So I logged into Warcraft today – obviously – and it’s so pretty and shiny and it’s so much fun because it’s new and shiny. I was loving it but after a bit I started to get a bit of mental pushback when I contemplated doing another round of quests so I logged out.

In other words I voluntarily stopped playing. Was that because I wanted to write my words? Or is it because I don’t have the mental stamina for long play sessions anymore? I don’t know. Either way it resulted in words so ok then.

I’m a little worried I’m going to be the last raider to cap in my guild if I don’t get a move on. I’m also worried because we only have 2 weeks before the raid opens :/ I really want more time. But hey I can only do what I can do right?

Today I wrote a relationship flashback where John told Helen that he and James used to be more than friends. As I said yesterday a little bit more plot stuff and then probably a time skip of a couple of days and then back to Praxis for the endgame. I think I will clean this up and post it. I may possibly be considering doing some accompanying gifsets or fanart. I don’t know. I’m just mad on Sanctuary right now, can’t help it. Send help haha.

Words Written: 2,090
Current Total: 54,327 

More fridge/freezer games. Apparently it’s faulty and thankfully they agreed to send a replacement on Wednesday. I just want it to be over. I feel like I’ve spent literal days waiting for engineers.

Anyway, today the stars were not aligned. I just was not feeling it. Whether it’s because I hit 50k yesterday, or I’m just so fed up because of the fridge/freezer thing, or a little distracted because it’s going to be Shadowlands tomorrow – I don’t know! Regardless I didn’t type any words until gone 4pm and so it was not looking good.

I really wanted 1k though so I persisted and maybe a little bit *cough* when I was hanging around in the raid I might have typed some more. I only missed the start of the pull twice *cough* (it was normal Nya and I’m sick of the place). I finished off the scene after the raid and was surprised that a reasonable number of words had been reached.

I’ve just brainstormed my next two scenes (a flashback and then some plot) and then we’re into the endgame. I’m really hoping that I will not slack off because Shadowlands. Maybe I’ll bribe myself with the game as in “write 1k and then you can level” – plan? 🙂

Words Written: 1,693
Current Total: 52,237 

I HIT 50K

So that happened.

Yeah really wasn’t expecting that because it’s Sunday. On the other hand it wasn’t a normal Sunday. We were expecting an engineer to come and fix the botched install of our fridge/freezer but nobody turned up. I was feeling grumpy and basically begged off family dinner which gave me the afternoon/evening back. It also meant I was available for the sprints on the WriYe stream.

Plus you know being so close I just really wanted to hit that number. 50k on a single story – I actually did it! Ok now I just need to finish the story. Next scene will be James going over the information and deciding on a plan. Then maybe another relationship flashback (I still have three to go remember) and then the return to Praxis, the big showdown, truths revealed boom boom boom.

Not all tomorrow though haha but still I can see where I’m going. Plus tomorrow is the last day before Shadowlands and I’m sure on Tuesday I will be epically distracted from writing by the new shiny expansion. My paladin will be begging to level. I will still need to write though. I want to finish this story this month.

I have not forgotten that fluffy wedding oneshot I threatened the other day…

Words Written: 4,335
Current Total: 50,544  

I’m on 4thewords. Last December I bought a years subscription with one of their bundles. In all honesty because this year has been a dumpster fire I haven’t used it that much. However, this month I’ve been all over it 🙂 For NaNo they are doing a tournament (Clouds vs. Dawn vs. Tempest) and anyway the final match between Dawn and Tempest was due to start at 6pm UK time today. As I’m #TeamTempest I wanted to get my remaining Tempest monsters for the quests beaten before that.

Good motivation, wrote more than I probably would have otherwise. It wasn’t really on what I thought it would be though… I mean I started off with James, he checked in with Nikola to see how the Lazarus cure was going, then he checked in with Henry to see how the cyber worm for attacking the Cabal was going – this was all plot stuff, fully intended. I mean I said yesterday I wasn’t quite sure how to get this plot stuff going.

But then James went to Helen’s office and declared his love for her. I mean he’d decided he would do that when he couldn’t sleep in an earlier scene but still – timing man! I wasn’t expecting him to do it then and hey neither was Helen. She needed a scene to have a panic about it. On the other hand I’ve now resolved how I’m going to get them to go back to Praxis as Helen is going to talk with John, and he’s going to tell her everything, and so she’s going to say they have to go back (well right after they’ve dealt with the Cabal).

Feels like the downward slope now. It’s starting to come together. Tomorrow’s going to be hella disruptive (plus it’s sunday) or I’d speculate on making the 50k. Definitely Monday though I think and definitely on track to finish the story by the end of the month. Wow. I really did not think I was going to be able to say that!

Words Written: 2,810
Current Total: 46,209 

Today was just distraction central.

I don’t do well when things are different or unsettled. Today I spent the morning waiting for the new fridge/freezer to arrive, then they were here what felt like an age trying to install it before leaving as they didn’t have time. Mum then tried to complete the job and failed so I don’t know what’s wrong with it. They are sending an engineer Sunday so we still don’t have a working fridge/freezer and everything is still topsy-turvy in the kitchen 🙁

Anyway I was determined to write a bit and so I made myself sit down after dinner. I wanted at least the 444 for the 4thewords streak and then I checked and I had 655. I then decided I’d go for 1k because I haven’t gone under 1k all month so far. In the end I finished the first kiss flashback. Not sure it’s any good, I liked my summary for it and I’m not sure I captured it.

A few looks that made them wonder and then John had some dutch courage and made a move which was instantly reciprocated because damn that was brave, and I need them to know it was ok.

