The writing of my first novel

[BenMears]

What I am doing, and why:

I propose in this space to document my progress at getting my first novel written. I am in the planning stage at the moment, but have set June 1st as my start date. My objective is to work every day (but if I get 6 out of 7, I'll be happy) and to write 1,000 to 2,000 words each day. Each day that I work, I'll post the word count here, and if I don't post.... well, you know.

The big idea is to have the psychological pressure of having a couple hundred other people checking my progress to spur me on. Some people don't work well under pressure, I know. But I have the feeling about myself that it will make it a little harder to hide from what I know I should be doing. (Yes, I realize a couple hundred people may not be interested enough to look; maybe nobody will. But as long as I think they might be looking....)

What's in it for you:

I have read countless writing books, articles, attended classes and seminars, and heard a lot of good advice. (Thanks, Uncle Jim, for the wonderful thread you have going here that first attracted me to this site.) And yet... I always am left wondering, but what is it really like. Just the dumb mundane stuff about how you sharpen your pencils, and when do you stop for lunch. And not just to hear a general answer, but to see it applied day by day by day. Most things we learn best by watching someone else do them. But how do you watch someone write a novel? Well, here's a small attempt to make a contribution to this line of inquiry. No, I have no credentials and do not claim to be the least good at this or even to have much idea what I'm doing. But, speaking for others like myself, I think the real mystery of novel writing is just--how do you finish the thing? Well, for starters you can watch me try.

See you tomorrow!

[scribbler1382]

Good on ya, Ben! Best of luck with your personal challenge.

If you want some examples of the day-to-day humdrum of writing a novel (or anything else, for that matter) just google "writer's blog" and you'll get about a buh-jillion hits. The trick is finding one that's active enough to provide value. I've just started mine, but there won't be anything of real value there for a while yet. But wherever you find inspiration, know there's others of us out here going through the same thing...and pulling for you!

[Marcusthefish]

Good luck! If you haven't tried to write a novel before, you'll need it.

MTF

[Pencilone]

Just my 5p:


Don't start thinking from '1st of June I'll start writing a novel' as it can seem a daunting task if you do it first time.

Better think 'on 1st of June I start typing words and I don't care if they make any meaning as it's just the first draft'.

Lock away your inner editor and off you go!

Best of luck to you!:Thumbs:

Pencilone

[black winged fighter]

Good luck with the motivation!

[arrowqueen]

Good luck with it.

[Linoge]

Good luck with it. >=)

I like your name a lot, too. Ben Mears is one of my favorite King protagonists.

[BenMears]

Thank you, friends, for your encouraging wishes. It is exactly what I was hoping to hear, and now it is my job to make them bear fruit!

You know how it goes--just like all the motivational speakers tell you: concentrate your intention on the Universe and invisbile forces will begin to arrange things in order to conform to replying to your intention with a big "Hell no!"

I went along with my coworkers at the office yesterday in asking for a flex-time arrangement in which we would work an extra hour four days a week in order to get Friday afternoons off for the summer. Having to get into work an hour earlier this morning gave me a few second thoughts, though.

And then it turned out that today was the long-awaited "clean out the storeroom" party we had promised our employer. Fortunately we were able to get started at 4:00, which meant we finished not too much after 6:00, but it made for a long day.

Dashed home for some quick eats and liberal use of the bottle of ibuprofen and then, of course, writing! "Honey," my wife said, "I got these movies out of the library, and won't you watch one with me?" Well, sure. After all, she made the dinner, and rhubarb pie, and even writers have hearts, or, at any rate, stomachs. Besides, it's just coming up 8:00, so a short movie should be done by 9:30...

Of course we were just five minutes into it when my mother stopped by to take our older son along on her nightly bike ride. Back to the movie. Then Mom came back, having stopped home to pick up the amended tax return she is working on. Would I be so kind...?

Having finished the taxes but before the movie could start again, my brother, who calls maybe once in two months, was on the phone. We had a nice chat. Then finally got into the movie. It was moving along and starting to wrap up when I noticed that my wife had left the room, in fact had gone to bed, and there were two boys in need of bedtime...

But the upshot of it all was that I learned a lesson about perseverance and incidentally how to write something (anything!) quite fast because you promised that you would.

Words today: 1,178 Cumulative total: 1,178

[kelker11]

LOL, Ben, that sounds like something that usually happens to me! Glad to see that you got a thousand words done. Some is better than none!

Keep at it, that word count will climb faster than you realize.

[BenMears]

Thursday night is my club night, and tonight I was scheduled to play a match for our club team in the inter-city adult chess league. Yes, chess is my sport, and I am probably one of the very few members of this board who actually already owned a copy of Logical Chess, Move by Move before reading Uncle Jim's recommendation.

So the normal program for the evening, would be commute, change into comfortable clothes, dinner, maybe a chance to hit the couch for 20 minutes or so before heading back out to the club. Then three hours of a difficult game and home somewhere the other side of 11:00 more than likely.

Now, how to fit writing into a day like this? Well, I grabbed takeout from the Chinese nearest to my work, went back to the office (doesn't that phrase make the hair stand on end!), and tried not to get any fried rice on the keyboard as I got on with the novel.

I realize I've said just about nothing about writing as yet and talked about every other element of my day, but that is the story so far--and the challenge, I would imagine for anyone reading this who isn't a seasoned pro (or seasoned amateur)--how to make the space in life to fit the novel in.

Words today: 1,410
Total so far: 2,588

[Thekherham]

Good luck, Ben.

Just... write. That's the best and only advice I'll give.
Just put one word on the page, then another, then another...
Editing? Ah, don't worry about that now. That comes later.

[Vanessa]

Good Luck in your endeavor. You can do it Ben, you can do it! I admire the determination in spite of work and family. My situation is different, because I am single and have no children. My life evolves around lots of work in the corporate field, and writing when my mind isn't in tune with work.

I'll be rooting for ya.

[scribbler1382]

I realize I've said just about nothing about writing as yet and talked about every other element of my day, but that is the story so far--and the challenge, I would imagine for anyone reading this who isn't a seasoned pro (or seasoned amateur)--how to make the space in life to fit the novel in.

Words today: 1,410
Total so far: 2,588

You've already made that magical leap from trying to "find" time, to realizing you don't find time, you "make" it. Kudos.

[LightShadow]

writing is a joyful thing. Good Luck, and remember, the day a person finds a job that they love, they will never have to work again.

[arrowqueen]

You're being incredibly productive - particularly under the circumstances. (Work, family, inconsiderate so-and-sos who keep interrupting you...)

Well done. Keep it up.

[BenMears]

Thanks, friends, for all your good wishes. Also thanks to all who have stopped here just to view the thread, as it is knowing that you came by and were interested enough to see how I was doing, that helps me keep on keeping on.

Today my coworkers and I realized the fruit of our sacrifice of an extra hour every morning. Today when the barred doors slid open at noon, instead of just slinking out for a quick sandwich and then dragging back for the always-fatiguing afternoon session, the inmates ran free out into the light and the world.

So today time was not an issue, as you can tell by this being my first post not time stamped somewhere the other side of 11 pm. Now I can take a breath and say a little about my technique. Not fictional technique, of which I plead complete innocence (check back in 60 or 70,000 more words and I may have learned something!), but just a little trick I am using to produce words.

I got this idea from another interest of mine, running. In training to race, a popular workout is to do intervals, where you run at a fast rate for a set short distance, take some recovery time, and then repeat. I am now writing in intervals. I write as fast as I can for a short time (usually 3-4 minutes) then pause to count my words, pace the room, etc., then dive in again.

Here's why I think this helps: just as someone said above, you don't want to sit down thinking about writing a whole novel, because it's too intimidating. Since at this point I am very easily intimidated, sitting down for Two Hours of Writing still seems like a daunting task. So I don't do it. I sit down to write for four minutes. Then another four minutes, and so forth.

So far, it's working.

Words today: 2,319
Total so far: 4,907

[Pencilone]

Excellent idea! :idea: Keep at it! Try to spread the sessions: a few in the morning, a few in the afternoon and a few in the evening. And you'll be amazed how much they will all add up to. I used this technique for 15 minutes writing during Nano, and I had days when I wrote over 6,000 words per day (and still keeping my sanity with 2 children running around).

After I finish rewriting the current plot, I also intend to write in short 5 minutes stunts throughout the day.

Best of Luck,
Pencilone

[black winged fighter]

Hoorah for the progress you're making! It's kind of inspiring...

[BenMears]

Thanks again for your encouraging words and page views!

Pencilone: 6,000+ in a day! And I was impressed with my 2,000...

black winged fighter: Yes, I would be very happy if anyone reading this thread were to find that it helped move them to get a few more words written.

Here's the other idea I had related to writing in intervals--I play a little game of musical writing chair.

My 3-4 minute intervals are actually timed to pop songs. At the moment I am using a CD by the Polish singer Irena Jarocka. I find the tunes pleasant, and since I don't understand Polish, the lyrics are not a distraction.

This is what it looks like. I start work each day by writing a brief beat outline of what is going to happen in the next several pages of the book. Then I stand next to the CD player on a table behind my desk. I form a picture in my mind of what is happening in the book, and prepare the next sentence or at least the first couple words. Then I push Play and plop down at the desk and start writing fast as I can.

When the song ends, I pause the CD and stand next to the player letting the next picture and next few words form, hit Pause and I'm off again. I've found so far that I'm able to do 100 words or so during each song. The CD has 18 selections, and if I get through the whole thing, I'll have 2,000.

Words today: 2,310
Total so far: 7,217

[BenMears]

The importance of having your CD player across the room--

I got this from one of the classic writing manuals by Dorothea Brande or Brenda Ueland. The idea is to only sit at the desk when you are writing. If you don't know what to write, you get up out of the chair and go across the room, until you know what you want to say. Then you get back in the chair and write it, and hopefully keep going.

