Never Have I Ever Tag (Writer Edition) // I might spill some secrets

January 12, 2020

Happy Sunday!

In 2020, one of my unofficial goals is to start plowing through the loooooong list of tags I've racked up through my 1.75 years of blogging. Whoops. XD

A while back, the amazing Bree @ The Long Voyage tagged me for her original tag, the Never Have I Ever Tag (Writer Edition). It looked really fun, so here we are, about five or six months later. (Sorry, Bree. XD)


THE RULES:

  • Link and thank the blogger who tagged you. Thanks, Bree! <3
  • Include the graphic somewhere in the post (or make your own!) *points above*
  • Answer the questions truthfully and honestly. . . . seems legit.0
  • Tag 3 bloggers. See, now this is a reasonable tag amount. *glares at the Sunshine Blogger Award*

NEVER HAVE I EVER...

...started a novel that I didn't finish.
Hahaha. Ha. Ha.

Yeah, I am totally guilty. 95% of the novels I start are unfinished. It's embarrassing. Never ask me to show you my Google Drive.

...written a story completely by hand.
. . . technically, no. But I have started stories by hand, if that counts. :D

...changed tenses midway through a story.
ALL THE TIME, GUYS. This happens especially when I take a month-long break from a story and completely forget what tense I was using. This happened several times when I was writing the first draft for The Inhumans #1.

...not researched anything before starting a story.  
Are you kidding? I STILL don't research as much as I should. Even for second or third drafts. I'm just lazy. (Should I look up how much a bottle of hair dye costs? Yes. Have I done it yet? . . . No.)

Do your research, kids. Don't be like me.


...changed my protagonist's names halfway through a draft.
I can't say that I have. My protagonists' names are basically set in stone from the get-go. I HAVE changed side character names halfway through the story, leading to much confusion.

...written a story in a month or less.
Despite the fact that I HAVE done NaNo before, it's a hard no from me. I've never written a complete story in less than 31 days. Maybe I'll finish the current one I'm writing soon, though.

(editor Nicole here. I wrote this post about three months ago. and no, I have not finished that current project yet. #yikes)

...fallen asleep while writing.
. . . no. I don't write late enough for that. XD Although I AM becoming a night owl, so this possibility is becoming more and more likely.

...corrected someone's grammar IRL/online.
*sigh* Yes. Quite a bit. I don't think I've done it online, per say, but I definitely do it in conversation with my friends. And when looking at newspapers and official documents.

. . . . yeah, I'm that person. XD


...yelled in all caps at myself in the middle of my novel.
I don't think I've yelled at myself, but funny story: I was writing last year's NaNo novel before the start of religion class. My friend - let's call her Rose - is super competitive, and we were having a study game in class that day. She thought I was studying for the game, and being the person she is, she told me, "Stop studying for the game, Nicole - unless you're on my team."

I told her that I wasn't studying, I was writing. But then, just to spite her, I wrote this glorious sentence:

What were THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT IS HONOR THY FATHER AND THY MOTHER. TAKE THAT ROSE we going to hear now?

No, you didn’t read that wrong. Our test was on the Ten Commandments, and I interrupted a sentence to write that. XD

Yes, that's still in the rough draft. No, I have no desire of cutting it yet.

...used "I'm writing" as an excuse.  
*shrugs* Not to my memory, but that sounds like something I would do.

...killed a character that was based on someone I know in real life.
Very few of my characters are based off of someone I know in real life, so I'd have to say no. I wouldn't keep it out of the question, though. *cough*

...used pop culture references in a story.
HECK YES. Let's put it this way: you can clearly tell when I was listening to Hamilton while writing. I literally have one of my characters saying, "I am not throwing away this chance." *facepalm*


...written between the hours of 1 a.m. and 6 a.m.
. . . no? I MAY have written a few sentences while on a bus or something at that time, but I honestly don't remember.

...drank an entire pot of coffee while writing.
I do not like coffee, so no.


...written down dreams to use in potential novels.
Oh, yes. I've even dreamed about my characters before, and let me tell you, those dreams are interesting. (Never get me started on character dreams - I have a LOT of examples.)

...published an unedited story on the internet/blog/Wattpad.
*cackling laugh* That's classified information. All I will say is - maybe in the future.

...procrastinated homework because I wanted to write.
This is an accurate depiction of my life. Why do you think I'm writing this blog post right now? #procrastination


...typed so long that my wrists hurt.
I don't think so. I HAVE had some Carpal Tunnel Syndrome symptoms before, but my wrists haven't actually hurt before.

...spilled a drink on my laptop while writing.
That thought terrifies me, so I don't have many drinks near my iPad/laptop. But no.

...forgotten to save my work/draft.
I think all the software I use automatically saves? So no.

Google Docs is the best. What can I say?

...finished a novel.
By "finished a novel," do you mean first drafts? Because yes, I have!

If you mean fully completed revisions and edits and have a finished product . . . well, I'm working on it.


