Tag Archives: Plot Bunnies

I Still Have No Idea What I’m Writing For NaNoWriMo

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In just a few days, I will be starting NaNoWriMo!  It’s a little bit weird because this will be my 11th year doing it, and I can’t believe it’s been for that long.  Definitely long enough that I actually have to think about how long I’ve been doing it.

For those who don’t know what NaNoWriMo is, it is National Novel Writing Month.  It’s a challenge to write 50,000 words in 30 days, and while it can be intense, it’s also something I look forward to doing every year.  I love the community and hearing what other people are doing, and this year in particular, it will be a good distraction and a way to focus on something else for a while.

It’s definitely not for everyone, and even writing something is so much better than writing nothing.  I really do believe that by just deciding to go for it, and to just write something, you’re a winner.  And I’m totally cool with having buddies, so if you’re participating…you can friend me.

I usually have an idea of what I’m writing, and for quite a while I was consistently doing two 50,000 word novels at the same time.  Then came the year I did three, then I did a few different ideas because I burned out after the insane 3 novel year, and since then I’ve stuck with one.  I know I listed fanfic as my genre this year, because that’s what I’m leaning towards, but if it changes, I’m totally going to have to update my novel.

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Idea #1: The only original idea I have- a YA in which I have not picked a genre.

I randomly got an idea for a novel set in a boarding school, and my main character is new there.  There are a lot of secrets and mysterious/weird things happening, but I haven’t decided if it’s going to be more either contemporary, mystery, horror or if I want to do paranormal or urban fantasy.  It’s vague enough that if I do it, it can go in any direction, and it could be fun to see where it ends up.

My only hesitation with doing this one is that I don’t know if I’m in the right frame of mind for something completely original.  Even though things are a lot more calm now, I’m still feeling sort of blah and not motivated to do much of anything, and even though I like this idea a lot, I just don’t feel interested enough to actually do it.  I feel like I’d start it and then abandon it for something else.  I do have an outline, though, so maybe I’ll do it for a Camp NaNo or save it for another November.

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Now for all the fanfic ideas…which involve shipping Hermione with different Weasleys that are not Ron.

Fanfic Idea #1: Hermione and George

I’ve read quite a few Marriage Law fics, and I always thought the idea was interesting, so I figured I’d try writing my own.  Hermione also goes back to Hogwarts, so there’s also that going on.  This is actually one of the ideas I’m leaning towards, now that I think about it, so there’s a good chance I could pick this one.  I also have this one outlined- at least enough to (hopefully) get me through November.  Where it ends is not the end of the story, but I honestly wanted enough to get me through a month.

FanFic Idea #2: Hermione and Charlie

This one is totally an alternate 7th year where Hermione gets separated from Ron and Harry at Bill and Fleur’s wedding and somehow ends up on the run with Charlie.  It also has what I’m officially calling a NaNo outline- I have enough outlined to get me through the month, even if it’s not completely finished.  It is more finished/complete than my 1st idea, but it’s not completely finished.  This is the other idea I’m leaning towards, so apparently I have narrowed things down without even realizing it.

FanFic Idea #3: Hermione and Percy

This is post-Battle, and the wizarding world is trying to get itself together.  At least, that’s the basic idea.  I only have about half a NaNo-outline, because I sort of hit a wall with outlining.  Which is fine, since I have a couple of other ideas I’m leaning towards.  I think it’s one of those things that just needs to be written.  If the other two fanfic ideas don’t pan out, I think this will be a good back-up.  Or I might do it during Camp NaNo, where I can set my own word count and not have to worry about writing a 50k (or beyond).

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And the plot bunnies that I never got around to thinking about!  Well, I do admit to thinking more about some of them than others, but considering how little I’ve done with them, I’m still going to consider them plot bunnies.

Plot Bunny #1: More FanFic…this time with Fred and Hermione

I swear, Weasley twins + Hermione is my favorite non-canon ship, but I’ve been shipping Hermione and Fred since high school.  HIGH SCHOOL, PEOPLE.  That’s a long time, and I did start a Hermione/Fred fanfic at one point in high school.