I think the point is to associate the activity of writing with being physically located in the chair. If you sit there while the words aren't coming, staring at the screen or daydreaming, then the chair is equally well associated with those activities, and sitting down to work the next day make signal your body that it's time for a little daydreaming.

So this idea is built into my 'musical writing chair' approach, since I don't release the pause on the next cut of the CD until I know what I'm going to write next.

Words today: 2,550 (revised, had the font set wrong for counting)
Total so far: 9,767

[Hummingbird]

Awesome! You're doing really good! I'm good to get over 1,000 words a day in mine.. Hm.. I need to work harder. ;) Keep at it! BTW, this is cool that you're writing this. :)

[MadScientistMatt]

Good luck, and thanks for posting this thread! Sounds like you're on track to having this finished in a month or two.

[BenMears]

Thanks for stopping in, and for your encouraging words. I am getting a lot out of doing this, so I hope that it is providing some value in return to any who take the time to check in.

Today it was back to doing the 9-hour stretch in the stirrup-buckle factory. I come home with a headache and wanting a nap, and doesn't that sofa in front of the TV look good. But I'm committed; I'm a writer now, and a writer is someone who writes.

More and more, with several scenes behind me, I am getting these nagging little thoughts of "that needs to be changed," and "this is inconsistent," but I am fighting them off. I am looking forward to rewriting, actually, because I think it will feel good to have something to rewrite. But for now it has to be press on, looking neither left nor right, but head down and words moving forward.

Words today: 1,140
Total so far: 10,907

[BenMears]

Adjusting to my new hours at work, I was able to get to bed early last night and got up a bit earlier and was able to do 600 words before leaving the house. Made the day's quota a lot easier when I returned.

I would prefer to write in the morning every day, but with the earlier schedule, it's debatable if I will be able to move my waking time back far enough to do the whole day's work in one shot. I know it's easy to say, "just set your alarm earlier," but lack of sleep is already documented as a major health concern in this country, and I personally have suffered from a stress-related illness, so even if it seems more difficult to fit writing in after the work day, it is in other ways easier for me, for now.

Today concludes my first week on the project. I stated at the top that I would be happy with 6 sessions of 1,000 words as a week's work. I managed to double that this week. I am sure there will be rougher times ahead, but I am encouraged so far.

Words today: 1,550
Total so far: 12,457

[HConn]

Words today: 1,550
Total so far: 12,457

12K in one week? You're doing very well.

I understand the urge to fiddle with what you've done. I'm fighting it, too. My solution is to go to the beginning of the file and start making notes about what I need to change. Just jot down a quick reminder to add the mayor into the hostage scene, and add the car accident to the parking lot scene.

I find that eases my worries and lets me do the day's work.

[Pencilone]

Keep on writing and ignore the blues of week 2.:Clap:

[Kiva Wolfe]

Hey Ben:

If your soon-to-be finished work is as interesting as your updated posts, I definitely want to read your book. Congratulations, and you have me seriously whipped. All self-flogging aside, the most I ever wrote in a week was 10,000 words. Longing for something long-ago, she sighs.

[BenMears]

Thank you for your kind words, and for taking the time to check up on me. I am finding it very helpful, and hope there is something of value here for you, too.

Kiva: I never wrote so much in a week before, either. Perhaps there is some method to my madness.

I know there is plenty of madness to my method. Let me try to step out-of-body for a moment to give a more objective description.

Picture a middle-aged, balding fat man, dressed in short-shorts and sandals, no shirt due to the beastly weather (don't picture this part in too much detail, especially if small children are present). He is sitting at a medium-sized desk, typing furiously on the flat, miniaturized keyboard of a small laptop. A pop song in Polish plays in the background.

The music stops and the man pops out of his chair like a jack-in-the-box (well, actually more like the latest knockwurst oozing out of a sausage machine), and dashes across the room to pause the CD player. He stands there panting for a few moments, then nods his head, presses the pause button again, and dives back into his chair as the next song begins.

His fingers are large and he's never figured out how to work the touch pad properly (had to attach a normal mouse to the thing), so he keeps accidentally touching something that moves the cursor to a random point on the page, generally just before he starts leaning on the delete key. The air is shattered by his agonized cursing. Since young children are within hearing (in truth, probably half the block can catch an echo of his bellowing), it is a good thing that he eschews the popular four-letter cliches in favor of made up imprecations. It is rumored that "You racking ridiculous rodentation!" is now frequently heard on the local school bus.

Words today: 1,280
Total so far: 13,737

[Kiva Wolfe]

Ben, the way I see it, you only have about 65,000 more words to go. You can do it. Thumbing through my calendar, giving allowance for the July 4th weekend, I expect you'll finish by August 15th.

She cracks the whip.
Rooting for you!

P.S. You aren't by chance a vampire hunter, too?

[BenMears]

Thanks, Kiva.

My own fear is that the first draft is going to come in at about 200,000 words, but I refuse to let myself think about that!

These days I am mostly trying to just stay one jump ahead of the vampires. I am rather slow, but fortunately contemporary vampires have been advised by doctor to watch their cholesterol, which makes me a less inviting meal...

[faerydancer]

Ben,

I've been following your thread over the past week, and I really feel inspired. I've had a manuscript in the works for over a year, and it's only 7,000 words! Sad, I know. That's what I get for neglecting it for months at a time. I don't know if I can move along as fast as you have, but I'm going to try. 1,000 words a day is what I'll shoot for. The way I think of it, a book doesn't write itself. I have ideas in my head, but it takes putting them on paper to get anywhere. You are well on your way to having your whole vision on the page. Keep it up and good luck to you!

Best,
Brenda :Clap:

[Garpy]

I remember reading somewhere that Stephen King only writes 1500 wds a day, usually writing between 9 and 12am. And Hemmingway, used to be happy with 500 words, which, after writing them...he would wittle away the words until only the best 250 remained on the page.

As for me, I average 1500-2000 every weekday. I let myself off at the weekends

[TMA-1]

I have to say I have no idea how some people do it. Lots of people who write seem to do so at supersonic speed. I'm lucky if I get together 1000 words in one single day... and that still doesn't mean it will happen several days in a row. But, I suppose I will have to do it in my pace no matter how long it will take.

[Marcusthefish]

I, too find these these high daily word counts incredible. I've tried pushing myself to produce, and all I've gotten was frustrated when I fell short. I've tried a hundred different incentives, schedules, and tricks to keep up the pace, but my inspiration and energy has always fallen short.

After some trial and error, I've found that two pages a day (500 words) is a pace that I can maintain even when my life is at its most hectic (I've got a day job, a wife, a 2 year old, and a serious reading habit). Even at five days a week, this adds up to a 480 page first draft in a year.

I wasn't ever able to finish a book when I was pushing and beating myself up. Since I've reconciled myself to the slower pace, I've completed a 120K draft, done extensive rewriting on it, and have something that I'm pretty proud of.

MTF

[pixiejuice]

This is fascinating, Ben. Keep it up!

I'd join you if I had an idea big enough to write a novel about :)

[Kiva Wolfe]

My advice is not to sweat the number of words or thrash yourself when you don't make your daily quota. Take pride in the fact that you're a creative-genius type everyone and their aunt/uncle wants to be. You are actually writing and committing to the craft, enough to push yourself to finish. Back when I had my 10K week, it was a rush, but I didn't eat for days. My family had to send in a search party and negotiate with my characters for my release. For me, the biggest thrill is reaching the last page, taking time out to celebrate, and then starting work on my next project.

It's a wonderful thing to say you are writing a book, but it is even more wonderful to say you've written one.

Have faith in your ability and arm yourself with the tools and discipline you need to make it happen.

[Jonny Ryan Mac]

I started out writing on average, about 900-1000 words in a "writing " day on my second novel. On spelunk days i find that doing outline work, query letter work and editing is a good slow up for me when i burn out.
A month later, I was up to about 1500, and on weekends about 6-8000. When i saw the finish line and had it all planned out i wrote 30000 words in a three day weekend.
I took a week off after that.

It all depends on you, im a real heavy outline guy, and that keeps me on point, i keep a moving tally in multiple media that i can put plot developments on. But it still took me almost 5 months to finish.
Whatever you write in the begining, will be edited at the end. for me, wtiting less in the rough draft, leads to editing more writing in. Where writing more, means cutting out. i find sutting a lot easier.
You work at a fast pace, find what worls for you and stick with it. Its never about numbers, its about the story, its about entertainment, its about art.

[Jonny Ryan Mac]

I'd join you if I had an idea big enough to write a novel about :)

I can garuntee you that you do, somewhere. All you have to do is find it. Best of luck.

[mdmkay]

:Clap: :Hail: Wanted to add my kudos. I'm also writing my first adult novel and it is indeed daunting to say the least. I've written several children's stories and actually got to the finish line but the only fiction for adults that I've ever written was a short story for the join in the theme in week 5 of the Idol thread...whatever week that hope was the theme. Oh well, whatever. I have found a whole new respect for those who write novels. I've never had to look so many words up to figure out the spelling or make sure I'm using the correct word for exactly what I'm trying to convey. I can't believe how incredibly intelligent you all are! I'm proud to be learning at your feet. Back to the point after that silly entry (the short story) I had this story that refused to "go away" and I've been writing it since. The first chapter is done and I'm thrilled with it and I've managed only 6400 words this week but I'm also having to work on some other things in the meantime (no rest for the wicked and all that). Now that I've sounded pathetic about how I've been forced upon this path I have to admit to you that I'm as excited to find out what is happening next in this book as if I were reading it not writing it (takes longer though, but feels more rewarding). I'm glad you started this Ben because although you have alot more background than I do to be going take on such a task it really makes me feel good to not be the only one writing a novel for the very first time. Oh btw this is a murder mystery (oh yea, I probably should tell you've I've never written a mystery either........I can just hear all your groans from here but I'm enjoying myself immensly and the few people who've read the first chapt liked it...and no, they weren't related to me...well, one was..decided to get some input so I was sure it at least sounded good to someone else and yes, I picked 2 from the AW boards and 2 who weren't.

