NaNoWriMo 2014 - What has surprised you?

Alli B. · Nov 3, 2014

Has your character ignored his outline? Did your original story evolve into something else? Are things going better or worse than you expected?

I've come across a few things so far that have surprised me, and I thought it would be fun to see how things aren't going exactly according to plan for everyone else.

What has taken you by surprise?

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As for me, the good surprise is that a character that I added last minute to my main cast has turned into my favorite view point so far. There's just something fun about writing how a snobby, ladylike, little-miss-perfect gets knocked into reality.

As for the bad surprise, it seems like my newborn freaks out only when I get into the juicy action scenes. He's messin' up my groove. ::grumbles:: He's lucky he's so dern cute.

Fruitbat · Nov 3, 2014

It has surprised me that I waited until day three to get started, then spent six hours today goofing off online and doing non-essential household tasks instead of writing. Wait. No, that hasn't surprised me.

meowzbark · Nov 3, 2014

The arrival of a non-planned character:

His name is Chester. He's a blind boat captain. He has a cat and whatever the cat sees, he sees. Of course, this isn't that amazing, considering that the cat doesn't follow directions and goes wherever the hell she wants.

Chester has known this cat for four years, but that cat hasn't decided to tell Chester her name yet.

Hannah M · Nov 3, 2014

One of my characters was killed!

Then I realised I hadn't had a chance to introduce him properly so I had to go back and send the family off to Spain for a week so we see what he's like.

Worked out better than I thought

KateSmash · Nov 3, 2014

How much depth my MC has gotten. Also, how much richer my voice has gotten.

This is a story I've been struggling with for about three years now. I've started and back-burnered it maybe five times. Because the MC was cartoonishly two dimensional or because I couldn't figure out a bigger plot outside her romantic arc.

Something magical is happening this time. It may not be perfect, but it is right and I'm flying through it with a joy I hadn't felt for my own writing in ages. I can't believe I abandoned it on day one again for something so half-baked.

Putputt · Nov 3, 2014

That my wrists are starting to bother me. I thought having hooves would help prevent that, but nope.

J_Cato · Nov 3, 2014

I’m sure you meant writing-related surprises, but I’ve been unpleasantly surprised by the apparent inability of the NaNoWriMo website to handle the surge in traffic it’s experiencing this month. I routinely get timeouts and 404 errors while using the site.

Despite this it’s still been a great experience and motivator. My novel is moving along.

Brightdreamer · Nov 3, 2014

J_Cato said:
I’m sure you meant writing-related surprises, but I’ve been unpleasantly surprised by the apparent inability of the NaNoWriMo website to handle the surge in traffic it’s experiencing this month. I routinely get timeouts and 404 errors while using the site.

+1

It's hung on me in previous years, but it really seems buggy this time around. Took three tries to post a reply in the forums.

Sage · Nov 3, 2014

CoffeeBeans · Nov 3, 2014

Honestly surprised how freaking difficult it is to write a historical. It's not ever a very accurate historical, and I spend so much more time trying to sort through saved links and information than I do writing.

My word count is crawling. I'm so effed.

Sage · Nov 3, 2014

And now my characters are nudging me in a way to reveal stuff to another character, and it is just too soon to do that.

Forbidden Snowflake · Nov 3, 2014

Well one of my characters changed gender? Is that a surprise?

Otherwise the writing looks rather crap to me, is that a surprise?

Also, I'm utterly behind because procrastination. But oh my the things I got done in the house, with the dogs and around the internet... you wouldn't believe.

DamaNegra · Nov 4, 2014

One of my characters changed gender and then revealed themselves as the actual POV of the story, so the character I'd planned to be the protagonist has gone off to a more supporting role. Not that I'm complaining, I think it works much better this way.

Also, for a bunch of hardened warriors, my characters are way sillier than you'd imagine. Good thing no one else can understand their language.

Maggie Maxwell · Nov 4, 2014

Dear NaNoNovel:

What do you mean "Actually, I'm supposed to be in first person"?!

Sincerely,
Oh god I'm going to have to rewrite everything so far

*sigh* It'll fix a lot of the problems I've been having with it the past three days, but still.

Putputt · Nov 4, 2014

AHHHHHHHHH I was wondering why something felt so off today...I felt like I wasn't quite getting the POV character's voice right...and then...3.5K into it, it smacked me in the snout.

At some point this morning, I had reverted to 3rd person. DURRR.

Forbidden Snowflake · Nov 4, 2014

I have no idea what POV this is supposed to be. I am trying Omni but it feels more like a mess. I don't like first that much as a reader but I really have trouble writing 3rd and yes, it's a mess.

However I suddenly have a pixie in the story. That came as a surprise.

Lissibith · Nov 4, 2014

I spent more time researching medieval treatments for gangrene than I did writing yesterday. I hate to think that that might do to the ads I see on Facebook and the like...

Sage · Nov 4, 2014

Minor character who was in the background suddenly had a more important role. And personality. And a history. Okay.

LJD · Nov 4, 2014

My FMC is more awkward than expected, which is fine.
But the story doesn't seem to be as funny as I'd hoped, which is disappointing.

KateSmash · Nov 4, 2014

My swashbuckling mentor character apparently has a tragic backstory. And quite the "humanity sucks" screed to go along with his previously unknown motivations. Poor guy.

Gringa · Nov 4, 2014

I'm writing a scene in 1st POV, then rewriting the same scene in 3rd POV, then back to 1st and so forth. Had no idea I'd do this and kinda driving me nutz but it's amazing what details pops up doing this.

(For a revision)

CoffeeBeans · Nov 4, 2014

Everything is better when they're talking. So much less start-stop once they get the ball rolling.

Thought the MC was going to be all "yay balls and dresses!" but she's finding it all a bit more overwhelming than expected.

PrincessOfCats · Nov 4, 2014

I realized on day one that I was already bored with the premise of my novel, and wound up writing a totally different novel, about a different subject, in a totally different genre. Totally unplanned. I seriously just started writing with no idea whatsoever of where I was going, or what the plot was, or who any of the characters were going to be, hoping the next scene would suggest itself by the end of the scene I was at.

That's pretty much how the whole novel is going so far, and I'm at about 9k words. I seriously know the general gist of what happens in the next scene and nothing past that. I've never written a novel this way before, and it's honestly creeping me out a little bit.

Forbidden Snowflake · Nov 4, 2014

My pixie turned into a Water Sprite and also I think I just discovered an underwater world, it was just there... but, you know what? I finally know where this is going.

Bookdragonette · Nov 5, 2014

The introduction of an unplanned character on Day 1 has thrown my plot into so much disarray, that I restarted the novel with a different setting, but keeping the two characters from the old 6500 words.

Also, that I am apparently set on writing a P.I. in an unnamed American state, while I am a) not a P.I. myself, and thus not versed in what the rules are, and b) not American. I have never even been there. I blame my fiction-intake.

NaNoWriMo 2014 - What has surprised you?

.

Me. Who else?

this was a triumph

permanently suctioned to Buz's leg

I must be in the wrong timeline.

Just Another Lazy Perfectionist

Supreme Guessinator

Supreme Guessinator

I'm quite put out.

Mexican on the loose!

Making Einstein cry since 1994

permanently suctioned to Buz's leg

I'm quite put out.

On target

Supreme Guessinator

this was a triumph

I'm quite put out.

Differently Actual