Motivational Wednesday: Assistance Swap Meet Redux

[dawn_felagund]

Believe it or not, we have less than a month left in the Season of Writing Dangerously. (Am I the only person who went "Eeeeeeek!" upon thinking on that? Where does time go??) As promised, we are going to repeat the assistance swap meet in the second third of the event in order to, hopefully, give the last little nudge needed to realize our goals!

If you need help with anything in order to meet your goals, please ask away! Whether you have a specific question, need beta-reading help, or could use some personalized motivation and cheerleading, this is the place to ask. Although you're welcome to help someone out in return, it's not necessary in order to participate.

As always, these posts are for SoWD participants to share their progress, cheer, rant, and whatever else they need, so even if you don't need to ask for specific assistance this week, feel free to comment.

Comments

[tehta.livejournal.com]

I decided AGAINST signing up for SoWD because I prefer to trick myself with reverse psychology. It worked. I have finished one story I have been poking at for eight years, and am now well on my way to finishing another.

Of course, now that I have posted about this, my progress will come to a standstill.

[independence1776]

Congratulations!

(Keep going! I know you can do it.)

[ysilme]

Congratulations, that is awesome! Also, good luck with your prediction not coming to pass - you stil haven't signed up, have you, so the reverse psychology should still work! :o)

[rhapsody11.livejournal.com]

What comment? *looks around*

;)

*pokes Tehta's muses*

[independence1776]

I finished editing my B2MeM story, which means I'm on track to complete my goals. All I need now is a beta reader. :)

It's a 3400-word story involving (in the first chapter) Maglor and OCs and (in the second) Maglor, Thranduil, and Legolas. The first chapter is horror and the second chapter is drama. I am primarily concerned with Thranduil's and Legolas' characterizations, so if you don't want to touch the first chapter, that's fine!

(Because I know a lot of people are dealing with SiS right now: I'd like to post in the middle of September, so I'm not in an immediate hurry.)

[ysilme]

I'd love to be able to help, but my beta skills (particularly where language is concerned) are very limited... but if you like an additional pair of eyes going over your characterisations, I'd gladly give it a go.

[rhapsody11.livejournal.com]

Hmm I know you shared your concerns about this at your LJ. How much horror is in the first chapter?

I am done with SinS (hurrah), but let me know if you need help!

[silver-trails.livejournal.com]

I posted a new part of my story today, and the plot has taken a twist. I should post faster now that September is so close. (g)

[ysilme]

Go you! *\O/*

[rhapsody11.livejournal.com]

Very exciting!! Go you!

[dreamflower]

I had been doing very well with to-thirds of my goal, posting regular updates for "In the Court of the High King" and "Eleventy-one". Got a little off-track this past couple of weeks due to "Tree & Flower" business, but will be back on again this coming week.

However, "Ancestress" keeps eluding me. Two or three efforts to get it going again have been total crap, and I deleted them. I fear I know what's keeping me blocked: how do I keep going when I am dreading the next stage? I don't want to deal with what HAS to come next! *wah!*

[ysilme]

I don't want to deal with what HAS to come next! *wah!*
*sympathizes* *pours large cup of fortifying favourite tea*

[rhapsody11.livejournal.com]

I don't want to deal with what HAS to come next!

Hmm yes, that is tough. What does your character think about this phase that is coming? Will he/she accept it what must happen?

[moetushie]

I posted my SiS story and I'm trying not to poke it too hard. I'll do a last check on it before the archive goes live, before Sunday.

My only other surviving goal has gotten complicated. Chapters have multiplied, the timeline's wobbly and soft like jello and the elves are spoiling for a fight. Sigh.

[ysilme]

Congrats on the finished SiS story, and sympathies for the complicated progress.

[rhapsody11.livejournal.com]

Sit back and let them fight... in the mud or something like that :)

Congrats on finishing your SinS story, is it the 1st of September already???

[lin4gondor.livejournal.com]

I have accomplished one of my stated goals, the second seems easy enough to do on the surface -- it's just a chapter, after all! -- but it's in a fic that seems to be stalled because I am blocked over something that I can't put my finger on. The third goal is one that just involves editing and adding some new stuff to an old fic, and that's going okay, except I don't seem to have enough time to spend on my writing. My Real World responsibilities have increased tenfold, particularly in August and September, so I'm a bit worried about running out of time.

