Never Have I Ever Writing Tag!

Hello all! Would you believe we’re in another Camp Nano? I’m not really participating (too much work) but I did find this brilliant writing tag! And you know what they say? “If you can’t write, do a tag!” (yes, that is a thing people definitely say 😉 ) Really grateful to the marvellous Mary Drover for tagging me! I love when she talks about writing and thoroughly enjoyed her writing for this.

This (very cool idea) was created by the Long Voyage- so definitely check out the original here!

. . . started a novel that I did not finish.

I’m not sure I count the ghost story I started when I was seven? It seems a bit harsh to include that! 😂 I feel like, generally speaking, if I get serious about a story, I’m going to finish it.

. . . written a story completely by hand.

Yes- and I still (sort of) do? I wrote my first three books completely by hand. Then, when I started working on the trilogy, I realised I wanted to type up every few chapters, so that I could have a clearly overall vision (which led to me developing some edit-as-you-go techniques).

. . . changed tenses midway through a story.

Maybe? I presume I did this when I was starting out, but I’ve not noticed anything like this in a while (actually, now I think about it, I’m so scared I’m going to find an error like this in my writing now or WORSE miss it entirely!!)

. . . not researched anything before starting a story.

Hehehehe oh so very, very guilty! I could use the excuse that I’m a fantasy writer- but most people know that’s not gonna wash. I don’t know why either, cos I love to plan, yet I like to dive straight into the story than get bogged down with details. I do tend to fall down (very specific) researching rabbitholes while I’m writing though. My biggest problem is that- while I like to base a lot of my character’s interests on things I’m genuinely interested in- there are some occasions when I have to include something outside my interests. Let’s just say I can be less-than-enthusiastic about research in those cases… which CAN HAVE DIRE CONSEQUENCES! Moral of the story: don’t be like me 😂

. . . changed my protagonist’s name halfway through a draft.

Does it count if they change their name in the context of the story? Either way, I’ve considered changing a character’s name, and have definitely done it to minor characters, but never a main one (as of yet). Once I fall in love with their character name, I’m keeping it, no matter how stupid it may sound (actually, fun fact, I often give characters deliberately awkward names, cos I feel like I was saddled with one IRL and I shouldn’t have to be the only person on the planet to suffer with a name I don’t like!)

. . . written a story in a month or less.

I WISH!

. . . fallen asleep while writing.

How would this even happen…? Writing is like a total workout, combined with operating heavy machinery, combined with flying… all of which demand your utmost attention! I don’t know how you could fall asleep at the wheel like that?

. . . corrected someone’s grammar irl / online.

Oh god yes, guilty (like, super, super guilty- I feel so bad about being such a grammar Nazi these days- I try to stick to ranting on my blog and to friends now)

. . . yelled in all caps at myself in the middle of a novel.

NOPE! (that’s just something I do on the blog 😉)

. . . used “I’m writing” as an excuse.

Haha no! Even if I am, in fact, actually writing, I’m scared to tell people! It just puts pressure on me- I’d sooner tell someone I was clipping my toenails than tell them I was in fact up to my elbows in a fantasy world, delivering an 80,000 word baby 😉 (and that’s a gross image you’ll never be able to unsee 😉)

. . . killed a character who was based on someone I know in real life.

Haha oh yes. I don’t know if this is going to make it better, but I based the character on a stereotypical mean girl I knew, then got bored of having them in my book and killed them off…

. . . used pop culture references in a story.

Hmm I think so- I just don’t often keep them in the edits. Sometimes they just feel like a private joke between me and me (I mean, I once referenced a political slogan I wanted to make fun of and it gave me a good chuckle… but no one that read the book noticed!)

. . . written between the hours of 1am and 6am.

Of course! Though (at the moment) I’m surprised to say my hours are more sociable than they used to be!

. . . drank an entire pot of coffee while writing.

I don’t drink coffee, so it’s tea all the way! (and yeah, I can drink an entire pot of tea while writing- who wouldn’t?)

. . . written down dreams to use in potential novels.

Yup! And I’ve done it as well. Sometimes they literally end up as dream-sequence type scenes, where a character dips their toes in another surreal world for a moment or two, and (hopefully) returns changed. Very useful! Thanks subconscious!

. . . published an unedited story on the internet / Wattpad / blog.

Oh yeah- way back when I was on Figment I put out a novella I was working on (it was pretty useful to get feedback as I worked to be honest)

. . . procrastinated homework because I wanted to write.

Absolutely! I procrastinated classwork with writing, so why wouldn’t I do the same for homework? 😉

. . . typed so long that my wrists hurt.

Yup! Easy thing to do!

. . . spilled a drink on my laptop while writing.

No- and I hope it never happens- the horror, the horror!

. . . forgotten to save my work / draft.

Ahhh no!!! I hope this never happens to me either! (I feel like we’re going through all my worst nightmares now!)

. . . finished a novel.

Yes- it’s a bit complicated to count them (since I’ve rewritten a few), so let’s go with 6 (original works).

. . . laughed like an evil villain while writing a scene.

MWHAHAHAHA! (absolutely)

. . . cried while writing a scene.

I feel so heartless for saying this, but no. Not even when I kill my most precious darlings. I have horrified myself to sleeplessness though.

. . . created maps of my fictional worlds.

Nothing so cool as in Mary Drover’s tag- but I do always like to have some idea where my characters are- so whether it’s a poorly sketched out high fantasy world or a regular map from this world with a few new place names marked on it, I always have something like this. (weirdly though I often make this somewhere in the editing phase, so I can correct my mistakes!)

. . . researched something shady for a novel.

Oh absolutely- I think “world’s deadliest poisons” would give most people cause for concern if they didn’t know I wrote 😉

That was so fun, I’m tagging:

Kat, Marie, Sophie’s Corner, Out of Babel and anyone else that wants to do it! 

And for now, I want to know, what guilty writing secrets do you have? Fess up! 😉