[BenMears]

Certainly there are at least as many ways to write a story as there are writers writing them, and probably the same writer will approach different stories in different ways.

If you want to know how someone can write a lot of words, I hope I am demonstrating that here. Why to write at this rate is a question with many different answers. My reasoning is that since I lack experience, the real knowlege of how to do this, I have to just push off like an old fat bumblebee and go on vibrating the wings as fast as I can to continue to fly despite the logic that says I should fall.

Does this make sense: when I am a more accomplished writer, I will be able to write more slowly, but for now I just have to keep on moving and hope nobody (me) notices all the missing pieces strewn on the road behind me? The downside of this method is that I am producing nowhere near the sort of finished product slower and more careful writers are producing. What I've got will need to be pushed up the ladder a couple more rungs to get within shouting distance of "rough draft." But I will have a lot more confidence in my ability to produce a better draft once I have a finished draft, no matter how wretched it is.

Words today: 1,080
Total so far: 14,817

[Vanessa]

Words today: 1,550
Total so far: 12,457


IMPRESSIVE! You are inspiring! I'll keep looking in at your progress. Good Luck!

[Kiva Wolfe]

mdmkay: I love your dopey dwarf icon, and you should pat yourself on the back for taking on an adult novel and new genre! I wasn't sure what I had written until someone told me. Lo and behold, it turned out to be a suspense-adventure.

Are you a member of Sisters in Crime (SinC)? If not, you should consider joining, and also looking into Mystery Writers of America (MWA). Sisters works to draw attention to women writers of the mystery/suspense genre. They may have a chapter in a city near you. Here are the links:

http://www.sistersincrime.org (http://www.sistersincrime.org/)
http://www.mysterywriters.org (http://www.mysterywriters.org/)

[mdmkay]

Thank you so much for the encouragement as well as the info. I don't know if I've lost my mind trying to pull this off but after entering the join in the fun (or is it theme) on the Idol thread the last two weeks I seem to have gotten hooked. I have found it absolutly exhilarating writing with a deadline and word count. I noticed that my post this week (and last week) was alot different than the other posts but I figured "what the heck, it's not like anyone can heckle me in person, so I went for it). I didn't know what I was doing when I wrote my first children's book either ( I won't mention how badly it sucked but at least now I can get people to read my stories without holding a gun to their head so I must be improving)....laughing. If nothing else my spelling is going to improve with 100,000 words either that or JD is going to staple the dictionary to my forehead. Which reminds me did you know that you can install and dictionary and thesaurus on your toolbar???....beats hell outta looking things up every 2 mins.

[Mike Martyn]

Amazing speed! My best is about 1500 words per day. I write for two hours and sometimes a bit more.

This too is my first novel. I've written 96,000 words so far, 410 pages, courier 12 point double spaced. And I'm shooting for a 100,000 so I'm almost there . What a rush it's been.

As of now, it's Oct 25th, 1962, the height of the Cuban Missle Crisis and neither me nor my characters know how it'll turn out. My personal inclination is to blow up the world for dramatic effect, but that's just me. :)

[BenMears]

Friends, thanks again for visiting this thread. I keep you all in mind when I am tempted to slack off (often).

In "No Plot? No Problem!", Chris Baty's book about National Novel Writing Month, he suggests that most of the participants run into trouble in the second week. The first rush of enthusiasm carries them through the first week, but 7-10 days in there's the inevitable letdown.

I am fully capable of screwing up in any number of ways, but if I'm told up front the way I am most likely to screw up, I can guarantee you I won't screw up that way. I'm stubborn like that.

Still, I had that in the back of my mind today. Fortunately, my sleeping pattern has accomodated the new schedule at work, and I've actually been able to do a good bit of my writing in the mornings. But sometimes I'm up too early. Today it was 4:30 or so after being up till midnight, and though I was able to write in the morning, when I came home at lunch time (only work half day on Fridays now) I was beat.

Tried to take a nap in the afternoon, stumbled around the house, hardly capable of reading anything even, then fell asleep in the early evening. But! I knew you were waiting to hear from me, so I wasn't going to just roll over and forget about it. And I was not going to have some book tell me that day 10 would be rough, and then have day 10 actually be rough.

So, my eyes are still a bit out of focus, but my typing is so bad that it actually looks better this way. And I been writing.

Words today: 2,130
Total so far: 16,947

[Vanessa]

So, my eyes are still a bit out of focus, but my typing is so bad that it actually looks better this way. And I been writing.

Words today: 2,130
Total so far: 16,947

INCREDIBLE....U ARE!
I had to come and tell you that again! :Hail:

[mdmkay]

I wanted to check back in on you Ben. I didn't get any writing done on my novel yesterday but wrote 1500 on a short, and FINALLY got my WIP through the final edit....for now anyway. That and being a child over on the TIO thread last night and this morning.....you would think that after 40 you wouldn't let yourself get into a taunting match........apparently not the last 2 days

[azbikergirl]

Way to go Ben! I admire (and envy) your progress. I think I wrote a whopping 623 words yesterday -- during my lunch break.

[aruna]

Just wanted to add my pat on the back - congratulations on keeping to your schedule, and just keep slogging on! You'll make it!

And don't worry about corrections, That'll come in the 2nd or 3rd draft - as well as a host of new insights and nifty things you can insert, and less nifty things you can remove.

[Jonny Ryan Mac]

Every time I read your posts im reminded of the 121 days that it took me to get my latest rough draft done. Im proud to see that you write every day, unlike me, i write in long spurts. You bring inspiration to the board, and we need that. Everytime i see your words grow i am reminded to continue editing mine, (im about 400 pgs through the 500 pg ms.) So after this ill edit some more, and wonder how much more youll have done tomorow.

Best of luck Ben.

[BenMears]

Thanks again everyone for checking in and saying something about how your work is going. I would be very happy to think that the sight of me carrying on here would spur someone else to get in a little more BIC time, and bring another good story that much further along.

The last few days I am working in two sessions, first thing in the morning and last at night. The morning sessions are great, the best way to go about it, but they are limited in the time available (even on Saturday, I felt I had to stop to go out and make some attempt at getting some yardwork done, which leads to the next thing, and the next...).

But the evening sessions are still a struggle. Instead of writng at 9:00, I could write at 7:00, but I somehow can't force my self to do it then, and keep running off to do other things, then circle back near the desk and, no, find something else... The fooling around stops only when I have finally calculated that I am not going to get my words in if I don't just get to it, and then I am able to sit down and get going, and no matter how I struggled to get to the desk, once there the writing is just as good (so to speak; at this point it is all really quite bad, but no worse, if you see what I mean).

Words today: 2,620
Total so far: 19,567

[Jonny Ryan Mac]

I do, believe me i do. Its hard to sit and write, really it is. I spent so many nights just thinking of excuses, but once i got started, it all came a flowin. Thats all i can think you really have to do, just let the text floe from you, open your eyes and let your fingers take off.

[mdmkay]

BEN WE LOVE YOU.... your almost at 20,000 I'm so proud of you. I wish I could say the same. Wrote a short for JFF yesterday for 1500 and edited 1/2 my middle grader. ARGH...realized I'd messed up a premise that had to be in the first chapter so had to go back and re-write it............GRRRRRRRR so now only at 6628 actually more of a big revision but got a few more parag's down but I did get my mss. finished edited and got a poem written and proposed a freelance article...........and was grumpy all day...does that count...oh grumpy doesn't count???well... it should...I'm really really good at it (laughing).

Seriously Ben don't take lightly what an inspiration you are to some of us (apparently quite a few us esp. if you take into account lurkers). I'm just praying that you don't get done when I'm in the middle of my novel and I have no into shaming me into finishing the darn thing (maybe I'll hang the outline of the YA fantasy I ditched to write the novel over my computer to taunt me into getting my butt in gear. (had to outline it so I wouldn't forget what the story was....so have to finish novel so I can get to it..............a writer's job is never done.......)

[aruna]

The last few days I am working in two sessions, first thing in the morning and last at night. The morning sessions are great, the best way to go about it, but they are limited in the time available (even on Saturday, I felt I had to stop to go out and make some attempt at getting some yardwork done, which leads to the next thing, and the next...).

But the evening sessions are still a struggle. Instead of writng at 9:00, I could write at 7:00, but I somehow can't force my self to do it then, and keep running off to do other things, then circle back near the desk and, no, find something else... The fooling around stops only when I have finally calculated that I am not going to get my words in if I don't just get to it, and then I am able to sit down and get going, and no matter how I struggled to get to the desk, once there the writing is just as good (so to speak; at this point it is all really quite bad, but no worse, if you see what I mean).

Words today: 2,620
Total so far: 19,567

Ben: try getting up two hours earlier than you usually do. I'm a morning person myself but the time between 9 and 12 is always far too busy to write, even though I work from home. I found the solution last October - I started to get up at 4 am and write, and it's just wonderful. Yoyr mind is in a very calm, pure state and ideas flow freely. I too wrote 2000 words a day and in two months my novel was finished (I'm now still revising it, but the creative part of it was by far the best.)

It doesn't have to be 4 am; 5 or 6 work just as well, justas long as it's before the busy day starts.

Getting up early sounds hard but after a few days you get used to it; now, I wake up on my own at that time and love it.

I see you mention Dorothea Brande; she was my inspiration for starting to write at all, and as you know, she recommends early morning writing.

[BenMears]

Hello, friends.

Today Professor Ben will toss in something for the literary theory fans who were getting bored just watching the words get written.

My credentials: MA in English Lit, one year towards a PhD
What this has taught me about popular fiction: nada

Still, one must have faith to press on, and you can't just have faith by itself, you have to have faith in something.

