The Never Have I Ever Tag | Writer's Edition

Soooo I'm sorta stealing a tag. Because it looks super fun and I haven't did a tag in ages, soo. It's been floating around the blogging realm lately, but I saw it first on Merie's blog, so I'm giving credit there. Her post was awesome, by the way, and you should totally go read it. xD

The Rules

1. Link and thank the blogger who tagged you.    |     N/A
2. Include the graphic somewhere in your post.    |     *points above*
3. Answer the questions truthfully and honestly.    |     I shall do my darnedest. 
4. Tag 3 bloggers.     |     I tag... the first three commenters. 

Never have I ever…

… started a novel that I didn’t finish.

Oh yes. Several. Once upon a time, War Tears had...

-- ...a prequel. It's currently sitting in a dusty ol' file in all of it's sappy, 10k glory.
-- ...and a sequel. By around 5k, the plot had changed about 47 times, and I don't know if I'll ever get back to that one or not.
-- A story about a girl who always thought she was an only child, but discovers she has a sibling that was given up for adoption. I'd actually like to get back to that one some day.
-- WWII era saga about a teen girl trying to reconnect her estranged parents.
-- and the list goes on... :P

… written a story completely by hand.

Other than for school when I was a wee child, no. The first story I ever started once I actually began writing as a hobby was by hand. I only wrote a couple chapters, though, and never finished it. So no, not a complete story.

… changed tenses midway through a story.

Actually, yes. Freedom began as a third-person double POV story. Ya know, back when it was a short story I wasn't even sure I would finish, and had a drastically different plot line than the published work. xD  When I started working on it more and wanted to make it into something legit, I realized third person POV wasn't working for me. So I switched what I'd already written over to first-person in an attempt to get the words moving. And, as y'all already know, it stuck. ;)

… not researched anything before starting a story.

HAHAHAHA. All the time, baby. As I told a friend of mine, you don't have to research for the first draft, unless it's super important/pertinent. Don't know much about amputees and prosthetics? No worries. Just write it as best you can, make up what you don't know, and figure the rest out later. This tidbit of wisdom may or may not be the rule I live by.

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

I don't think so...? I've changed last names. And I've had to change side characters names, upon realizing I already had a character by the name I'd been using for them. But I don't think I've ever changed the name of an MC partway though a draft. That would drive me bonkers.

… written a story in a month or less.

Yep. Dandelion Dust, written in 25 days, is still my fastest first draft to date.

… fallen asleep while writing.

Actually, I have... Not at my desk or slumped over a computer, but if I get ideas in the middle of the night, I'll grab my phone and type up some notes or even write full scenes. Sometimes I wake up because I dropped my phone on my face, and sometimes I wake up the next morning and realize my phone is lost somewhere in the bed. xD

… corrected someone’s grammar irl/online.

Oh definitely. Day-to-day conversation, business signs, social media posts,... Even if I'm not doing it out loud, doesn't mean I'm not doing it mentally. And cringing a little in the meantime.

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

*cracks up* Oh, for sure. Especially during NaNo, when all words count, nothing gets cut, and the only goal is write.
write.
write.
WRITE.

… used “I’m writing” as an excuse.

Oh yeah. Most definitely. Works swell.

"Hey Faith..."
"Actually, I'm writing..."
*keeps story document open while perusing random facts on the internet and scrolling YouTube* *tells self it counts* 

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

*sits in silence* Maaayyybeeee? I'm honestly not sure. I used to have a list of all the characters I've killed—a sort of memorial, if you will. But I don't think I've killed anyone that was based off of someone I know. Not intentionally, anyway...

… used pop culture references in a story.

Yep, a time or two in the Liberty's Battlegrounds trilogy.

… written between the hours of 1 a.m. and 6 a.m.

For sure. Mostly on the 1-3a.m. side of the spectrum. If you ask me if I'm a morning person and I say "yes", know that I'm referring to the hours between 12:00 and 3:00am, and 9:00 and 11:00am.

… drank an entire pot of coffee while writing.

I don't even have to be writing to drink an entire pot of coffee... *reaches for mug*

… written down dreams to use in potential novels.

My best scenes and stories have started out as dreams. Dandelion Dust was inspired by a dream. Most of the infamous chapter 18 from Freedom literally was a dream—some even word for word what I remember from the concoctions of the subconscious mind.

… published an unedited story on the Internet/blog/Wattpad.

Yessssss. And regretted it. Other than on this blog (which I usually do edit, or at least proofread, before sharing), I've shared stories on a fansite for a book series as well as on FanFiction. Thankfully, y'all will never be forced to read that angsty jargon. ;)

… procrastinated homework because I wanted to write.

BAHAHAHA. Literally, my life for the majority of high school. Allowing myself to write only after I'd finished a certain amount of assignments. Something that I didn't always stick to, though.

… typed so long that my wrists hurt.

Yup, I used to get really bad hand/wrist cramps during weeks when I wrote and/or blogging daily. Not so much now, but I don't type quite as much as I used to either. :P

… spilled a drink on my laptop while writing.

Heavens, no. Next to losing files, that's my worst nightmare.

… forgotten to save my work/draft.

(see above.) Nope. I once thought I'd lost a couple document that hadn't been backed up before my iPad crashed. They showed up later though, honestly still not sure how. Oh, come to think of it, that was another unfinished novel...hmmm...

… finished a novel.

You betcha. Three and counting. :D

… laughed like an evil villain while writing a scene.

Mwahahaha. All the time. Not just while writing, but while plotting it and thinking about it. Editing and polishing and rereading. Finding a review of someone who thought it was epic or unexpected and villain-laughing again. It's quite grand.

… cried while writing a scene.

I cried and shook and sobbed through portions of Freedom. Soooo yes.

… created maps of my fictional worlds.

I'm going to say no...? I kinda did once. I started a speculative novel—a fantasy setting with a dystopian plot. I made a couple maps for that. It was mostly old cities and underground hideaways, so I didn't make a lot of progress on a decent map. The story itself wasn't half bad, though, come to think of it... Maybe I'll get back to that one some day.

… researched something shady for a novel.

Like the most common methods of suicide? How long it takes someone to die in a gas chamber? How many times someone can get shot without bleeding to death? Yup.

what's your favorite 'never have I ever'?