Never Have I Ever: Writer's Edition Tag]

"You don't write because you want to say something... you write because you have something to say."

~F. Scott Fitzgerald

I stumbled upon this Tag on McKayla's blog, Tales of a Triple Threat while working on my previous post (Never Have I Ever: Book Edition). Again, I wasn't tagged for this, but I hope it's alright for me to take part in it anyway, even years later. (I wasn't on Blogger in 2020-2021, when most of these were going around). So giving credit where credit is due, I shall now proceed to answer these questions!

Never Have I Ever...

1) ...started a novel that I didn't finish.

Yes. I have a series with around 5 or 7 books—all are started, but none are finished. I began writing it when I was 12 but never got through to the end because (1) it was a huge project for me, and (2) it was an ongoing story. As I was getting older, I kept changing my ideas for the story and its characters. I hope to properly finish it in the coming years, (now that I'm more sensible, haha!) and perhaps even publish it. But we'll see, we'll see...

2) ...written a story completely by hand.

Yes, many times! I used to make "books" (small stacks of paper stapled together) with pencil writing and marker illustrations. My most memorable story was Middnight (yes, I spelled it with two Ds) which I entered in a sort of writing contest at my school. I don't remember if I got any feedback for my crazy story about a black horse (Middnight), a bird called Henry, a third character I can't remember, a 100-story high rock wall, and an invasion by the Phantoms from the online game Animal Jam...

When I was 12 and considering starting the before-mentioned book series, I intended to write it all by hand on paper. But thankfully, I decided to write it on my PC, where editing is much easier. After I taught myself how to properly type, I can keep up with my thoughts much faster!

3) ...changed tenses midway through a story.

Yes, yes I have. When I feel I've unintentionally changed tenses, I get stuck and usually have to re-write that section on a different day.

4) ...not researched anything before starting a story.

In the past, I would barely do any research for my stories. But nowadays I do that regularly. In fact, I have been inspired many times by simply watching documentaries.

5) ...changed my protagonist's name halfway through a draft.

I usually select my characters' names carefully. Nonetheless, I've changed the names of several side and background characters. I had one whose name changed 4 or 5 times before I finally found the right one!

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

I believe I have, back when I was going to public school. I had to finish my stories in a short amount of time. There was no other way.

7) ...fallen asleep while writing.

Nope. I think it's safe to say that I don't fall asleep easily. I have become drowsy or dozed off, but I have never fallen asleep while writing or reading.

8) ...corrected someone's grammar IRL/online.

Yes, all the time. My family usually asks me to check their emails, blog posts, etc. My sisters even call me "Grammarly" sometimes! English and writing just come naturally to me. Yes, sometimes I miss mistakes or make them myself, but I am capable enough that my dad will ask me to read through his scientific articles before sending them to the publisher! One of my best friends (Madi) even asked me during one of our sleepovers to grammar-check a short story she wrote to enter a school writing contest. So yes, I am basically already an Editor, free of charge.

9) ...yelled in all caps at myself in the middle of the novel.

No. If so, then I left the argument inside my head.

10) ...used ''I'm writing'' as an excuse.

I don't believe I ever did!

11) ...killed a character that was based on someone I know in real life.

No, not yet...

12) ...used pop culture references in a story?

I like to reference other stories/universes and such in my stories. For example, in one of my novel series revolving around horses, the movie Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron is a famous legend.

13) ...written between the hours of 1 a.m. and 6 a.m.

Yup! Back in 2018, when my sister and our friend Madi would stay up way past our bedtime typing out a story together on a Google Document. It was called "Magic Golden Ball" and was basically a subplot-type thing centering around the adventures of our foal characters. We had SO much fun, but the stories were incredibly ridiculous, and even gruesome at times, so we likely will not publish them. Ever.

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

I have not. I enjoy no more than 2 cups of coffee daily but don't usually drink it to keep me awake.

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

I don't think so. I have had dreams about storylines/characters/etc. which I consider adding, but I forget them almost immediately upon waking.

16) ...published an unedited story on the Internet/Blog/Wattpad.

Doing something like that is unthinkable to me! I spend hours, perhaps days, editing anything before I publish it. Even so, I miss things, but then I will go back and edit them once I've found them later. Sometimes I'll even ask my dad or one of my sisters to read through something to check the flow of the sentences/paragraphs. All my emails, Facebook, and blog posts are carefully edited.

17) ...procrastinated homework because I wanted to write.

All of my writing basically counts as a part of homeschooling.

18) ...typed so long that my wrists hurt.

I definitely haven't experienced that, but I know of several people who have complained to me about it. I have written so much by hand that my arm got tired, but nothing major. Perhaps those who type or write until they have pain are pressing the pencil/pen too hard or typing in a weird way? I wouldn't know.

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

Phew! I never have, and I hopefully never will! I usually do not place my PC near a drink, or a drink near my PC.

20) ...forgotten to save my work/draft.

Well, in a way, yes. I usually write on Google Docs, Word, or Grammarly, and they all save automatically (most of the time). I used to write stories in emails to send to my friend Madi (we would exchange short stories about our horse characters). The last story I wrote I never got to send. Gmail had some kind of problem that day, but I failed to acknowledge it. So I worked on writing the story for hours before I accidentally closed the tab. I opened Gmail again only to find that everything I had written had not been saved. I was so upset and frustrated that I ranted to my mom and Madi about it (to explain why I wasn't sending the story). I intended to write it again, but to this day, I have not. So here's the takeaway: Whenever writing a longer piece of anything, always write it on a reliable program! You can always copy and paste later.

21) ...finished a novel.

Oh, I wish! I have so many novels that I would love to write someday...

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

No, can't say I have. I talk to myself constantly, but never out loud. I'm generally a quiet person—my mind is noisy enough as it is! So I feel no need to utter sounds verbally to fill the comforting silence.

23) ...cried while writing a scene.

Not yet, but perhaps I will someday!

24) ...created maps of my fictional worlds.

All. The. Time. I have made so many maps over the years! Besides my version of Equestria (yes, from My Little Pony), I have made many maps with my own variations of maps from different books, such as Anok from The Guardian Herd or Pyrrhia from Wings of Fire. I was also working on some maps of unique continents for my stories, which I have yet to finish.

[My Version of Anok]

Drawn by me in 2021.

25) ...researched something shady for a novel?

Not usually... but I was doing some basic research at one point relating to Mustang (wild horse) round-ups, cullings, slaughterhouses, etc. I don't usually handle brutality, torture, or violence well, so I try to avoid it if I can. But to write a good novel, there must be some dark parts, too.

I Nominate: Nobody and anybody. :)

This was a fun tag which I enjoyed doing! Hopefully, it was also interesting for you, my fellow readers, as well. 😊

"Never say never, because limits, like fears, are often just an illusion."

~Michael Jordan