For this one, I was thinking maybe something starting in her 4th year, around the Yule Ball, but that’s it.  I got distracted by other things and never got around to doing anything with it.  Maybe in December, I’ll come back to it.

Plot Bunny #2: Something YA Contemporary, preferably during summer 

I tried doing this one year, and it didn’t work out, but I so want to do something like this.  I don’t know what exactly, but I’ve had the idea just floating around for ages and I NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.  I don’t have enough of an actual idea to actually do something with it, so maybe I need to go back to YA Contemporary to see if something will spark an idea.

Plot Bunny #3: New Adult Romance?

I don’t read a lot of it, and it’s TOTALLY out of my comfort zone, so I’m nervous about doing it.  I have a vague idea of how it ends, and for some reason I want to start with the ending and then you see how things got to that point. But I’m sort of nervous to write romance because I’m not at all comfortable writing it, even though I really like books with romance.  Maybe it’ll end up being more contemporary?  I don’t know but I need to think about it.  Oddly enough, I got the idea to write something in this genre the first time I heard Hello by Adele, so maybe I should think more of the mood I’m going for instead of a genre?  Because contemporary could work for it too, I think.  It depends on what I end up deciding.

Not Exactly A Plot Bunny But It Also Doesn’t Fit Anywhere Else:

Plus the story I’ve worked on for the last couple of NaNo’s.  I still want to do a lot more with it, but my noveling efforts tend to be in November, with some prep in September/October and maybe a half-hearted attempt during a Camp NaNo session.  At the same time, I want to write something different, and I also know that right now, I just want to write fanfic and not focus on something original, because I think that’s where I’m at this year.

I think I’m going to end up deciding which idea I’m going with on Halloween, right before I start writing at midnight. I’m definitely not doing two 50k novels, but maybe 25k of each if I absolutely cannot decide.

Is anyone else doing NaNo this year or has done it in the past? What’s everyone writing this year, if you are?  Maybe you’re not writing but instead doing some other creative project?  I definitely want to hear what really awesome things you’re working on!

Mythology Is Pretty Important

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Mythology is going to be really important in at least one of my plot bunnies, maybe even two of them.  I’m going to focus on some of the mythological creatures and beings that may end up in The Pact.  If any of the information isn’t new to you, I’m sorry, but hopefully it’ll help me get some focus. 

  • Faeries popped into my head immediately.  The word faerie comes from Middle English word faierie, which seems to come directly from the Old French word Faerie.  Ultimately, though, the word faerie is derived from the Latin word fata, or one of the Fates.  So faeries are guardians in the ultimate sense of the word.  Can you imagine getting sick because you’re trying to protect something, and nothing is good enough?  Faerie is a pretty broad category, though, if the wikipedia page is any indication.  But still, I like the image of a faerie.  There are lots of faeries out there, so I’m pretty sure I can think of something interesting.   
  • Mermaids: I don’t have a clue how to work in a mermaid, but I really like the idea.  Mermaid comes from two French words, mer, which means sea, and maid, which is a girl or a young woman…obviously, right?  Mermaids sing to gods or people to enchant them and distract them from what they’re doing.  In some stories, mermaids squeeze the life out of men as they drown while they try to rescue them.  There are a lot of mermaid stories out there, and I really like the image of a girl who’s part mermaid or something. 
  • Selkies can become human by taking off their seal skin, and return to their seal form by putting their seal skin back on.  There’s not much on the wikipedia page, but the legends are really interesting, and I’m sure I could adapt the legends to fit the story. 
  • Sirens…I’m starting to detect a them here, perhaps something water related is where I should focus my attention.  Sirens, if you’re not familiar with them, are 3 bird-women who are portrayed as seductresses who lured sailors to the rocky coast of their island with their enchanting voices and music.  I’m pretty sure I could work this in somehow, but since it’s a fantasy, it can happen. 