You have probably heard the story of the three children who awaken one morning to find that, through the operation of some nefarious force in the night, their bedroom has been filled with manure.

Two of the children are disgusted and outraged, and retreat to cower on the highest point they can climb to. The third dives into the mess, flinging crap left and right with both hands.

"What do you think you're doing?" the other two ask. And he yells back in excitement, "With all this sh**, there's just got to be a pony in here somewhere!"

We will call this the Big Pile of Sh** theory of literary creation, or BPOS. First comes the pile, then the search for the good stuff. I know that I am writing lots of crap, and I trust there will be a pony at the bottom of it.

So welcome to Phase I: Building the BPOS. Watch where you step.

Words today: 2,290
Total so far: 21,857

[Supafly]

I'm a new member here, and its refreshing to find so many writers working to get their names out. I graduated high school last year, and I've been working on stories and most often novels in one way or another since the fourth grade. My first novel was started when I was in eighth grade, and due to writer's block (damn!) I am stuck on the final chapter. Since, I've begun work on several projects, one being a five book series of which I've finished the first part and started work on the second. I also am trying to complete a novel of epic proportions I started about fourteen months ago, which is at page 1243 and going to be about 1500 upon completion. I also have about six other books either planned or started in one way or another. I probably have enough material to last me the next ten years.

Since I am not published yet, I cannot talk about agents or editors, or anything like that. I can say that for the first time novelist, it seems better to only write when you actually want to write. If you sit at your computer and start typing, but you are reading the words as you go, you might want to find something else to do. More often than not, this practice leads to sections of a book that does not feel like it is what you truly intended to do. When you write, you should be seeing the scene playing out in your head, as if you were watching it on tv. That way, when you write, you put done things that seem subtle at first, but really turn into gold. You begin to see the characters breathing and you see their expressions and you understand how they would genuinely react when being threatened or befriended.

This is just an opinion of mine. One book you might want to try to track down is On Becoming a Novelist by John Gardner. I got it from my aunt a couple weeks ago. I skimmed through it, but from what I read, it really deals with the writer's nature, like how it feels to write and I could relate to it. Now, I know NO writer wants to be told how to create his story, myself included, but it was interesting to see that I was not the only person who felt the same way Gardner describes as the writer's nature.

Good luck to everyone here. Hopefully, oneday some of us might be attending the other's book signing.

[Jonny Ryan Mac]

I also am trying to complete a novel of epic proportions I started about fourteen months ago, which is at page 1243 and going to be about 1500 upon completion. I also have about six other books either planned or started in one way or another. I probably have enough material to last me the next ten years.

And i thought my ms was big.

[BenMears]

[QUOTE=Supafly]My first novel was started when I was in eighth grade, and due to writer's block (damn!) I am stuck on the final chapter. Since, I've begun work on several projects, one being a five book series of which I've finished the first part and started work on the second. I also am trying to complete a novel of epic proportions I started about fourteen months ago, which is at page 1243 [QUOTE]

Supafly, if I am following your story correctly, since the onset of writer's block, you have written better than 400,000 words of fiction (more than I've managed in my life so far). I believe there is every hope you will be cured eventually. It is probably a good thing for the editors of the world that you only write when you really feel like it. ;-)

Well, this was another point of view from the previous comments wondering how someone could write 2,000 words in a day. Supafly is probably wondering why it's taking so long for me to finish book one, and when am I going to get going on my next five-book series.

In the meantime, I will have to continue to plod along, writing when I'm not sure I'm up to it (since that is most of the time), keeping my faith in the hidden pony.

Words today: 1,180
Total so far: 23,027

[Supafly]

The writer's block is only on the one book, my first one, a WWII character study. Its about 550 pages, and on the final chapter. I have the final paragraph written, but between the middle and the end of the chapter, I am lost.

I have written a different book since then, and am almost finished with another. I also have two other books that are at least half finished and three more in the planning process. My writer's block pretty much sucks with the one book, but it will eventually go away. I'm only 18 as of today, so I have plenty of time to worry about that stuff.

Actually, 2000 words a day is a good number. I believe Stephen King writes six pages on average per day, from 8 am to noon. I think anything above five pages a day is good progress. I go some days writing twenty pages, and then some when I do maybe a paragraph. This might sound extremely inconsistent, but then again, I only write when I know what I'm putting on the screen with worth my time and effort. Anyone can write a 400 page novel thats crap. The challenge is writing one that flows from beginning to end. For fun, I've written 3896 words in the last twenty four hours. I might get 500 tomorrow, or maybe I'll get on a roll and go for another 4k. ;) hopefully

[Marcusthefish]

Anyone can write a 400 page novel thats crap.

Gotta disagree with this--most first novels never get finished. Even crappy books take more time and effort than most people can muster.

MTF

[Supafly]

That does not change that fact that anyone is capable of writing a bad book.

[BenMears]

Supafly: I am actually very impressed with you. To be that young and have developed such a writing habit... I am sure you will learn to be quite a good writer in a short time, if you can stay with it. My own life seemed to be undergoing constant changes from age 17 up until only two years ago, when we moved into our present home. I was not able to stick with the writing during those challenging times.

I think the point Marcus was making is that while indeed anyone is capable of writing a bad book, most will never write any kind of book at all. Any clown with a sharp pencil can scribble a few lines of doggerel and call it a poem, but only a fairly determined clown can get down a few hundred pages of prose and call it a novel.

Which is a pretty fair description of where I now find myself. It would be nice to think that every word flowing from my keyboard was top drawer, but alas, I sometimes actually read them as I'm typing, so I know that if it weren't for bad writing, I'd have no writing at all. Hey, it's a start.

Words today: 1,120
Total so far: 24,147

[Supafly]

One practice I've found that really helps one learn how to write is just to read, constantly. My english teacher three years ago told me that she can tell if a person reads a lot by the way he/she writes. That way, you can adapt your own style from reading another person's style. It can also help if you are a multi-genre writer (as I am) because certain genres tend to work better if written from a certain point of view or style of prose. It also helps you learn how to structure sentences consistently, among other things. Maybe its just me, but writers should be learning from other writers...kinda like here. ;)

[Marcusthefish]

That does not change that fact that anyone is capable of writing a bad book.

Sure, and anyone can also perform bad brain surgery (where'd I put my trepan?), and play the violin poorly (or in my case, guitar).

Seriously, though, my point: writing fiction is very hard work for most people, even bad fiction, even people who really want to write. I hope you recognize your good fortune if you're one of the rare ones who finds it easy.

And good luck.

MTF

[TNWriter]

BenMears,

This is great what you are doing. I am very impressed by your progress. I am working on my first novel and I wished I was so motivated. Your doing a great job and I wish you all the luck in the world.

TNWriter

[Niku]

Ben,


I have just stumbled across your site and want to wish you luck - I am trying to find the discipline bone which I know has to be somewhere in my lazy carcass to do the same....I must say I am inspired by your efforts and your candour. Keep going!

[stranger]

Just to say I saw your idea and was inspired to do something the same but different. I put a calander on my wall (I had to draw one by hand, not many calanders in the shops in June) and if I do my 2 hours, I highlight that day in blue.

If I get 1 hour done, I highlight half in blue and half in red. However, I've a getout clause where if I've a good excuse that I couldn't do any writing that day I use yellow instead of red. So hopefully I'll have a very blue calander at the end of the month. There better not be much red.

In the first week I only got about 5 times 2 hours instead of 7. And my calander has been tainted with some small slices of red.

Also I find that I normally only get 750 words done in 2 hours. So I'm only going to get 3000-5000 words done a week. So even with my new dedication, 20000 words is at least a month long task for me.

Good Luck!

[mdmkay]

Ben I want you to know that I check in to see how you're doing even when I don't post. I can imagine how rough it is to schedule writing time around your work (real job..haha) time. I have the problem of having to schedule my writing days around frequent sick days........argh. You wouldn't think it would be that big of thing just sitting in front of a computer........anyway that's another story. After finally getting back here after 3 days on the couch my fingers are just itching to get back to writing.

Alas, I have to admit to shelving the novel project for now. I have some children books in the rough that I can't in all good concious leave them until I have them finished and polished and start sending at least one of them to agents before going back to work on my novel idea. I'll be lurking around, however, so give out a shout if your starting to get discouraged and wondering if you should give up because now that you've got us all rooting for you "giving up" is no longer an options (laughing but being totally serious). As for whether what you are writing is good or bad your not going to be able to judge that until its done and you've put it away for whatever period of time it takes you to look at it from a less personnal viewpoint. Besides, when you're done I do believe you'll have volunteers to act as beta readers lining up at your door...I'll be the one in the rabbit ears (only kidding bout the ears).

[WriteRead]

Ben, I just now took the time to read your wonderful thread.

I wish you much luck and continuing stamina and drive and discipline and inner strength, aw, did I use them all words, by now? But, hey, it looks like you got'em http://absolutewrite.com/forums/images/icons/icon7.gif so what am I doing?

From my accomplishments in this field:

In the course of 3 yrs, I wrote ~63k words, in two still-in-the-writing bks (an NF and an F), five short stories and tens of poems. This involved research, translations and much related reading. Not much, but I am in the course of writing them bks and in an ongoing project of writing new shorties (four-five in the pipe), plus an essay, possibly the first of a few others, so I guess it's doable.

Making and collecting notes for two other bks.

Go on!

Best and greetings,

Dan

[SeanDSchaffer]

It's good to meet you, Ben. It looks like your work is really coming along.

I only now read through this thread, and I'm very impressed with your work....and your attitude. Keep it up: you're definitely an encouragement to me as a fellow writer.:Thumbs:

Most importantly, have fun with your writing and never give up on it.

Talk to you later.
:Sun:

[BenMears]

Thanks all, for your interest and for letting me know you're out there. You all do cross my mind when I am circling the desk of an evening, afraid to get in the chair and face the words that might start to come out if I do so...