If someone can come over here and do some of my jobs for me, that would be great! :-D

I still think it's possible to achieve my goals but I need to make sure I have a schedule for everything, stick to it, don't procrastinate, and delegate where possible (with the RW jobs, not the writing!.

[ysilme]

Good luck with the schedule and time-management! (says one who's procrastinating like heck right now)

[rhapsody11.livejournal.com]

Hmmm that is frustrating when you hit a roadblock in writing and the reason why is eluding you.

How is the delegating going?

[independence1776]

Good luck!

[zdenka]

I'm not sure I'm going to be able to accomplish my goals, which is annoying because I don't think I set them very high. My motivation and ability to concentrate have just been very unreliable. But one of the things I want to finish is a piece of artwork, and I think I'm going to take my materials and go sit outside somewhere. Maybe that will help. And hopefully no one will give me a hard time for using a small X-Acto knife in a public park. :P (I'm making a tree out of paper, which seems somewhat circular but actually does make sense.)

[rhapsody11.livejournal.com]

I hope you had a good crafting session in the park!

[rhapsody11.livejournal.com]

I had to look up my stated goals because I thought I was not doing so well with achieving that:

* write that MPTT flf that is due soon

Ermmm yes, I absolutely missed that deadline. *coughs* I have to say that my regular muses didn't play nicely, but... this evening I had a nibble. I pinned the idea down, cooked dinner, tucked in the kids when it was their bed time and wrote that darned fixed length ficlet once I had some quiet me time. It has been ages since I wrote one, for some reason those pieces tend to run off with me. This one came naturally to me, so I am pondering if I should hand it to my brave beta or just post it.

Anyway, with delay: accomplished!

* write my sultry in september story (no prompt yet)

Whohooooooooooooooooooooo! It is finished, polished and up at AO3 to be revealed coming Sunday. Multi-chaptered, a bit of a weird bunny in the sense that I thought I would write A, but ended up with B. Once I gave in to B, it started to flow better.

* edit/beta quite some chapters for the only author I am still beta-reading for

Oh yes, I did that. An almost novel. *nods*

* maybe, very very very maybe write/edit some chapters for my nanowrimo Tolkien stories (which can be Bard Rising or Wiseheart or Star Wanderer).

This is something I am considering to do next. Or start on a new novel LOL.

But go me! :D

[independence1776]

Go you indeed!

Volume 108/Issue 13

[livejournal.livejournal.com]

User caras_galadhon referenced to your post from Volume 108/Issue 13 (http://middleearthnews.livejournal.com/401043.html) saying: [...] CHALLENGES/WORKSHOPS/AWARDS: • From : ~Motivational Wednesday: Assistance Swap Meet Redux [...]

[j-flattermann.livejournal.com]

Tomorrow starts September, some of you might fear this fact. I hope and trust, however that you all will crack on to get over the goal line comes the day.

Here is my little encouragement doodle for this week. Facing a challenge was nothing new to Aragorn but the one depicted was possible one of the greatest he had to face.

http://j-flattermann.livejournal.com/371559.html

[rhapsody11.livejournal.com]

Awesome!! What an epic moment to capture.

[ysilme]

I've just finished my second goal, writing at least ten drabbles for my 100-drabble-challenge with Elrond. To my surprise, the drabbles took not only much longer than anticipated, but also needed a surprising amount of research. But then, all my previous drabbles were written in in a fandom I know very well and usually didn't have to look up anything. On the plus side, all that research helped me getting much closer to my characters.
I've also decided to change my second goal, writing and publishing a short one-shot: I ran into a research dead end, and also found that with the very wonky knowledge background I have right now for the background, the plotbunny simply isn't cooperating. One of my goals for this was letting go of my usual need to have a perfectly clear background picture, but I now find that having the exact opposite, as in no picture at all, doesn't work either. I'm therefore changing my goal to having an exposé written for this and start working with beta and nitpicker only after the SOWD ends. This is also due to my holiday trip from the 7th on and the likelihood of not having internet access.
My fourth and last goal, the podfic, is in the making. I have underestimated the time I would need for "training reading", as I have done only much shorter recordings before, but it's well under way.

[rhapsody11.livejournal.com]

Ah isn't that typical that once you shut up your inner editor, that lack of research is starting to gnaw at you? You are doing great! *shakes the pom poms some more*