Journal- 4/30/2024: Look What I Did!

Guys! I cheated!

I finished it yesterday with a final WC of 10,022, but the story’s not over yet.

Okay, perhaps not entirely. I wrote 7,980 words out of my supposed 10,000 this month, but I started with 2,042 already written. The sad part is that 10k is half the original goal, but I get this confetti-sprinkled pop-up and a bunch of celebratory GIFs at the journey’s end, so what does it matter?

What Story Did You Win with, You Ask?

Why, thank you for such pleasant nosiness! [Su*cide Trigger Warning] It centers on a pastor’s kid and a girl who tries to jump off from her windowsill to end her . . . self. Surprisingly, it’s not as dark as I thought it would turn out, and the contemporary vibes are AGH. Primarily featuring Christian messages, finding your identity in the rubble, doing the right thing when the boundaries are murky, and, of course, goofy Christian friends.

If I ever doubted that contemporary was my favorite genre, my reaction to the scenes that work has sealed the deal for me.

said reaction:

I conceded to the idea on October 16, 2023—the date the Doc claims I began clickity-clackity-ing toward some semblance of a goal. After two days of minor updates, I left it alone until a random December day. I vaguely remember my dad coming home after saving this couple. The wife and her husband had been fighting, and she tried to k*ll herself, but my dad stopped them before she could and counseled them for about four to six hours.

My sisters and I prayed for them, and my heart went out to the couple. Somehow, it felt like God calling me to return to the story. But my lazy self was hardly consistent in that month. A passable excuse could be the hecticness of the season and my priorities being with school, extracurriculars, and another larger work-in-progress.

Time passed, and when I could’ve forgotten about this, I didn’t. I’m taking that as a sign, small as it might be.

Anyway, though I hit the goal, I’ll keep working on this lump of ideas and see where it goes. I may or may not mention it here since it makes me so darn happy in upcoming posts. Who knows? I would if I planned stuff. I don’t and therefore am as clueless as you. Speaking of planning . . .

I Outlined?

According to recent studies, I’m a pantser. Whenever I put my ideas to parchment, I realize even I wouldn’t read a story with that premise and then promptly lose enthusiasm.

The two lessons I need to learn:

1. Make better premises.
2. Remember that it’s just a rough replica.
3. Experiment!

Yes, I can count. I didn’t consciously take note of the third point of that two-point list, but I still applied it in the outlining process somehow, also unconsciously. I have four Letter-sized scrap pieces of paper to prove it. They might all be hardly a fourth filled, but that counts!

This video by Ana Neu inspired me to at least give it a shot.

As she said in the intro, her guide isn’t exhaustive. Take what may compliment your writing style, and apply it how you please. I used the “brain barf” outline style and place plotting; they’re neat and messy, and I love them. It’s also refreshing to see a young writer (with an extreme yet very authentic Australian accent) being relatable, sharing encouragement and tips openly, and building such a supportive community. She’s Christian, too, and her vlog videos are as aesthetic as they come.

But Back to the Main Topic . . .

Here’s proof, people.

It was inspired by Justin Bieber’s song “Hold On.” How does one translate electric guitar feels into a story? I have no clue, so I opted out of that the first chance I got.

A cool song, nonetheless.

Sure, it says “novella” in incoherent writing on the top-right corner of the page, but will it ever really reach that point? I say no, but we, as always, shall see.

The Place Plotting section looks empty and soulless, but the real one’s on the other page, ye of little faith.

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Okay, That’s Basically It.

Nearly all my academic, extracurricular, and officer work is complete. I know, it’s a shock to me, too. I want to say the stress is easing out and making way for a more chill phase, but that would be a lie. A blatant lie.

How was your Camp NaNoWriMo? If you don’t know what that is or didn’t participate, how well did April treat you, and what’s up with writing?