The kindness of your remarks makes me think that I am not only going to have to finish this thing, but actually make it good. Well, that can wait. For now I am still building the pile.

Have written without the music the last two days. Started getting annoyed jumping up to hit the pause button. Also, even though I gave Irena the hook and brought in a pinch vocalist, the songs had still been played enough that I was getting annoyed hearing them again. I suppose this is actually a good sign.

Words today: 1,140
Total so far: 25,287

[BenMears]

A difficult day, as the minute I got home from work, my wife went out leaving me with a house full of kids. There are actually only two of them, but they can fill the house.

Thought I might not be able to get it together at all today, but tried tossing Irena back in the CD player, and managed to get something done. A good sign of perseverance, I think. Better will be when I can make even the bad days equally productive.

Based on a suggestion in a book, I tried setting the font size to 18 while I'm typing. Looked a bit odd at first, but I thought it was easier on the eyes and I got used to it quickly. Set back to 12 to do the word count.

Words today: 550
Total so far: 25,837

[Supafly]

Have you heard of Constance Demby? She's a composer and does good work. Its good stuff to listen to while writing.

[arrowqueen]

Good heavens! You're galloping along, good style. Wtg, kiddo.

[LadyLazarus]

Just wanted to say well done on the progress so far! You've definitely spurred me on to start writing something tomorrow morning!

A few questions...What sort of novel are you writing? Where did you get your idea for the novel from? Are you just writing it as you go along, or did you do a lot of plotting in advance?

Thanks, and keep up the good work!

[BenMears]

Thanks all for checking in.

LadyLazarus: It's sort of a suspense story with a bit of romance. There was a germ of an idea based on a sad occurrence I had heard of, plus you know, all the usual stuff that's kicking around in your head. One thing I do think I know about writing (and that's a large percentage of what I know) is that the idea you start with is the least important piece of the puzzle. My own is already pretty unrecognizable. I did a few days of planning using the NewNovelist software, then plunged in.

Well, gang, I didn't expect from the beginning I'd be able to write every day, but after 16 days straight, it was a little bit of a letdown to miss one. Combination of end of week exhaustion, wife a little under the weather, and a nephew's graduation party, and that was the day.

A break in momentum is always a challenge, though I think, as with most challenges, if you get past it, you are that much stronger than you were before. Until you've faced down the obstacles, you aren't really sure you can.

It was important, at least to me, to follow up a day of no writing with a good day, and I managed to. A little variation on the musical writing chair today. I spent some time at the Internet Chess Club, but was well aware of the writing I wanted to do, so while playing a slow game, I wrote between moves. Later, during a short tournament of faster games, I wrote between rounds.

Words today: 3,080
Total so far: 28,917

[LadyLazarus]

How did you find the NewNovelist software? I have it, but find it a bit restricting sometimes, for instance in the beginning when you have to choose a 'story category'. Maybe I'm just bad at making decisions tho...;)

I'm finding it inspiring that your word count is creeping up each day! 3080 words is marvellous! Had you done much writing before you started this challenge? I find that I can write scenes and stuff, but then lack the momentum to do anything much with them...

[aruna]

I also have to add, Ben, that you have a great name for an author. Some names simply have a ring to them, you can imagine them on a cover of a book. Yours is like that.

[BenMears]

Hi again, and thanks for checking in.

LadyLazarus: NewNovelist serves two functions to my mind. Primarily, it is just a nicely laid out card file, helping me keep track of notes on story, characters and setting. I especially like that all the character names appear in one list, since that made me notice early on that I had given very similar names to two of the main characters--saved some corrections there. The program definitely has a built-in structure and is fairly didactic about it. However, it is flexible in the sense that most of the items in the lists can be deleted or renamed. When I got to the Story Creation area, I took some inspiration from the discussion of the 12 steps, but kept exactly none of the original twelve plot steps as indicated. Just renamed them to match the story in my head. The earlier selections of type and category I got through mostly by process of elimination--I took whatever sounded something like what I had in mind, then customized it when I got to the end.

aruna: I think my "nom de cooler" sounds nice and writer-like because it was created by a good writer to be the name of a writer character. Ben Mears is the central character in Stephen King's Salem's Lot.

When I picked this month to begin this escapade I knew there would be some challenging days due to previous commitments. I'm through with them know, so look forward to getting plenty of words in the last 11 days. Trying to keep July as clear as possible as there are still 1000s of words to go before the story will be finished.

Words today: 1,010
Total so far: 29,927

[LadyLazarus]

Just thought I'd mention that i actually did some writing myself yesterday... only managed 850 words, but it's a start! And the main inspiration comes from here! :)

[aruna]

aruna: I think my "nom de cooler" sounds nice and writer-like because it was created by a good writer to be the name of a writer character. Ben Mears is the central character in Stephen King's Salem's Lot.

Total so far: 29,927

Not having read S.K., I had no idea! It certainly sings!

[Supafly]

Salem's Lot was good, but The Stand is still the best he has to offer.

[BenMears]

The friend who got me interested in King years and years ago also preferred The Stand. There are others who swear by the Dark Tower series. I haven't read everything, though I've come pretty close. Among the novels my favorite is The Dead Zone, though I think none of them compare to two of his novellettes--The Body and Shawshank Redemption.

aruna: Since King is probably the best-selling novelist of the last 100 years (and perhaps of all time), you might consider checking him out. If you aren't into horror, try my two favorites, which are not horror stories. They are published in a collection called Different Seasons.

[aadams73]

aruna: Since King is probably the best-selling novelist of the last 100 years (and perhaps of all time), you might consider checking him out. If you aren't into horror, try my two favorites, which are not horror stories. They are published in a collection called Different Seasons.

Thanks to Stephen King I have a fear of lakes. Within Skeleton Crew--collection of short stories--is a tale about teenagers and a lake called "The Raft". I read it when I was just 11 years old and it has stuck with me for a good 20 years now.

[BenMears]

Our restless three-year-old woke us up at 4:30 this morning and I couldn't get back to sleep, so I did my writing instead. Note that I do not recommend this at all. It seems to be the most frequently posted piece of advice I have seen--to get out of bed an hour (or two!) earlier and write before normal humans are stirring. I believe this is very good advice if you have been in the habit of lying in bed daydreaming for a couple of hours after awakening. Personally, if I am in bed, I am sleeping, and I don't get enough sleep as it is. So my system is to carve out writing time during my waking hours. Sleep deprivation can't help the imagination, and also pencils are sharp and should be handled with care.

Words today: 1,310
Total so far: 31,237

[BenMears]

Three weeks in and still moving onward. Today woke up with just enough time to get presentable for the nine-hour shift at the stirrup-buckle factory. Felt tireder after work today than yesterday, though I believe this is still carry over from the poor sleep the night before, and having spent last evening mowing the lawn. So, dinner and putzed around and then had to lie down a bit, but then got going. Evenings can be fine for writing if you make them be.

This week ended up a bit light compared to the standard of the first two weeks, but I set my minimum goal conservatively (6000 words per week) and still well over that.

Words today: 1,720
Total so far: 33,147

[Nicholas S.H.J.M Woodhouse]

This is sensational Ben. Consider this a big 'come on' from the other side of the Pennines!

[BlueTexas]

The friend who got me interested in King years and years ago also preferred The Stand. There are others who swear by the Dark Tower series. I haven't read everything, though I've come pretty close. Among the novels my favorite is The Dead Zone, though I think none of them compare to two of his novellettes--The Body and Shawshank Redemption.

.

Have you finished the Dark Tower series? One of the characters from Salem's Lot becomes central around Book Five, Wolves of the Calla. Just thought you'd want to know, considering your cooler name and all.

[Garpy]

I'm amazed that you can do BIC at the end of the day. It sounds like a typical working day is quite hectic. Whilst I was working, I found myself totally unable to write...by the time I'd got my son to sleep 9pm, I was done in.

The only reason I can write 2k words a day right now, is that I gave my job up to do it! So...big respect to you for being able to haul yourself into that chair day on day like you've been doing.

[BenMears]

Hi, all, and thanks for checking in.

Kira: The Dark Tower is the big gap in my King reading. I had difficulty with the first book, and the only bit of it I've read since was a short piece called "The Little Sisters of..." (don't remember the whole title). I did like that excerpt, so I imagine I will give the whole series another try at some point.

Nique: Forgive my ignorance, but what are the Pennines?

Garpy: My hat is off to you for figuring out how to give up the job and still keep body and soul (and son's body and soul) together. I am thinking of ways to switch into something less demanding (so far all of these ideas involve my wife going back to work, so wish me luck!), so any insight is appreciated.

This is not to say that what I am producing is any good, but I believe I am getting pretty good at the act of sitting down and getting the words out. I haven't had to resort to the musical writing chair trick (see early in the thread) for about a week now. Instead I have gotten more specific with my outlining. I have a vague general outline of the whole story that I refer to every couple of days, but at the start of each writing session, I draw up a ten-point list of brief scenes or pieces of scenes that come next in the story. Then I get going and start checking them off as I write my way through them one by one. Since I write a verbose draft, I will usually hit my 1000 words somewhere around point six.

Words today: 1,230
Total so far: 34,377

[litkitty]

Hi Ben,

New to the site and just came across your thread a couple days ago! Seeing your posts are really inspiring.

I like your description of coming up with a quick list of scenes before you begin writing. I'll have to try that this weekend. I'm in the middle of writing a novel (at 89,000+ words you'd think I'd be close to the end, but the plot is all over the place and my characters keep going in different directions) so your idea might give my writing a bit of much-needed focus.

~~litkitty

[Pencilone]

Come on Ben, get it going!

If I make a break bigger than 2 days then I find it difficult to get back quickly (and sometimes a 2 day break becomes much more in the blink of an eye).

