-Fiction Status-
The Ferals: Character work
SE-OCT: Round 5, vs. Gideon; writing like a madman.
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Those of you doing NaNoWriMo may have noticed the stagnation of my word count bar. For the rest of you, my inactivity should be fairly noticeable. You see, I didn't want to come on here because I'd have to admit a few things concerning NaNoWriMo, and explain why I've failed so epically.

You see, I don't care about my characters. They're one-dimensional and uninteresting. The dialogue is bad, and is strangling the detail out of the scenes, detail that is usually one of my strong points. The plot isn't terribly interesting to me but not so much that I can bring myself to throw it out and change it.

But I would solider on, if not for one thing. That thing isn't homework, or the college application process, or even SE-OCT (I kind of forgot that I had a round entry due today. I have to get writing once I'm done here. No worries though).

That thing is Ferals.

Let me put it this way: on the NaNoWriMo website, the event is described as a way for "would-be novelists" to finally write a book. Yes, it is first and foremost for people who would love to write a novel "someday." For people like me, and many of you, it's just an interesting literary diversion, not our only chance to ever get any writing done.

And I'd be all over that... I was all over that... except for Ferals. You see, THAT is the novel I SHOULD be writing. I love all the characters to death, even Reine despite her general lack of empathy or good character. Ryder alone is more complex than all of the characters in ALitD put together (and more complex than all the characters in PoB squared. No, cubed!). I have something to say with this story, too.

But I have realized that the more I think about Ferals, the less I care about Powers of Balance. If I focus on Ferals and ignore PoB, I could be done planning (or at least ready to start writing) by the first week or so of December.

I cannot convey how happy that makes me. I really, really want to write Ferals. Plus, I need something that represents my skill level, which PoB does not. It's... bad. Very bad.

So let me put it this way: I don't think I'm going to finish NaNo. It was a cute idea, but the novelty has long since worn off for me and I would rather write using my own methods, not this hastened scramble for the next thousand words.

But the sacrifice will not be in vain. Ferals is imminent. It really is. All I need to begin the story at this point is to determine the way that my major characters are going to develop throughout the story and then to refine the first third or so of my planning so that I can start with it. And that's what I'd rather do.

Sorry if I've let some people down, but I don't have any regrets about this. NaNo just isn't enriching my experience as a writer. I'd rather move on to The Ferals.

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"If only he didn't dream of stoats!" --Shred, The Gormenghast Novels