...laughed like an evil villain while writing a scene.
Not gonna lie, yes I have. Usually when my characters are being naive, or when the Author Favorite is about to appear. I recently did it in November when I was planning out my Broken Character's backstory.

...cried while writing a scene.
I don't think I've cried YET. But I already know scenes where I probably will, and I am dreading writing those scenes.

...created maps of my fictional worlds.
I have attempted this, but I'm just not a very good drawer, and I don't understand the one map website I tried to use. So technically, yes, but they're not very good maps.

...researched something shady for a novel.
Yeah . . . I mean, it's searches like "effects of bruised ribs" and "what do spear wounds look like" that make me pray that the FBI doesn't think I'm a serial killer.

I'M A WRITER, I PROMISE!

THE TAGGED

Hmm . . . who do I want to see do this?

Faith @ The Writer's Song
Ash @ starlight strands
Savannah @ Savannah Grace Writes
And one more, just because I feel like it . . . Jenna @ Jenna Terese

And, I mean, if you want to steal this tag, I'm not going to stop you. *gifts you the tag* That way I can hear alllllll the secrets.

I hope you enjoyed this tag! If you did, make sure you smash the subscribe button and hit the little bell icon so you get notified - hold up, this isn't a YouTube channel. XD

-Nicole <3

Have you ever fallen asleep while writing? How about spilled a drink on your laptop? And how shady is your Google Search history? Let's talk!

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40 comments

  1. This was so entertaining Nicole!! I would definitely maniacally laugh while writing a scene... even though I don't write, haha!
    http://accordingtoisabellakate.blogspot.com
    -Izzy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Isabella! And haha, maniacally laughing is one of the greatest pleasures of writing. XD

      Delete
  2. Aaahhhhh this was so much fun!!! What a great idea for a tag! :D I LOVED reading your answers. And ya know, I've done almost every. single. thing. on this list. I...I don't know what that says about me. XD

    I'm a lazy researcher too, you are not alone. I just want to WRITE. Not have to research stuff. Ugh. Definitely one of my least favorite parts about writing.

    Your story about yelling in caps in your writing was HILARIOUS and I love that you still have that in the current draft. Pure gold. XD

    Thank you for sharing with us! This was great!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aaaahhhh, yes, Bree is a GENIUS!! Haha, maybe you should steal this tag - I want to hear alllllll the stories behind these questions! XD

      Ugh, researching can be such a drag. Does it HAVE to be necessary? ;)

      Haha, I’m glad you enjoyed it!

      Thank YOU for reading, Christine! <3 <3

      Delete
  3. *cackles* I'm 10/10 doing this MWAHAHAHA

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I 10/10 want to hear your answers to this. XD

      Delete
  4. I just may steal this tag. It's wonderful.

    Dreaming about your characters can be wild. Especially when the dream gets the character more than you do at the moment.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. DO IT! It’s such a fun tag, both to read and write!

      *nods* definitely! Have you had many character dreams? :)

      Delete
  5. "That way I can hear alllllll the secrets." << *cackles* Your answers had me laughing so hard, and I can definitely relate to not researching, writing a story in a month or less, correcting grammar, and procrastination. XD

    Thanks so much for the tag!! <333 Now I'd better get to spilling all my secrets — I mean, writing the post *nervous laughter*

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. XD XD Haha, I’m glad I’m not the only one! (Especially since correcting grammar can be annoying to everyone else - whoops XD)

      No problem - and I can’t wait to see your answers! *smirks* *rubs hands together*

      Delete
  6. OKAY BUT YOU CAN'T JUST SAY NOT TO GET YOU STARTED ABOUT YOUR DREAMS ABOUT YOUR CHARACTERS AND THEN LEAVE US HANGING. I need details, Nicole. DETAILS. XD

    I don't specifically remember ever falling asleep while writing? But I'm sure I have some NaNo month or another. xD

    And I'm not sure what shady things I've searched on Google... but that made me think of our Google hangouts when we were all talking about super weird stuff like hangings and torture and I said "If someone stumbled in here right now they'd be seriously concerned" XD XD Oh the life of a writer.

    theonesthatreallymatter.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. EMILY I CAN'T SPILL ALL MY SECRETS AT ONCE OKAY. XD You mayyyyy get them . . . eventually. XD BWAHAHAHA

      (honestly I have more dreams about other people’s characters than my own, but the few dreams I’ve had of my characters were GREAT)

      *nods* NaNo would definitely be the culprit. ;)

      (Ironically, I just searched "can you burn off a tattoo" and hoped the police wouldn’t show up at my door. XD) That was a GREAT conversation! Probably the most interesting exchange we've had yet on The Pen Dragons. XD

      (and if you want to steal this tag, DO IT)

      Delete
  7. This is such a fun tag! Thanks for telling us all your secrets Nicole. ;);)

    www.melodypersonetteauthor.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  8. Ooh! This looks like so much fun!