Keep on trucking and don't give up!:)

[LadyLazarus]

Instead I have gotten more specific with my outlining. I have a vague general outline of the whole story that I refer to every couple of days, but at the start of each writing session, I draw up a ten-point list of brief scenes or pieces of scenes that come next in the story. Then I get going and start checking them off as I write my way through them one by one. Since I write a verbose draft, I will usually hit my 1000 words somewhere around point six.

Do you think your outlining and planning has been instrumental in your success so far then? I have read mixed views on outlining and planning in advance, and while I can see the appeal of just 'sitting down and writing what comes out', if you don't know where the story is going at all I find it quite frustrating and actually a bit of a hinderance myself... I have written some scenes in the past few days myself, but feel that unless I do a bit of outlining and know roughly what I want to happen in the long-term story, I'm not getting anywhere.

Have you ever heard of the 'Snowflake Method' (http://www.rsingermanson.com/html/the_snowflake.html)of writing stories? I have dabbled with it in the past myself, but have never had the discipline to carry anything through to completion.

[BenMears]

Hi, all. Glad someone was here keeping the thread alive while I was indisposed.

I suppose that if I kept posting 1000 or 2000 words day after day this account would be no more interesting than an Amtrak timetable (immediate apology to those who find train schedules fascinating; we all have our inexplicable interests). And I realize that successful writers by and large are as regular as lunch-pail joes punching the old clock. But life always manages to make things a little more interesting.

Though it's been three days since my last post, only one day went by without writing. I wrote Thursday morning, then was out all day and most of the evening, and returned with the beginning symptoms of a 24-hour stomach bug (or food poisoning, possibly). Thursday night I didn't sleep, mostly walking in slow circles clutching my guts, with the occasional run to the bathroom. Friday I spent flat on my back with a persistent headache and fever, but by today I had only a feeling in my stomach like I'd done a couple of rounds with a body puncher, and a bit of a sleep deficit.

I have read how real writers keep on working despite broken hearts and broken arms, stints in traction, and the occasional cerebral hemorrhage. I am not yet in their league. But I think the really important thing is the comeback--if you must miss a day, you don't worry or fret about it, just pick back up the next day just as if you never stopped.

Just keep coming back and showing up. That, I think, is the real secret to this business. Nobody can make you quit--not the most critical editor or callous agent. But only you can see to it that you keep showing up.

Thursday: 750
Words today: 1,120
Total so far: 36,247

[mdmkay]

I can't speak for anyone else but I'm still quite impressed. I know what you mean though about being just too sick to write. I just spent almost a week on the couch...getting up to go to the bathroom was traumatic enough. I tried to get some posting &/or writing done but it just didn't go very well. Today I got through 85 pages of revisions though and I'm feeling pretty good about it. Yesterday I got a short story written even though I still wasn't feeling too perky. I agree completely that although I'm sure some writers can write even if they were comatous (well maybe not while in a coma but you know what I mean) but getting back at it and not giving up is the real key to success. Just putting in a word count isn't good enough. You have to have your head in what your doing or otherwise your just going through the motions and will probably be deleting every word you wrote anyway. I'm not saying I only write when I "feel" like it...far from it..but I don't write when I'm actually sick either.

[BenMears]

Do you think your outlining and planning has been instrumental in your success so far then? I have read mixed views on outlining and planning in advance, and while I can see the appeal of just 'sitting down and writing what comes out', if you don't know where the story is going at all I find it quite frustrating and actually a bit of a hinderance myself... I have written some scenes in the past few days myself, but feel that unless I do a bit of outlining and know roughly what I want to happen in the long-term story, I'm not getting anywhere.

Have you ever heard of the 'Snowflake Method' (http://www.rsingermanson.com/html/the_snowflake.html)of writing stories? I have dabbled with it in the past myself, but have never had the discipline to carry anything through to completion.

I absolutely believe in outlining and the more the merrier. I started off this time with a fairly sketchy overall outline, but there is quite a bit of detailed planning when you add in the 10-point sketches of the next section that I do every day or two. I think this is what makes it possible for me to do 1000 words in a day without lots of time--I very rarely need to pause to think up what should happen next, I just have to put it into words.

Interestingly enough, I just ran across the Snowflake Method for the first time on Thursday, and I am excited to study it. The basic idea is something I have wanted to try for a while--starting with one sentence and then gradually inflating the outline like a balloon until finally you are writing narrative and dialogue, and the whole story suddenly (several weeks later, of course) appears all at once out of this pile of outlines.

This current attempt was inspired by the NaNoWriMo and "No Plot, No Problem" which is anti-outline (though he caves at the end of the book when he insists that you finish the novel in 30 days and 50,000 words and basically advises you to write outline instead of scenes when you start running out of time). However, when I have made it through the first draft, I expect to follow John Braine's ("Writing a Novel"--one of the best ever) advice to start from scratch by writing outlines before the second draft. At that point, I am going to employ the Snowflake idea.

If you want a better authority on outlining than me, get "Sometimes the Magic Works" by Terry Brooks. He advocates outlines an also addresses the general prejudice against them in a chapter called "The Dreaded 'O' Word").

[Kiva Wolfe]

Ben:

I am in the proverbial outlining corner with you. I outlined a story about three years ago and am still using it.


By now, you have to be at the 60K word mark and feeling mighty good.

[BenMears]

litkitty: Hey, just noticed we're in the same neck of the woods. I live in the Town of Charlton, but nearest city is Schenectady.

Kiva: Well, no, I'm not quite at the 60K mark, but yes, I am feeling mighty good.

Great day for writing today. Also cleaned the gutters, but it was exceedingly hot and humid, so I wasn't at all tempted to find more exterior puttering around to do.

Today's new experience was an alternative way to track BIC time. Certainly the recommendation to carve out two solid hours and have a meal and a bathroom visit beforehand, and bring your favorite beverage (non-alcoholic) with you, and just keep it parked, is the best practice. But what about those of us weaker souls who can't manage to stay in one spot for two hours even for sex? (Yeah, I know, in my dreams.)

Here's what I did today. I started a stopwatch when I sat down for the first time, and stopped it when I had to get up. Came back, got settled, started the watch again. I put in three separate sessions today, and took a couple breaks during each of them, but all told, logged better than three hours of BIC time, and got good production.

(The stomach is still a little bit off, but writing-wise, I feel I have made a complete recovery.)

Words today: 3,270
Total so far: 39,517

[LadyLazarus]

Words today: 3,270
Total so far: 39,517

Wow! :Hail: I'm sooo jealous of your word count, and so soon! I'm going to start outlining my novel tomorrow, and aim to begin writing on July 1st. Keep up the good work! You are going great guns!

Just curious... are you writing the novel 'in order', ie. from chapter 1 to the end, or are you writing key scenes and are aiming to fill in the missing bits later?

[BenMears]

LadyL: I am writing in order at this point, since this first draft is sort of discovering what the story is about. I mean, I have the general idea, but it's only in working through the scenes that I find out what really wants to be said in detail, and what is just kind of dead. The overall outline I started with is pretty sketchy, so not real useful for jumping around. However, when I get to Phase II, I expect to prepare a very detailed outline that will contain every scene in the book. I might then experiment with doing them in a different order if I feel the urge.

[pixiejuice]

Here's what I did today. I started a stopwatch when I sat down for the first time, and stopped it when I had to get up. Came back, got settled, started the watch again. I put in three separate sessions today, and took a couple breaks during each of them, but all told, logged better than three hours of BIC time, and got good production.

You know, that really is a great suggestion. I've been doing something similar lately - I have a dry-erase board near my desk, and every morning I write the day's date and the time when I start writing, then the time again when I stop, even if it's just a stop to check my e-mail, or use the bathroom, or get something to drink. All those "little" breaks never really end up being little. It's really effective for me because I can see exactly how much I've been working (or slacking) in the day. The stopwatch would work just the same.

Ben, you are doing such a great job plowing through your first draft. Do you have any idea yet about how many words it might end up?

[BenMears]

Hi, Laura. I like your whiteboard idea, too. If I had one, I would consider doing my 10-point scene outlines there, since they usually take me a couple days to get through, and it would save flipping around in my notebook.
I have to admit, though, that the stopwatch works best for me right now because I only have to push the same button once to stop and and once to start again. I will do my words, but I insist on my natural laziness about everything else.
As for the length of the story, I would say I am a bit below 50% done at this point, so I would expect something over 100,000 words to finish this draft.

Today I was pretty disciplined, sat down after dinner and pretty much wrote for a solid hour and got my thousand words. The rest of the family had been out for the day, and the last 200 words were a little more challenging as they arrived back home at that point, and my workspace is located right inside the garage door before any of the rest of the house.

The work went well, yet even so, even though the words came pretty steadily, and I liked the scene I was working on, and thought some of it wasn't half bad (I have to confess to a major crush on my main character, and she did a little kissing with the love interest today, and, man, that girl can kiss), even so, I still felt antsy and was checking the word count every paragraph or so.

I think sometimes I get more restless when it's good because that's the kind of time I loved to take a cigarette break back in the bad old days when I had that habit. Just to mentally kick back and contemplate the world when it was looking rosy, because reality can never quite live up to daydreams.

Well, this is when the stopwatch and the wordcount, and whatever other stupid pet tricks that are necessary come into play and make sure that you do it, just do it regardless, and go back to daydreaming on your own time.

Words today: 1,160
Total so far: 40,677

[BenMears]

So you keep coming back, keep sitting down, every day if possible, but at any rate six out of seven, and each day your mission is to move the story another 1000 words closer to the goal line.

I think I said somewhere above that if I can't get 1000 words, I'll settle for 500. If 500 isn't going to happen, well, 100 is still a round number. And if there's nothing in my head but the usual rocks, then I'll take one. One word.