I think some kind of water creature is where my thoughts eem to be headed, and there’s going to be some very strong imagery.  I’ll definitely need some to have a clear image of what Poppy looks like.  If I can actually get myself to work on it, it should be really fun.

I Have A Confession To Make

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I was going to be all productive over the weekend, and work on my plot bunnies.  I had high hopes of doing some character profiles, and actually attempt to make some decisions on what to do.  I was even going to do some writing on Saturday or Sunday.

So it should be no surprise that I didn’t do anything.  I didn’t write anything, I didn’t make any decisions, work on any of my characters…but I did write a couple of notes for one plot bunny.  And then realized that it was something I had written a few lines up.  So I didn’t even come up with any original ideas either. 

The clock is ticking, and I have just over 6 weeks to finish up these ideas.  It seems like a lot of time, but for a procrastinator like me, it’s really not that much time.  Maybe I need to spend some time at the library, since that seems to be one of the few places I can actually get any work done.

So, I’ll try to work on a couple characters, and try to decide what direction I want to go in for a couple of them.  I can’t promise that I’ll get any work done, since I seem to be really bad at it right now, but I’ll definitely try.  I just need to sit down and actually do it. 

Here’s hoping I will!

Decisions, Decisions

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I have a really cool idea for one of my plot bunnies, the one where the two best friends make a pact.  I haven’t looked over my notes or anything, and it’s been a good 2 months or so since I’ve worked on it.  But I still want to go with the idea that she has some supernatural power or something and it ends up killing her.  The only problem is deciding which thing I want to go with.

I have 3 categories- magical beasts and creatures, superpowers, and other.  I want it to be somwhat realistic…or at the very least, the teensiest bit plausible.  Like fairie blood is toxic when mixed with human blood.  Or she can heal people but it shortens her life a little each time she does it.  I definitely want to go with something like that…something that’s she’s done her whole life, something she does not knowing it’s killing her each time she does it, or some kind of magical blood that is deadly when combined with another type of blood.  It’s definitely intriguing, and I’m not sure which one I like more.  Maybe I can find some way to combine both, because depending on whatever creature I go with, there are probably special abilities that go along with it.  I have lists, I just need to do a little more research on some of the creatures to see if anything seems super-interesting.

This is why I like to wing it, as much as possible, because I hate deciding on things!  I know I could change it later, but my stupid inner editor starts harping on me about making sure it’s the right decision, because you don’t want to make the wrong one.  And just when I think she’s gone…she randomly appears!

I think today, I’m going to try working on this plot bunny, and see if I can actually decide on something!

Halfway There!

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I’ve reached the halfway mark!  At least in terms of wordcount.  It was very exciting, and I definitely need to start wrapping things up.  I have a definite idea in mind now for it.  It’s strange how everything becomes more clear after the halfway point.  Currently, I’m at 25,069, so while I’m not caught up, I will be soon! 

As for my other writing, I did work on a couple characters, as well as doing my other projects for the week.  I definitely like splitting them up over 2 or 3 days, as opposed to one each day.  Once I start writing, I want to keep going with something, so that’s what I’m going to stick with.  It is working, and since I’m all about doing what works these days, I should definitely do that.  I’m definitely hoping to have a rough draft finished for Turning Point, the Giant Prehistoric Chicken, and my NCIS fanfic by November  Maybe even one or two of my HP fanfics, depending on how much I write for them.  It’s weird, but exciting at the same time.

That’s about it, so have a great day!

Magic Steps

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Book: Magic Steps by Tamora Pierce

Pages/Format: 262/Hardcover

My Thoughts: Magic Steps is the first book in The Circle Opens quartet.

Sandry discovers a boy who can dance magic, and as the mage who discovered his power, she is the one who must be his teacher.  Sandry and her uncle, however, learn that there is someone who is stalking some local merchants.  This killer has some very strange magic- an ability to reduce essence to nothingness.

