- Sure, my nano name is the same as here.

- I just use word on my mac, but I think once I am caught up I will get the free trial of scrivener. I've heard so many good things about it, but I'm too far behind right now to try and learn a new program. I don't think you will lose stuff if the trial runs out as long as you save the documents to your computer. I've never used it so I'm not sure, but I bet you can still open the files with other programs afterwards.

I got some really bad news and I was depressed for a bit, but I kept writing. I have some great ideas for plot and everything.

Added back :) Hello fellow west-coaster!

That's a very strong thing to do. It can be hard to keep being creative when you're down, but it can also be such a helpful thing to be able to escape to the world inside your head.

Wow, not doing so great today. I've been exhausted all day. I just drank coffee so I can keep my eyes open long enough to write at least something. (I only drink coffee in the uttermost need, so... this is a big deal, yeah. :P) Turns out my main character is a coward, so at least I have something new to write about, lol.

Oh, by the way, if anyone wants to add me as a buddy on the NaNo site, my username is iminye as you can probably tell by my siggy. :)

I've always been so jealous of some people's abitility to write things that have nothing to do with the main plot, actually. XD I seem to grab the plot so hard that there's hardly any room for creative rambling. I think that's my biggest reason for getting into writer's block, as well. ._.

I hear ya. For me, if I step aside and write a side-story in the middle of writing my main plot, it sets a precedent.. and then I end up hopping from project to project with the excuse of "it's just to get this out of my head! I'll get back to the main plot in a bit!" and then never... ever... go back...

Do you have any music or anything that you listen to when you're writing? Like songs that remind you of your characters/world that can draw you back in when you're fading out?

- Writing stuff not plot-related is my anti-writer's block. If I get stuck I either write random side stories with my characters based on prompts from friends or from the forums, or I try to just write out why I'm feeling stuck and what I can do to fix it. The former helps me know my characters a little better, and the latter helps me work out my problems and helps me figure out how to power through them. For instance yesterday I was writing a dialogue with my characters as they were reading and discovering things about the history of the land that had been lost for years, but it was sounding really awkward, and by just writing out my feels about it, I discovered that the reason it wasn't working was because while I had the world history in my head, there were some facts that just weren't lining up, and I hadn't fully thought through the history, so I went and I wrote that instead! It really helped, and now I have better direction!

Oh yes. I have a ton of story beginnings that I just had to write down because I came up with a new idea and a new character in the middle of a completely different story. :D I find that listening to most music during writing is bad for me, because the music sets a very strong atmosphere, and if the mood doesn't match what I was planning to write, then I can't really get into it. Today I have Rainy Mood playing in the background, which is quite nice. :)

I never really thought about writing down why I had a writer's block, so thanks for that idea! It might really help the next time I'm in a rut. :)

- I love rainy mood! It's so nice when writing! I hope that helps you out a bit. I also talk with friends on skype and stuff when I get stuck. Having outside encouragement helps too :)

Exactly! The hardest part is not sitting down and writing them right then and there. Like I've got a Jaxon/Ian fic turning itself around and around in the back of my mind, but I'm not allowing myself to write it because it's important to focus on this project first! Not letting the idea go, though...

Sometimes I find that music helps me to get back into whatever I was doing. Like I had a song that fit as an overarching theme to my first novel, and if I ever got really stuck I was able to listen to it and it jogged my memory and got me back on track. Sometimes it's not even music with vocals that trigger things like that. But I also get that there are times when music does have that very specific feel to it and it throws everything off.

Somehow, last year I gave myself a strangely Pavlovian response to Pentatonix's "Daft Punk" medley (it wasn't my theme song, but it was the first song on my playlist so whenever I pulled up that playlist and set to writing, it was the fist thing I heard.) Now whenever it comes up on my playlist, I feel an overwhelming need to sit down and write.

Word anyone? I need a boost to get me going today!

Ugh, I am so sick that I saw your post in my feed... and it looked like "World war one"

- Awww, I hope you feel better soon! Being sick during Nano is the worst!

I'm not participating anyway, but I have a lot of other stuff that I am working on that it's interfering with! Editing my mom's book, making pendants to sell on Etsy, etc. :P

- Cool! Sounds busy though!

Sure thing! :)

Finishing up a few things, but I'd be up for a war or two starting around :15 or so if that sounds good?

Do you mind if I add you as well?

Sure, that'd be fun! ^^

- sounds good to me. I've only written about 700 words today.

Yeah! I've been enjoying this month immensely so far. Of course, it's only the 4th... it's the later weeks we gotta watch out for!

- 271. See being less productive now that I'm done the world building bit and back to the main story! lol.