I figure I can always get one word. In fact, I keep the word handy in case I need to use it. That way I know I've got the one word before I even sit down, so no excuses. (The word is "the," by the way. Lots of sentences start with it, so it's a pretty safe bet. If you can't come up with a sentence to follow it the next day, scratch it out and move on. Actually, most of my sentences seem to start with "but." But that's another problem I'll deal with later.)

So there's my rock bottom guaranteed one word progress per day. The catch is, I still have to sit down, still have to find my place in the story, still have to type the one word and save it. And I will give you high odds that if you can manage to get that far, you'll pretty soon have the 100 words and be thinking about the 500.

I reviewed this advice myself today, because I needed to take it. I woke up at 3:00 AM and not at all happy about it, and not nearly functional but also unable to go back to sleep for hours. Ended up going in an hour late to work to get some bit of rest so I wouldn't just collapse at my desk, but was still at half speed all day, and came home tired, frustrated, annoyed, and after that I just got cranky and lazy.

Then the time was getting on and it looked like I had successfully pissed away the day in complaining. And then I said to myself, okay, you don't need to make any excuses, you just have to go do the one word, and you've done your bit. And it worked.

Words today: 530
Total so far: 41,207

[hpoppink]

Ben,

I've been watching your progress, encouraged because I'm doing the same thing you are ... although with significantly lower daily word count. I'm amazed at how many times you've exceeded 2,000 words in a sitting.

Part of it may be that I don't make myself sit for a set length of time, nor do I have a word count goal; just a "be there" goal. I vowed at the beginning to get at least one word written each evening, after which I could decide how long to stay at the computer.

My minimum word count so far has been 200 words. Even that was worthwhile, as I had sat down that evening thinking I'd do one word and go to bed. Getting to 200 felt like a miracle.

I've only been doing this since April 10th, but I have yet to miss a day. I'm now at 84,000 words.

They are horrible words, but I keep reminding myself that I can't edit a blank page. With that in mind, I can keep typing as I fantasize about how great it is going to be when I am ready to rewrite.

I just wanted to share my story, encourage you to keep up the writing, and affirm that yes, even if it's just one word, that's one more word than you would have had otherwise. You should be proud!

[BenMears]

Hi, hpoppink.

I admire your consistency in not missing a day. I am still working on that, despite my "one word" philosophy.

Just to be clear, when I post a wordcount, that represents work done in one day, but I don't want to give the impression that it was a single sitting. I am no Superman of writing; I'm not even Jimmy Olson, and I have a problem sitting still. I am hoping people will find this account useful precisely because this doesn't come easy to me.

I have had a couple 3,000 word days, but what those look like is this: I sat down for the first time probably before 7AM, and then kept wandering away to do other things, but kept coming back, and probably wrote the last words sometime around 10PM that evening.

[BenMears]

Another day at the office. Sat down at a reasonable time, wrote steadily, got words done.

Could writing the first draft of a novel be easy?

Simple maybe, but not easy. It still takes awhile.

And it's after "the end" is first written that the real work begins...

Words today: 1,220
Total so far: 42,427

[scribbler1382]

I have had a couple 3,000 word days, but what those look like is this: I sat down for the first time probably before 7AM, and then kept wandering away to do other things, but kept coming back, and probably wrote the last words sometime around 10PM that evening.

Like they say in golf: it's not how, it's how many.

You're doing amazing, Ben. Keep it up!

[BenMears]

I would be happier if this was boringer. You know, another 2000 words, ho-hum. But the drama continues.

As I said above, I started with a very sketchy outline, developed in a few days and a couple of sesssions playing around with the NewNovelist software. Then I'd been fleshing it out with specific 10-point outlines of the next section as I went along. However, I am now approaching the long section where I don't have much more in the outline than "here the middle of the story happens."

I know there are people who post to this board who love to sit down to a blank page and just hit a rock with a stick. I envy them, but I am not them, and when I am forced to try to write like them--uh-uh, don't work.

So, not knowing what I'm going to do put a damper on the last couple of days. I am working on coming up with some sort of an outline for the center of the book, but it is slow going now. Memo for next project: finish outlne before picking arbitrary date to begin first draft.

Despite my fear, I managed to use the One-Word method to do some writing the last two days, but I have a feeling that if the outline doesn't get somewhere tomorrow, I really will be writing one word.

Words Thursday: 560
Words today: 130
Total so far: 43,117

[hpoppink]

Ben,

I had a similar problem with my current WIP. I wasn't enjoying the story; writing was a chore. Eventually I just skipped my outlined middle and went forward, heading to the end, and felt excited to write again.

As I picked up the rest of the storyline, I realized that what I thought was the end, well, it's not the end. It's actually the middle. What I thought was skipping scenes -- pushing past that dreaded middle -- was actually a necessary jump forward in time.

To paraphrase Uncle Jim, instead of filling scenes just to fill them, you can always write "What with this and that, some time passed."

[kelker11]

Ben you are such an inspiration to me--I always check to see how many words you write each day, and I love reading your posts because they're so funny. Please keep it up because I'm really enjoying watching you work! :popcorn:
Di

[LadyLazarus]

I agree with the comments posted here... why not try to write forwards a bit, where you DO have a better outline. That way, you'll not be writing in the dark, and it may even be easier to write the middle, as you'll know exactly where the story is going (having already written the end)... just a suggestion :)

[BenMears]

LadyL and hpoppink: Yes, I think it is a good suggestion, and would have resulted in more words the last few days. However, I did know just enough about the middle section of my story to know that it was necessary and it did fit into the structure that I have for the rest. So I decided to gut it out, do some outlining, and keep moving ahead chronologically. But I think if I hadn't managed to break the log jam today, I definitely would have tried your idea, because I was losing momentum rapidly.

Words today on the draft are not impressive, but I wrote 2000 words of an outline of the middle section. It's not complete, but I at least got far enough that I could decide what to write next, and I hope by doing a little outlining each day over the next week, I'll be able to stay enough ahead to get my 1000 words again.

Words today: 230
Total so far: 43,347

[LadyLazarus]

2000 words of outlining is no mean feat, so you'll get your daily word count back up there in no time!

You have inspired me to get cracking with my story planning - I did 1000 words of outlining last night! I am trying out that Snowflake Method, or at least the first few stages of it, and have started up a blog to track my progress, similar to what you are doing here. I agree if you have to post yoru progress somewhere you are more likely to get down to doing it.

Well done on all the outlining :Clap:

[BenMears]

Found myself very resistant to getting to work today. Oh, there was the lawn to mow, and preparations for my son's birthday party tomorrow, and my wife wasn't feeling well, so I got to spend lots of quality time explaining to my three-year-old the difference between his new underwear and his diapers...

But that doesn't account for the whole day. There's no reason I can think of why I was so stubborn about not sitting down to work, unless doing the outlining yesterday made me project farther ahead in the story than I like to think, making it harder to pretend (as I need to) that this isn't going to be so hard or take so long.

At last, with the sands of the day's last hour dribbling away, I reminded myself of the One-Word commitment, and finally sat down. And I wasn't paralyzed, and it wasn't terrible, and I hope I can remember this and just dive in tomorrow.

Words today: 520
Total so far: 43,867

[Garpy]

For me outlining is everything. It means when I sit down to write, I know what I'm going to be writing about. And that....is the key thing (for me) with regard to getting into the BIC frame of mind. It means as I approach the chair, I'm already starting to think about the first sentence, and that sort of takes the sting out of Approaching The Chair!

For my money, a week spent outlining....not neccessarily 7 consequtive days....can really pay off throughout the book-writing process.

[BenMears]

Hi, all, and thanks for checking in.

Okay, a bit of a rough patch, but through it now and back in gear. A busy day today (family birthday party) but got to it early, kept at it, and back on quota.

I was on the brink of that funk--you know, this is no good and it's damn hard, too, and why put all the effort into something that is no good--which has ended all previous attempts to do this. But I tell myself, the reasons I had for starting this project were good ones, and that there are rewards for finishing work (and none for continually starting things and abandoing them). As long as I can catch my attention long enough to hear these good things that I know how to say to myself, I will be persuaded to do my work.

Words today: 1,260
Total so far: 45,127

[TNWriter]

Ben,


You are a great inspiration. I've been following your progress and receive a email notification each time you posted. I got worried about you today. My emails quit coming. I'm glad to see that it was just a malfunction and that are you are still moving forward.

Keep faith,
TNWriter

[BenMears]

Thanks, TN. It is likewise very helpful to me to know that someone out there is interested in seeing that I keep showing up and moving this thing forward.

Okay, momentum seems to be back at full strength. They say that anything that doesn't kill you makes you stronger, so I am going to conclude that the bad patch I went through for three or four days should give me more confidence about my ultimate chances of finishing this.

I would say I have crossed into some new territory in the last couple of days. Granted, this is only the second time in my life I have generated so many words on a single project, but more importantly, I think, whether a lot of words or just a few, whenever I've gotten to the point of feeling that the story I'm working on really isn't all that great (and I would imagine nearly every writer has felt that way at some point about nearly every long story ever written), I've given up.

I made it through this time. I am more mature, more determined now than I ever was before, so certainly a part of it is that I can endure more negative feelings and still function. But here's something else I learned that's even better than the satisfaction I take in that--if you press on and work through the bad patch (and it took plenty work, believe me), it loses its hold on you completely. It's not at all that I bulled my way through one day, then gritted my teeth and got through the second day, and so forth.

No, once I was able to have a normal writing day again following the bad patch, I feel as good as I did during the decent writing days that came before. The memory of the difficulty is even already starting to fade.

Words today: 1,110
Total so far: 46,237

[scribbler1382]

No, once I was able to have a normal writing day again following the bad patch, I feel as good as I did during the decent writing days that came before. The memory of the difficulty is even already starting to fade.


Way to go, Ben. I'm impressed as all get out. This is one of the reasons it can be good to keep a journal of your trials and tribulations as you work on a project. That way, when you hit the air pockets on your next project, you can flip back in your journal and read about the ones you had on the last project, as well as how they didn't last forever and how later you wondered what the big deal was. Maybe then the dry patch you're currently in won't seem quite so endless.