But it’s done anyway so two relationship flashbacks down, three more to work in before the end of the story. I need to get back to the Cabal now and Henry’s about to get a star turn for his hacking skills. Not sure whether that’ll translate to much fic time haha (this fic is 95% The Five) but it will provide essential information. Once James has all the intel he can plot the Cabal’s demise.

I think this might well go a little over 50k at this rate. Good job I’m still 10k ahead of pace for the month.

Words Written: 1,405
Current Total: 43,399

So I didn’t get to the John/James flashback in the end as John decided to have a mental crisis first. I mean that was what provoked him to remember their first kiss but I didn’t realise it was going to take quite that many words…

This was the first POV I’d done with John because I wanted to leave it until later, I was trying to plant clues for people (what people? nobody’s reading this /facepalm) to guess what happened in Praxis and this scene basically confirmed it for anyone familiar with canon. Though obviously it will get totally confirmed, and John’s questions answered, when they eventually return to Praxis.

Poor man. I have flavours of Bucky Barnes and Teal’c in there because they both had some killer lines about guilt and forgiveness. I know that scenes with just ‘thinking’ aren’t very dynamic but while John is desperate to talk to Helen and James he’s also terrified of what they’ll say. Which is valid because they aren’t ready to hear it yet.

Anyway tomorrow the actual flashback! Man this fic is one long mess haha. Oh dear. You know I did at least get an itch to write a oneshot Sanctuary fic today. I started thinking wouldn’t it be nice to write an AU where John was never cursed. I was thinking John and Helen’s wedding day (in which James of course would be whispering the vows along with them) which would be as tooth-rottingly fluffy as you can imagine. I might just have to do that.

Words Written: 1,872
Current Total: 41,994

I know it’s a bit early to quit for the day but I finished my scene and I just don’t have the spoons to start another. I woke up this morning to find the fridge/freezer had packed up in the night and I’m just done with today. Really I’m amazed words happened at all.

Anyway flashback of how The Five met is done. I think I’ll do John flashing back to how he and James first got together tomorrow. Then I should return to more plot-based stuff of destroying the Cabal.

I said at the beginning of the month that I wasn’t sure whether I would post this or not. I’m now leaning towards posting it, even as I question the point because *crickets*. Currently I’m wavering because I really feel like I need another opinion on it. I can get stuck in my own head and not see things right, but as I don’t know anyone who watches Sanctuary a beta isn’t going to happen. I guess I’ll have to see how I feel if I try and revise it. #DecemberProblem

Words Written: 1,413
Current Total: 40,122

I can never focus if I’m waiting for something. So until the wireless adaptor came I was useless but after I’d fixed my internet, and then rambled about it to anyone who would listen, I then got back to the words!

Revision is definitely going to need to be a thing. Following my uncertainty about yesterdays interrogation scene, I’m not 100% certain about the pow-wow scene in Helen’s office today either. BUT fortunately it was brief and we’ve moved into more shippy territory. James did some thinking about the bloody mess their lives have become, and resolved that he wants to try again with Helen, and then the next thing will be a flashback to the day they first met.

So tomorrow writing Day One – Oxford years 🙂 It’s going to be so hard, because you know historical things. 1886, what do I know about that? But I’m going to give it a go. This is the start of The Five, it’s huge. OK let’s try and not think that in case I freak myself out, it’s very minor really /cough.

Words Written: 2,147
Current Total: 38,709  

Ok I’m not 100% convinced with the interrogation scene I wrote. I think that will be something I revisit in revision. There are parts I like, parts that I worry don’t pass the logic test, and parts that I’m unsure whether it’s correct characterisation. I mean I 100% think that Helen could be that ruthless but I don’t know.

Anyway, I had another think today about all the Oxford flashbacks I still want to weave in and I decided on the POV for them. I actually don’t think it’s going to be as hard as I thought because I need them to start thinking in the direction of their relationship. They are fighting it because they’ve running from their feelings for over a century. I think that’s why I’m struggling to get to it.

Right so tomorrow I think we have to make a return to Helen’s office *sniggers* I know, I know, we were trapped in there for most of a week at the start of the month but it’s necessary. They need to discuss the information they got from Kate and form an attack plan. After that? Well I think it’s time these poor characters got some sleep, they’ve been up over 48 hours. I know source blood enhanced stamina but still they did die, that has to take it out of you.

So James alone in his room, struggling to sleep because his mind doesn’t switch off, he starts thinking about John and Helen and then flashback to the first time they meet Helen at Oxford. Technically that comes after the flashback where John and James get together but it’s the beginnings of The Five so it makes more sense to me to do it first. I don’t know, I can always alter it in revision.

Words Written: 1,719
Current Total: 36,562 

Start of week three. Wow. This has been a quick month.

Usual story, intended to write more, struggled to start and then it didn’t happen. Sunday is a bad day for it anyway as I have family dinner. Plus on Grand Prix weeks I often get time with mum, which is lovely, but obviously means less writing time. Anyway, not so many words but still some. There’s forward momentum.

Kate is now tied to a chair inside a containment cell. The team are discussing how to get her to betray the Cabal. Nikola just suggested threatening her with John hehe. I guess tomorrow I’ll need to resolve that somehow ??? (I don’t know). This part is very vague. No more scenes, just ‘ehhh this needs to happen somehow’ so that’s helpful past!self (no it’s not).

I have compiled a list of everything I want to include in the rest of the story. I don’t know how to weave it together but at least I know what it is. Hopefully, one word in front of another, and I’ll make it happen somehow.

Words Written: 1,661
Current Total: 34,843