January writing challenges:

1. New beginnings - With the start of the new year, people like to take that chance to change themselves for the better. Have your characters do this, they don't need to do new year's resolutions like we do, just any sort of realization that they need to better themselves. Of course we all know that with all the best intentions, we can and will fail at times, so don't think your characters have to succeed or fail, they just have to try.

2. Dreams - Write anything remotely related to dreams of some sort. You can indeed go ahead and write a dream sequence, or you can have your characters talk about their dreams for their future, or anything else that can relate in some manner to dreams.

**Send entries to me by PM or email ( squid.master[at]yahoo[dot]com )

**Deadline is January 31, 2009, by 11:59 PM.

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Rules:

1. Obviously you should be interested in writing in some way. You don't have to be spectacular at it, but having an interest is great. Also being willing to share your writing is helpful too, as many here will likely be interested in reading it once you talk about it.

2. The only spam permitted is spam related to your writing (excerpts, character bios, character drawings, etc.). Please don't spam anything else.

3. Constructive criticism is great, outright flames are not. Please don't say anything about anyone's work that you wouldn't want said about your own work. If something isn't good, don't just say "it sucks", say what about it isn't good and suggest a way to improve if you can. It also helps to post what is good about an idea. I feel very strongly on this, because it will be more helpful to know why something isn't good and how to possibly improve upon it.

To expand on this further, please be willing to accept criticism. It is meant to make you a better writer, not to hurt you. No one's work is perfect.

4. While I understand that we are all busy, I feel it's only fair that if you want comments on your own stuff, or help brainstorming to provide it in return. I won't make this a hard and fast rule, but a strong suggestion.

5. Obviously forum rules are in effect here, but I would also add treat members as you would want to be treated.

6. While randomness is indeed a good way to brainstorm, it would be wonderful to remain mostly on topic, which should include our works or writing in general. Discussions on literature are great, random discussions on non-related topics are not.

7. And lastly, please no grammar nazi-ing people's posts! Save the editing for your writing or consider being a beta for someone
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Members:

squidmaster64 [FP] [LJ] [NaNo] [NaNo2]
Roadie [FP] [NaNo] [NaNo2]
Namida
Tamad
Aelph [FP] [LJ] [NaNo]
medomai [FP]
Xandy [FP] [NaNo]
A Hundred Million Dongs
Koromaru [NaNo]
Spamus
Laogeodritt
Sediea [NaNo]
Light
MarshmallowEgg [NaNo]
Duo Himura
Toku [NaNo]
Matthias [NaNo]
Mushy [FF]

Post to be added, and include any FF/FP/LJ/NaNoWriMo links desired. If I missed one, or I added one that you want removed, just say the word.
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Helpful resources:

Fictionpress, to post original work
Fanfiction.net, to post fanfiction
NaNoWriMo's official site
In-depth character questionnaire
Writing resources
Grammar reference
Tone-specific fantasy/location name generator
Behind the Name's random name generator (first name only)
Serendipity, a great generator site
Seventh Sanctum, lord of all generator sites
Writing prompts (mostly for journals)
The Universal Mary-Sue Litmus Test
Personality test (fun to use to compare your OCs)
Shorter, but still effective, Mary-Sue test
Limyaael's fantasy rants
100 themes challenge
36 plots table
Lists of popular names
Professional author's site (lots of great tips if you're serious about getting published)

If you have any other good writing/prompt/generator/etc. sites, please share.

Roadie re-joining.

The lack of forums forced me to edit.

Excellent.

Same here. <3 Now I'm staring at this publisher that I found...

Edit: Dude. I thought I disabled smilies. o.o

Joining again ;D

Hi.

Well, of course I'm in.

I think -- estimating -- that I got about 53k in total for NaNo, but I wasn't able to get more than what I already had typed up typed over the last few days, so... I lose, but I know I won. Good enough, right?

And instead of writing, like I planned to, while I'm in the library, I'm sitting on a computer. It's just like at home!

Yo.

Why am I not automatically in.

And I was unable to finish NaNo because I couldn't turn on the computer. I'm a failure I know.

Added people. :')

@Aelph: Of course! Congrats even though it's not an official win. <3 Writing 50k is still hard work all the same.

@Xandy: After reading your post on dA, I'd have a hard time calling you a failure... o.o...

Hey, guys. Nice to see y'all again. ^^



Could any of you look over this last piece (which I posted a while back on the Tales forums Writers' Guild) and critique it? Story, character and style critique are appreciated, and please do point out typos or language errors. If you can, detailed critique would be appreciated, except for the issues summarized below (unless you have something detailed to add).

Willing to do exchanges within my abilities, though the end of the semester precludes me from doing a serious critique for the next two to three weeks...

Revenge [working title]

I had posted my intentions with regard to some major weaknesses in the story on Tales, but seeing as I can't access it... here's a quick summary: I realize that character development for everyone but the main character is very weak, and that there are several months which are skipped over. I intend to fill that elliptical section with scenes that drive the character development, if not the "main" plot, further.

Particularly, I'd like to establish a relationship between the main character and Jenna, develop Maia, and flesh out the main character's psychological progression. I'd also like to flesh out Sai and Gang, whose personalities and, especially, motive are pretty thin. I still do not understand the characters myself, their motives, their feelings towards the main character and Lynn's murder. This would also determine whether or not the poisoning incident would occur, as well as answer the real reason why they have found their way to that village (pretty unlikely that it's for the same reasons the M.C. believe!).

Thank you to anyone who takes the time to read and comment. <3

Join...again. I need to get my but into gear like, now. I screwed up NaNo.

Congrats to those who made it though. ^_^

So do we all have time to read each others' stories now?

I'm not too unhappy that mine went down with Tales. I have it all saved, obviously, but I'm not sure if it would be best just to delete it now or not.

Joining again lolk

I actually made 50,000 words but half of it was in my notebook and I procrastinated typing it and well...>_>

But loved the way my ending turned out angst plot twist with cliffhangers is go

However, everything else is rough and crappy so I will edit it like no tomorrow.

@Lao: The link won't work for me apparently =(

@Koromaru: Sorry, made a mistake in the domain. Took my old host's domain. Fixed.

You can't rid yourself of my plague so easily!

My excuse for not finishing NaNo is lack of inspiration for the intended story. And I failed to make any progress on my pre-existing one because of other things and because I'm an attention seeking whore when it comes to writing and none of my friends could be bothered to read it.