I love the whole premise of novel, and found the unusual forms of magic different from the few fantasy books I’ve read.  It was a little slow in the beginning, but the pace picked up, and I found myself wanting to read more.  I definitely want to read the rest of the books- at first I thought I wouldn’t like the book, but I’m glad I gave it a chance.  The circle opens quartet is the sequel to her circle of magic quartet. 

I found the character of Lark to be the most interesting and I wished she had appeared in the book more.  The characters weren’t really developed in this one, although that’s probably because they were developed in the first series. 

I do wish there were more details on how the dancing magic worked.  How magic works may well have been covered in the first series, and it certainly seems like Pierce assumes the reader has read the first series.  There were enough details for anyone new to her circle of magic books to understand what was going on…but not a lot.  While it’s not necessary to have read the circle of magic in order to understand this one, it would be a good idea just to know how the characters came to be. 

Rating: 3 out of 5.  Interesting book, and the world she built is fascinating.

Writing Is Amazing!

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Yesterday, I managed to write around 1,000 words or so.  I think that’s the most I’ve written in a day since NaNo.  Granted, it was spread out through 3 different novels, but still, it’s a lot of words in one day.  It took me most of the morning, since I was doing other stuff (cough*facebook*cough), but I felt like I actually did something. 

I worked on the family tree a little more.  The format of it is still a little weird, but for now, it works, plus the characters have names.  There aren’t any last names yet, but first names will work for now.  I think today I’m going to work on a couple of the characters- maybe do a character profile.  It doesn’t need to be too detailed or anything, because there are going to be so many characters, and I’m still not sure who I want to focus on.  I have some ideas on who I want to focus on, but that could change.  I really want to leave things open right now, because I don’t want to focus my attention on a few characters, only to change my mind a couple days before the start of NaNo.  So I’ll slowly work my way through the family, until every one of them has some sort of biography.  Or until I get tired of it, whichever happens first.

I have a lot to work on, but at the same time, it’s nice to be writing so much again.  I’ve realized how much I miss writing on a regular basis, and NaNo reminded me of how important it really is.  I have so many ideas, and being able to work on them is helping me focus on something. 

Have an awesome day everyone!

And Now For Your Weekly Update

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I think last week was my best week for writing.  At least in terms of not struggling.  I know I mentioned it in a different post how much I loved doing the average thing.  I’ve been keeping track of how much I’m writing every week, and I wanted to try tailoring my weekly word goal to each project, since I’m struggling with some projects and not others.  It seemed like taking the average for each project would be the best way to do this, and it worked so well, I’m going to keep doing this.  At least for the time being, until I get a a different idea for a weekly goal.  In all honesty, I think the average is a lot closer to what I’m writing every week for each novel, so it’s something that I want to stick with. 

I haven’t really worked on any of my plot bunnies, but I definitely have decided to do a family tree for my newest plot bunny.  I spend a good 20 minutes or so trying to figure out one of those family tree table things, and it made my brain want to explode.  If I write it out (which will probably be a great idea once it’s done), then maybe I can understand how everyone’s related a little better.  Plus, I’m going to have to do a family tree any way, so I might as well get a rough draft together.  Plus, it’ll help me come up with characters, which is always a good thing.  Especially since the idea that I really like is a different funeral each chapter, and each funeral would be told from the POV of a different person.  Even if I don’t go with that idea, it’ll still be useful, since a family tree would be setting up most of the basic groundwork for the novel. 

I can’t remember if I mentioned my idea for next month’s Camp NaNo- I’m going to go with my NCIS fanfiction, since I want to get that novel done before the season starts.  My idea is based off the season finale, and while I don’t have to do it before November, I think I will.  Just because I don’t want my idea to be influenced by anything that pops up next season.  It would also be kind of interesting to see if anything I come up with shows up next season.  It seems like Camp NaNo is going to continue into August, so I might use one of my other plot bunnies in August.  It really depends on what I get done in the next couple months. 

