Young Writers Society

Thanks so much @Magebird! We're definitely getting more insight into the world in this one!

Questions

Less questions than general concerns, but here they are nonetheless:

My main concern with this story tbh is the fact that the romantic subplot has taken over and become the main plot, while the intended main plot (the disappearance of the wizards) has receded more into the background. I'm enjoying writing it this way, people are enjoying reading it this way, and there's even a subgenre for this kind of thing: fantasy romance. The intended main plot does facilitate the romantic plot, so that's probably good? I'm just concerned about how much this story works this way - and I'm not sure if I'm concerned because it really seems like it's not working or just because it's so different from what I thought I'd write.

The coming chapters feel a little plot-heavier on the side of the intended main plot, which I'm also slightly concerned about because the romance has so overshadowed the main plot that the flip might be weird? I'm hoping I can handle it well - the intended main plot has been there all along, we just haven't gotten as much of it as the romance, and what happens is still going to seriously involve the romance aspect. Plus, like, Megan and Zafira admitted they liked each other in the second-to-last chapter I wrote, so like...from here the romance part is basically settled, and I hate ~couples drama~, so yeeting one of them into danger and having the other have to deal with it seems like a good way to keep things steamy, right?

I think maybe I can pull it off. Plus Megan gets to confront Chip Edgeworth, who cursed her way back at the beginning (well, before the beginning), so like it does all tie together? Idk, I've just never written a fantasy quite like this before - well, actually, that's not quite true, the first high fantasy world I wrote had a story about a queen that was mostly about her romance with a peasant, with a war and assassination and stuff happening more in the background. And I loved it and put a lot into it.

So I guess actually I have done this before, but not recently. So I just keep going "is this working even at all or is this story totally horrible?"

Opening Scene

I know I said I was skipping this one, but after I completed literally the rest of the Journal Challenge I felt like I had to go back and do this one...even though the opening scene is long, long behind me.

Our story opens in a cafe where Megan Callaghan works as a barista. Megan is hungry and daydreaming about the cafe cookies - which she can't eat, for reasons that are unclear at the moment - when a cute girl stops in to pick up coffee for seven. Megan embarrasses herself, as one does around cute girls, but the cute girl is chill about it and leaves with her coffee.

That's basically it for Chapter 1. We get this information:

• Megan is a barista
• For some reason, Megan can't eat anything but gruel
• Megan is queer af and also awkward af
• The cute girl is part of a fellowship-for-hire that goes on quests for clients
• The world is the real world, but make it magic

The cute girl was the original intended love interest, but that evaporated the second Zafira appeared on the scene in Chapter 3 lol. Anyway, in Chapter 2 we learn that Megan has been living on gruel for weeks because of a curse that doesn't allow her to eat anything tasty. The cute girl returns to offer her a job as the fellowship's personal barista. Megan initially turns the offer down, because change is hard, but a final annoying customer pushes her to quit the cafe and go after the fellowship to accept the offer.

BluesClues wrote:

Questions

Less questions than general concerns, but here they are nonetheless:

My main concern with this story tbh is the fact that the romantic subplot has taken over and become the main plot, while the intended main plot (the disappearance of the wizards) has receded more into the background. I'm enjoying writing it this way, people are enjoying reading it this way, and there's even a subgenre for this kind of thing: fantasy romance. The intended main plot does facilitate the romantic plot, so that's probably good? I'm just concerned about how much this story works this way - and I'm not sure if I'm concerned because it really seems like it's not working or just because it's so different from what I thought I'd write.

The coming chapters feel a little plot-heavier on the side of the intended main plot, which I'm also slightly concerned about because the romance has so overshadowed the main plot that the flip might be weird? I'm hoping I can handle it well - the intended main plot has been there all along, we just haven't gotten as much of it as the romance, and what happens is still going to seriously involve the romance aspect. Plus, like, Megan and Zafira admitted they liked each other in the second-to-last chapter I wrote, so like...from here the romance part is basically settled, and I hate ~couples drama~, so yeeting one of them into danger and having the other have to deal with it seems like a good way to keep things steamy, right?

I think maybe I can pull it off. Plus Megan gets to confront Chip Edgeworth, who cursed her way back at the beginning (well, before the beginning), so like it does all tie together? Idk, I've just never written a fantasy quite like this before - well, actually, that's not quite true, the first high fantasy world I wrote had a story about a queen that was mostly about her romance with a peasant, with a war and assassination and stuff happening more in the background. And I loved it and put a lot into it.

So I guess actually I have done this before, but not recently. So I just keep going "is this working even at all or is this story totally horrible?"

I think the yeeting solution is great, BluesClues! It raises the stakes, creates tension but doesn't really involve ~relationship drama~. I think it's a good opportunity to show a vulnerable side to the character who is left behind worrying about their s/o.

Thanks @Liminality!

November 1

1695 words

We entered the latest inn & tavern with Our Heroes, which was necessary because they'll be spending quite a bit of time there later after Dangerous Happenings transpire. They went to dinner together as is their custom, but Cap was late, which isn't like him at all. He came in weary and wary; he tried to call their client, who didn't pick up, which isn't like him. Cap went to bed after dinner, even though it was only 7:30. Zafira asked Megan to take a walk with hir. The inn's description is trash, but whatever.

November 2

276 words/1971 total

I spent the day doing sundry other kinds of writing and left NaNo til the last moment, and then sat down and discovered I was trying to write fluff. This just in: I suck at fluff. Like...how does one??? I can write disasters in love who don't realize they're in love or who royally mess up, and I can write side characters in healthy relationships who you get ~moments~ of fluff from, but...a SCENE of fluff? No, apparently.

Rip me. Hopefully I can power through the fluff tomorrow.

BluesClues wrote:

November 2

276 words/1971 total

I spent the day doing sundry other kinds of writing and left NaNo til the last moment, and then sat down and discovered I was trying to write fluff. This just in: I suck at fluff. Like...how does one??? I can write disasters in love who don't realize they're in love or who royally mess up, and I can write side characters in healthy relationships who you get ~moments~ of fluff from, but...a SCENE of fluff? No, apparently.

Rip me. Hopefully I can power through the fluff tomorrow.

Maybe try listening to sappy piano music?

@Liminality haha but first I would have to a) find some sappy music that I'm okay listening to (everyone always accuses me of "only liking sad music") and b) manage to write to it without singing along, which is the number one reason I don't write to music!

@BluesClues

Can't sing along if there are no lyrics, haha

@Liminality BOLD OF YOU TO THINK I can't sing along to instrumental pieces!

BluesClues wrote:@Liminality BOLD OF YOU TO THINK I can't sing along to instrumental pieces!

Oh wow XD The power of song is strong

There is a REASON I don't have writing playlists like everyone else on Twitter haha. I can't write in total silence, but I also can't write to music (unless maybe I'm in a coffee shop and it's VERY FAINT in the background, but even then sometimes...)

november 3

0 words

Today's task (and tomorrow's, wooo) is another proof-reading pass at the Chosen Grandma story for a full manuscript request from an agent. But you know what? It's not NaNoWriMo if I don't fall behind and have to make a dramatic comeback at some point.

november 4

57 words, wooooo

Today's task was again proof-reading the Chosen Grandma story, after which I was so pooped from hours spent whisper-reading the story to myself (my poor vocal chords are so exhausted) that I mostly goofed around on Twitter.

But! I did return to my fluff scene. I did so little largely because I backtracked and changed a bit of what I'd already written. I think this is the second time I've done that. Boy howdy, the fluff scene is killing me.

GOD WILLING I will muscle through this stupid scene tomorrow. The BBYs need to get another smooch in before I hurt them.