[BenMears]

Another episode of the One-Word commitment.

Arrived home from long day at stirrup-buckle factory to find that brother and family had already begun arriving for son's birthday party, part II. Good food, nice socializing, electric cars and fireworks, and the evening long gone.

But after goodbyes, old One-Word dutifully heads to the desk and turns on the computer, and got a short but halfway decent scene out of it.

More important that the actual words produced on these "commitment" days (though those will end up being a not insignificant part of the total when all is done, I'm sure), is the stringing together of the steady days of work on the project, the keeping it in front of the brain, making it that much easier to get going and get a lot done on the good days.

Words today: 630
Total so far: 46,867

[LadyLazarus]

630 words is better than 0 words! And like you say, you are keeping the momentum going. Don't be too hard on yourself, you have done over 45,000 words in little more than a month. That's pretty good going in my book!

Shameless thread-hijack alert! :rolleyes: Inspired by Ben, I have started my own blog (http://blackdovenovel.blogspot.com/) to document the progress of planning and writing my own novel!

[Dhewco]

Ben,

What are you going to do with this thread once you have the rough draft? Discuss your editing process? Talk about how many revised pages you've done.

Revision is where I run into trouble. I get bored after a page or two. It takes a lot of struggle to revise within a schedule. I find no magic in revision, so I can't lose myself in the words. This part of the book-making process is such a whichever side of the brain that's analytical process that I tend to really procrastinate when I do it.

Anyway, just curious,

David

[LadyLazarus]

Another question - you've done 46,000 words already. How many words do you think the story will reach, based on how many words you've done this far and how far on in the story you are?

[BenMears]

A little late posting for today (I was a bit late doing the writing, too).

LadyL: I've been cloned! That's supposed to be very flattering, so I thank you for the compliment, and will of course be checking up on you. I would say that I am about 1/3 done with my storyline at this point, so we're looking at this thing weighing in somewhere between 130K and 150K when I'm done.

David: I propose to keep this going as long as I am still working on the project--stopping ideally when it's on the way to an agent or editor for consideration. Don't know yet exactly what I will post when I get to the revision stage. Personally, I like revising, the little I have done. The problem for me as a writer has always been finishing something so that it could be revised.

Spent the evening wrestling with a new modem (cable) and internet service, then slept awhile, but got restless and got up to do the day's work. Not a big day, but a day I was present with the story, which remains the basic objective.

Words today: 780
Total so far: 47,467

[BenMears]

Took a day off yesterday. Though I would like to work seven days, I had established from the start that I would try to hold myself to six, and I've been able to do that. I did something writerly as well, making some notes for a short story class I'm taking.

Today was quite busy, but got back to work. "Keep coming back" is my motto, now--better I think than "Don't ever take a break" because of course you will take a break, and if you've put too much psychic pressure on, it will be much harder to come back. That is what has derailed me in the past.

Some motivational writings will tell you that humans work better with the stick than the carrot, but I've come to the conclusion that the stick doesn't work too well unless it's a very big one, which you just can't muster up for something you could stop doing forever with hardly anyone noticing. Even in areas where the stick does work (punching the old clock at the stirrup-buckle factory, for example) it can breed resentment and make you not work your best or hardest.

For writing I have to go with the carrot. Nice big juicy carrots for every little success (and I try to define success exceedingly small). Every day writing is moving me closer to something wonderful, and every comeback is already a celebration, and the days off just disappear.

Words today: 950
Total so far: 48,597

[BenMears]

First day over 1500 in quite a while. I also noticed that my fifth week only produced a total of 5000 words, which is less than the 6000 I was using as a weekly goal (though obviously I wasn't checking too closely). I'm feeling some fresh wind now, though. Plus, I hit 50K, which is a decent number for 40 days, I think.

Words today: 1,630
Total so far: 50,227

[jessicakes]

Just found this thread. Super-inspiring! And what a good idea to maintain accountability. If you stopped posting now, a horde of angry Internet people would come bang on your door.

Thanks for doing this!

[LadyLazarus]

:Clap: Wow, well done for hitting the 50k mark, that's no mean feat! :Clap:

[Garpy]

Hit the halfway point in your tale then? If so, this second half should be the fun bit....as you move towards the big denoument at the end, and all your carefully established plot lines and characters now start to gravitate towards a resolution. From my experience, It should start getting less of a chore as you draw closer to the end, and the word count should begin to rise again.

Well done you, for getting this far.

[debraji]

His fingers are large and he's never figured out how to work the touch pad properly (had to attach a normal mouse to the thing), so he keeps accidentally touching something that moves the cursor to a random point on the page, generally just before he starts leaning on the delete key. The air is shattered by his agonized cursing.

Ben, are you still having that touchpad problem? I had that recently--it drove me crazy. If you're using a PC/Windows machine, go to Control Panel. There will be an option for turning off the touchpad in favor of the mouse.

The best thing about having done NaNoWriMo, besides completing a first draft, is that the habit of writing daily has stuck. I'm not the procrastinator I used to be.

You're doing great.

[BenMears]

Wow, I had two good days writing and naturally couldn't post the news right away due to technical difficulties.

debraji: Thank you, thank you. I haven't implemented this yet (not home yet) but if it works, that will definitely save me a lot of fooling around.

Garpy: Though I have 50K words, I don't think I'm quite halfway yet (sigh). I tend to overwrite in a first draft. Better than underwriting, I suppose, but it means it will take me well over 100K to finish most likely.

I have started using the stop watch again. Concentrating on the BIC time seems to have the same effect as the one-word commitment, and also usually gets me to break through the barriers a little quicker (I don't leave as much time to just write one word as if I have to clock an hour on the watch).

Here's a new stupid pet trick, and I got this (sort of) from a best-selling author. In David Morrell's "Lessons from a Lifetime of Writing" he describes his method for developing a story which involves having conversations with yourself in writing. Many days he begins with "How are you today, David?" And not just answering that question, but actually typing out those words. This is an improvement over the one-word method (with "the" always in reserve to be my one word), since, at the very least, he's already done five words. Now, he's talking here about an alternative to outlining, but I'm thinking that it might help in writing draft as well--instead of staring at the screen, start a little dialogue with yourself, or with the characters currently onstage, that will work you through whatever's then happening in the story that you can't exactly figure out how to portray.

Words Monday: 1,260
Words Tuesday: 1,250
Total so far: 52,737

[hpoppink]

Ben, I love the suggestion about dialoguing with your characters as you type. I haven't tried that, but I often write out my negativity using one of my characters' mouths which leads to a conflict among them -- the others react to the complaints in various ways -- which leads to some semblance of a scene. Usually this takes away my negativity and I then get back on storyline.

Unfortunately, this also leads to a very long draft, with the words "THE END" nowhere in sight.

[debraji]

I double-checked on my laptop at home (I'd posted from work): open up Control Panel, and click on the mouse icon. You should have a "Touchpad on/off" tab. That'll do the trick.

I write in the evenings, too. I also fit in a half-hour of writing or editing at lunch, which really makes a difference when I've got family responsibilities that kill a night's writing. For me, momentum is key.

[BenMears]

You're right, hpoppink, not having all of the events pinned down does lead to a sprawling, confused first draft. I look forward to the time when I can pull all the ideas together and have more structure when I go to do the second draft. But for now, when it's usually a choice between sprawl or stare at the wall, I have to do whatever it takes to keep producing words and keep moving forward.

Words today: 1,190
Total so far: 53,927

[BenMears]

I will be away from home and computer until Sunday evening. I hope to fit in some BIC time during my trip--another challenge, oh goody! Anyway you won't see another post from me until Sunday evening and just wanted you to know I hadn't given up.

Thanks for your support.

[BenMears]

Sorry, some technical problem prevented me from posting last night.

During my four day trip, I was only able to get in some writing Friday morning. The sessions and daytime activities at the conference, I discovered, were not where the real action took place. That generally happened the far side of midnight and involved a quantity of alcohol (indeed, my most promising contact was made around 2:00 AM the final morning of the conference), so I was fortunate to just be able to stagger back out the next day. The whole experience, I believe, will prove to be valuable to my writing. And now I have had some sleep, and can once again make a comeback to getting it done.

Words Friday: 680
Words today: 1,020
Total so far: 55,627

[BenMears]

No, I haven't yet made it to those blessed words for this novel, but I have decided to finish this thread for two reasons:

1) I have been trying to struggle on, wishing I could start over with a full outline, knowing that most of what I'm doing is just going to be discarded in the second draft. Finally I decided to just call this draft 1/2 and move on to draft 1.5 (with a proper outline).

2) I think I have exhausted my present ideas on how to get a first novel written, and realize this is not the place to just blog for my own amusement.

Hope you enjoyed the struggle, and see you in other threads!

[alanna]

I will miss you Ben- but I understand. Let us know when you finish the RD so we can congratulate you! Great job on staying dedicated- you sure put me in my place! :)

-alanna

[hpoppink]

It's been a joy to keep up with your struggles, victories, and insights. I'm disappointed that we won't get a chance to see you through to the end, but I understand your decision.

Best of luck with 1.5!

[Sharon Mock]

1) I have been trying to struggle on, wishing I could start over with a full outline, knowing that most of what I'm doing is just going to be discarded in the second draft. Finally I decided to just call this draft 1/2 and move on to draft 1.5 (with a proper outline).

I did this (although I had no outline for the "brainstorming draft"). It was frustrating in the short term but it looks like it will all work out in the end. Don't get discouraged.

It does make counting drafts a bit difficult, though.

[LadyLazarus]

Noo! I've enjoyed reading your progress so much Ben! Don't leave us now!!
Seriously tho, all the best for your future writing, you know you can do it! Hope to see you around the other threads :)