I think I might have decided on which ideas I’m going to do for NaNo: the one about the pact, and the one about a family only seeing each other at funerals.  I have no clue what I want to do for my historical fiction, so that’s going to be shelved until I can actually narrow down my ideas.  Or maybe I just need to pick one idea and go with it, and hope for the best.  I think my main problem is that I don’t want to pick the wrong idea for it.  There’s also the fact that I love the time period and there are so many things I could do with it- I’m pretty much like a kid in a candy store, and I can’t make up my mind.  If I decide to do Camp NaNo in August, then I’ll probably end up doing my secret government agency idea, because that’s the one that I’m not too interested in.  I think for now, I’ll just keep working on everything, and hope that I’ll actually be able to make up my mind!

And, before I go, here’s my weight loss update!  I lost just under a pound, and I actually went to the gym last week!  Granted, it was just once, but once is better than not going at all, so that was a plus. 

I think that’s all for now, so I hope everyone has a great day!

Plot Bunny Update!

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I thought I’d share some of my notes from some of my plot bunnies.

Plot Bunny 1: The Pact; 2 best friends make a pact, and it has far-reaching consequences

  • I’m definitely going with the idea that Poppy is sick, and ends up dying.  Jordan promises not to tell anyone, and then everything goes to hell once she dies.
  • After reading Fairy Tale and Graceling, I came up with the idea that maybe she has a superpower or extreme skill or something, and that’s what kills her.  But I’m still not sure about what kind of power or whatever to give her.  I know I’d have to work out the medical aspect, so I may need to look into that first.
  • My main question is how she figures this out- has she always had it, and it’s making a sudden appearance, or had she always had it and it goes into overdrive?  Maybe it’s been gradually appearing, and she doesn’t know what’s happening until it’s too late.

Plot Bunny 2: Secret Government Agency; Kaylee comes across a mysterious group of men, who are connected to a secret government agency.

  • I was originally thinking of something similar to the adjustment bureau, which was in theaters recently.  But now I’m not sure if I want to go in that direction.  But I’m keeping that as an option for now.
  • I’m leaning towards having her job put her in danger- she accidently finds something out that she wasn’t supposed to, and now these men are following her.
  • As for the men themselves, are they a super-secret part of some agency we know about, or are they an independent agency to keep an eye on everyone?  I need to figure out who these men are, because all I have are some vague possibilities. 

Plot Bunny 3: Funerals; this is my most recent plot bunny- a family only gets together for funerals`

  • At every funeral, they talk about how they need to see each other at events that aren’t funerals- they might organize a family reunion or something, but I haven’t decided on that yet.
  • If I decide to do just a series of funerals, then each one will probably be told from the POV of a different family member. 
  • I definitely need to do a family tree.  It’s going to be a large extended family, with lots of second and third cousins.  I’ll need to keep everyone straight, and if I decide to use different POV’s, then it’ll be a necessity.  I really should do one no matter what.  I must make sure all the names are distinct enough that I won’t confuse anyone.  Which I’m sure will happen once November hits, because what’s NaNo unless you confuse a few characters?

Right now, I’m really excited about PB 3, mostly because it’s bright and shiny, and I love bright and shiny ideas.  But I did get the idea from a family funeral I went to last week…so inspiration really can come from anywhere!

Going To Try Something New

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I was taking a look at my little progress sheet I made for my weekly writing goals, and decided I would try something different this week.  For some of my projects, I end up sticking close to the word goal for the week.  For everything else, I end up writing more than I expected.  So this week, I think I’m going to figure out the average amount I write every week, and have that as my goal.  If that works out, I think I might do that for a while, and tailor my goals.

Writing went pretty well this week, as did my plot bunnies.  I’m sticking to the schedule I had set up in January pretty well, but I’m trying to be flexible with it as well, because stuff happens and I want to be able to change things as needed.  I did come up with another plot bunny, so I’ll end up working that in.  Who knew a funeral could inspire a novel?   

I lost a pound this week!  Definitely unexpected, but I did eat better this week.  I still can’t get myself to the gym…maybe this week, but it’s not something that’s likely.  But at least I’m eating better, so I’m making progress.

I think that about covers it; it looks like I’ll have another productive week!