (Mac App) • Google Docs (Online, good for collaboration) • 4TheWords (Online Word Counter) - https://4thewords.com/ • Write or Die (Online Timer) - https://writeordie.com/ • Draft (Online Distraction Free) - https://draftin.com/ Writing Utensils: [$$$] • Paperlike (for iPad) • ReMarkable Tablet • Rocketbook (erasable notebook) • Fountain Pen Hospital (Neil Gaiman Recommendation- New York) • iPad iOS 14 Scribble Feature Backup Systems: • Carbonite - https://www.carbonite.com/ • Amazon Cloud Drive • Google Drive • Dropbox Writing Environment/Focus: • Pomodoro Technique - https://www.marinaratimer.com/ • Pinterest Boards • Spotify Playlists • Nature Sounds • Train Journeys - https://www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/bus-train/virtual-train-rides Grammar Help: • Grammarly • ProWritingAid BetaReaders: • BetaReader.io - https://betareader.io/ • Critters.org - http://critters.org/ • InkedVoices – https://www.inkedvoices.com Reading: • Libby (borrow digital books from local libraries) • BookBub (cheap book deals!) • Chirp (cheap audiobooks!) Contests: • NaNoWriMo - https://nanowrimo.org/ • PitchWars - https://pitchwars.org/ Podcasts/Classes/Resources: • Amie Kaufman on Writing - http://amiekaufman.com/podcast/ • Brandon Sanderson’s SciFi/Fantasy Class on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6HOdHEeosc • Novel Academy’s Story Equation - https://novel.academy/p/theseq • Manuscript Academy • Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI) • Publisher’s Weekly • Duotrope (list of journals taking submissions) - https://duotrope.com/ Promotion: • Canva • WordSwag • TweetDeck - https://tweetdeck.twitter.com/

I would like a slot for Monday, November 2nd please. At this point, I'll submitting whatever I have for this next chapter, even if it is complete garbage.

Oh yeah, I'm signed up for his newsletter. Still haven't figured out how to download and read his free digital book, though. I also like reading Janet Reid's stuff, but that isn't necessarily writing tips and more publishing tips. But either way she is so entertaining.

Now we can suffer together, my friend. Great advice I suck at doing. I feel like I've hit weekly goals instead of daily. I think the trick I've learned so far for editing is making sure a decent amount of time has passed since the chapter passed through critiques. That way I know I'm looking at the chapter objectively and not just emotionally reacting to everyone's comments. Beyond Writing Excuses, I don't really know of any great resources off of the top of my head. Thankfully, they have plenty of revising episodes.

Every 10k. My record was 7k on one Saturday. Sometimes I can push 5k regularly on the weekend. I typically aimed for 7k a week, since some days I had more days to write and other days I could only write a little. I know Sanderson can write 13k in a day when he puts his mind to it, but that man is crazy. Of course, right now I'm barely finding the time to revise and I'm looking back at last fall with envy. How did I manage to write 120,000 words in five months???

I find success with "If, then." If I write 250 words today, then I get a few chocolate chips. Repeat for more chocolate. If I write 10,000 words, then I get to buy myself a new book. If I write 1,000 words today, then I get to play the PS4 for the rest of my evening. So on and so forth. I find it keeps me motivated by conditioning something I love with writing. Like...if I write, I get chocolate? I also like Written Kitten! For every set amount of words you write, you get a photo of a cute kitten (or puppy, or rabbit). There's also the Pompordo Technique, where you write for a set amount of time, get a set amount of time break, rinse, repeat. My sister and my BFF both have ADHD, and they just cycle through projects. For instance, my sister usually has roughly three going at a time, and once she loses interest in one, she hops to the other. All three eventually get done. My bearded bestie switches between his passion for video games and his love of making wooden swords. There are a TON of prompts out there in case you ever find yourself staring at your computer blankly. Writing Excuses alone has several hundred at this point. I know there was a sub on Reddit dedicated to nothing but these, and I'm sure there are prompts on Twitter and Instagram as well. Good luck!!! Happy writing!

In the words of the great Emperor Palpatine: Do it.

It wasn't your fault. Obviously, your book was worth reading if I wasn't just willing to message you and go "Dude, I can't do it." I could have stopped any time. I chose not to.

Normally I would jump in for alpha reads. I've done several. I honestly find them easier in some ways than doing week-by-week. I can just get into the flow of the story and go. However, right now, I'm completely swamped and behind on normal critiques, let alone adding to the pile. The last alpha read I did should have only taken me two weeks, and it was upwards of two months. After that, I realized I don't really have the ability to add extra onto my workload at the moment. It's especially nice to alpha read for someone whose writing you admire. Then you can just plunge in and get your fill instead of dealing with weeklong cliffhangers.

Yay! Pizza! I pity your roommate, but I adore cats. I have one of my own, Juniper.

Exactly! Welcome @sniperfrog ! I completely understand the more-worldbuilding-less-writing. I don't know about you, but I get a nasty case of Worldbuilder's Disease. You could give us your first draft and I'd still be excited to read something new. You can't write worse than one of my first grade students. Do you like pizza? This is a very important question. Also, do you have any pets, and, if so, pics?????

I would love to say I'll have a chapter done by Monday but, let's face it, odds are low. Besides, I need to catch up on critiques. So, pass for Monday.