    *Steals it*

    ReplyDelete
  9. THIS. IS. SO. COOL. I've never seen this tag before! Thanks for tagging me; I'm so excited to do this! :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AGREED. It hasn’t gone around very much yet in the blogging community, which is sad, because it’s so fun!
      Yay, I can’t wait to see your answers! :)

      Delete
  10. I love this so much!! Especially that you insert pop culture into your stories. That's awesome!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Sarah!! Haha, yeah, it somehow ends up in there without me realizing it . . . XD
      (and if you want to steal this tag, I’ll look the other way. ;) )

      Delete
  11. Wow, I’m absolutely blown away by everyone’s response to this tag. When I originally did it over on my blog, I had no idea it would become so well-loved by everyone. <3333

    I LOVED reading your answers to everything, Nicole. And yes, a shady search history is part of every writer’s toolbox. But hey, you gotta do what you gotta do, right?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bree, you don’t give yourself enough credit. This tag is amazing, and I’m not surprised everyone loves it. Thank you for creating it! <33333

      Haha, gotta love those search histories. XD But if it makes the book more accurate . . . 🤷‍♀️😄

      Delete
  12. Oh, I'm totally stealing this tag xD yOUR WRITER SECRETS ARE NO LONGER SECRETS

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha, yessss, your post was great!
      I SHOULD HAVE TITLED THIS POST "I AM EXPOSED" XD

      Delete
  13. I used to write 100% by hand on those traditional school notebooks. College rule, preferably, haha. Then my dad got me a used laptop in '10. My life was never the same.... *cue montage of little pre-teen me typing stories*

    I then wrote RPGs by hand in notebooks with my sister, but now we've switched to google docs for that, which is useful since we're both working and stuff now and can't just pass a notebook back and forth during school or chores or whatever.

    I do take sermon notes, so still writing a lot by hand, these days...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. (College rule is the superior lined paper. XD) Yay for laptops! They definitely make writing easier and quicker to do . . .

      Oh, nice, you two do RPGs? That’s so cool! Haha, yeah, moving the notebook between you two WOULD be a major obstacle . . . XD

      Writing by hand is awesome too! (And still pretty fun - I’m happy you’re still doing a fair bit of it. :) )

      Delete
  14. I loved this tag! Great answers!

    ReplyDelete
  15. OHMAGOSH IT'S A NICOLE POST
    Hahaha I love this
    YES the hamilton 👌🏼
    uhh I may or may not be putting off writing a school paper while reading this post about writing
    Oh my goodness I'm very much in favor of keeping your interrupted sentence in the draft 😂

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. OHMYGOSH IT'S AN ISABEL COMMENT
      Thanks! :)
      I am glad you approve.
      Nooooooo, write the paper!! XD (probably not what I’m supposed to say, but oh well)
      Okay, it’s official, we're doing it! ;) (maybe I can find a way to slip it into the finished draft, too, who knows . . . XD)

      Delete
  16. This was so fun to read!! Hearing how other people write their stories is always so fascinating to me!!

    Hanne || losingthebusyness.wordpress.com

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    Replies
    1. Aw, thank you, Hanne - and I agree, learning more about peoples' writing processes are so interesting!

      Delete
  17. Oh my word, that was the BEST. OUTRO. EVER. XD

    This is such a fun post!! Google Docs is indeed the greatest, and I too have to forceably restrain myself from correcting people's grammar mistakes on an almost daily basis. XD

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    Replies
    1. ;) Thanks! I’ve been wanting to pull that for a while now. XD

      Google Docs is AMAZING. :)
      Haha, the struggle is real. (When you look for them, there are So Many Grammar Errors everywhere. XD)

      Delete
  18. Love this! XD
    The tense thing has become a huge problem for me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aw, thanks!
      Oh noooooo! I hope it’s just a phase, but you’ve got this!:)

      Delete
  19. I've definitely done a few of these.
    Let's just hope nobody looks at my browsing history because it's like "how to remove a bullet", "how many ways can you kill someone with martial arts", "what are the types of poison".
    I mean, I'm writing an adventure spy novel so the MCs would know this.
    I also have researched all of this psychology and medical stuff. Um....yeah.
    Do you mind if I do this tag?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha, I feel like many of these are a universal experience for writers. XD
      OOF that’s accurate. But hey, that research needs to be done, especially when you’re writing an adventure spy novel.
      Ooo, that’s cool! :)
      And yeah, go right ahead! Consider yourself tagged! :D

      Delete
  20. Yes.
    Exactly! J
    Hopefully the FBI don't come after me.
    Thanks, Nicole.

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    Replies
    1. Haha, let’s hope not. (Surely they’ve figured out you’re a writer by now. XD)

      Delete

Welcome to the comment section! I love hearing what you guys think and seeing you guys talk. Just remember to keep it clean, and as always, check back for my replies! <3
-Nicole