I've had a novel idea I've been working on for a while, but I just can't seem to get the plot all mapped out. I had started writing up until around the second chapter but stopped since I feel like I'm just aimlessly writing without any particular destination in mind. >.<

Agh, I don't know what it is, but I guess I'm just having trouble thinking of plot for some reason. ://

I have that issue a bit. Basically you can always do things like this or try it and see if it helps.

Write down your list of characters and their roles.

From there look at your first chapter and do point form notes hoe you want to open up, flesh out, the. End the chapter. I might be the only one here but I do find if your first chapter makes sense and flows well enough the rest of the chapters will come start to do the same.

I hope that makes SOME sense, I wish you well!

Yeah, I definitely feel like I need to take time/maybe a few hours of just brainstorming and looking at some of my notes. c: Hopefully that helps though! I always feel like the beginning of a story, getting things to kick off is the hardest for me. XD

Thank you!~ ^__^

Yes I so agree, it CAN be hard. You want a good intro basically... something to draw people in and hope they stick around for the next chapter and so on. :D You got this!

Exactly! XD And since I'm writing an urban fantasy type story, I also want to make things original, not to contrived or cliche, while at the same time, making sure that everything makes sense with the main character's thoughts and motives, and allowing for more things to happen to the MC later. :P Aghhh, there's just so many things to think about-- or it may just be me overanalyzing again, as I always do. XD

It's something I really need to fix ahahha.

So, I'm just curious, how many players out there play D&D?

I'm planning on writing a D&D campaign, and I'm not sure where to start. I can afford the books to look into, but I've yet to receive them in the mail. So any examples of an actual campaign would be a huge help right now.

Well things hvpave been going great. I have a brand new character to round out parts in one universe and I finally have an antagonist for my other series.

Just need to flesh out a few ideas and then the hard part comes. Writing everything. Ha ha.

I know there used to be a lot of game module-type books out there; one of those books might serve as a good example of what you're looking to do?

That really is the hard part!! I hope you're able to get some words down without too much difficulty :)

I haven't actually written anything in a couple of months, now. It sucks. Work has been stressing me out to the nth degree and when I get home the last thing I want to do is make my brain work more. So I will vicariously celebrate the accomplishments of you guys out there instead! ^^

Thank you! ^__^

Ah I hope you can start getting more writing done soon! I know what it feels like to be busy or just not motivated. Hopefully something comes along and you can get back to it! Best wishes!

Aww, thank you! I've been poking around at character development for a couple of my characters over on one of the main RP servers for FFXIV, so there's at least some small creative outlet? Nothing serious, though.

Oh of course! Whatever helps right? I love to role play it is how some of my favorite OCs got as developed as they are.

RP is an excellent tool, as well as just being hella fun for the most part! It's been pretty great getting to know my new kids. Hoping to write some small blurbs for at least one of them over the holiday weekend, but not holding my breath on that.

Yeah, there are a lot of those. I'm not sure I'm willing to buy one, though, for the simple fact that I haven't found the time or the place to DM, yet. Maybe if I find a group to DM for, I might buy one of the books. On the other hand, I could just sit in the coffee shop they have out here and read one without buying it, even if it's just for a little while. And if I did decide to buy it, it would be nice to have on hand.

Thanks, either way. XD

Good luck!

I've found myself just doing random single page one offs for writing. Basically taking a character and writing a quick page that you might randomly flip to in a novel. It's not the best way of writing out there but my goodness it has helped me shake off the writer's block chains.

Hey everyone, not sure if this is the place to ask this, but I'm trying to write a ninja character. Silent, deadly, swift, precise etc., but I'm finding it hard to describe his actions. How would you write a ninja and their actions?

Metaphors! Lots and lots of similes and metaphors. Think about other things that possess the quality you want to convey. You could say that he moves through the air as silently as an owl and strikes as swiftly as a loosed arrow, for instance. Another thing that might make him to look swift and proficient might be not to describe the exact moment of an action, only the aftermath. As in, he is able to move so quickly that the "narrator" can't see it and can only guess at what happened after the fact.

The other problem might be that you're not envisioning what he's doing in your mind's eye well enough. Try moving around like how you'd think he would move around so that you know what it feels like. Also, study up a bit on relevant fighting techniques. If you know all the steps he would be likely to take, you can weave them together into an action that he himself might take.

Thanks man, I'll look up fighting stuff to help. That seems to be the most helpful in this situation :D

Still not major writing done yet, but I have been jotting down notes. Mostly just telling myself how to go about working on my stories. I want to make sure I do this right. I like making notes, helps put me on track. I just hope inspiration hits soon.

It's been a long year so far but I finally wrote something!

How are you all doing on the writing front? Any little victories or things you want to work on...?

Hmm it has been a slow month for me, I have done nothing productive and it makes me sad.