A December to Dismember--500 words/day, all genres welcome

heyjude · Dec 1, 2011

Hello December! Thanks to Doc for the title.

How did you do in November? Did you meet your goals? Yay if you did! Or, if, like me, you managed to blow even the simplest of goals, :Hug2:

. We'll get 'em this month.

What are you hoping to accomplish in December?

For me, I'm going to just admit right now that I probably won't write a thing. (That's reverse psychology for my brain. No one tell my brain. Maybe it'll work!) I'm going to survive till the holidays are over, get so much other work done this month that January will be easy-peasy for me, annnnd... we'll see how that works.

How about you?

HistorySleuth · Dec 1, 2011

I'm not sure how much new writing I'll get done. Mine will mostly be editing my Milk Carton Murders and trying to finish up revising my non-fic Indian Land Title book. I find that the most tedious because it requires fact checking and uninterrupted concentration. But I'll give you my editing highlights since being a part of this thread is motivating.

Zelenka · Dec 1, 2011

Well, as I said in the November thread, November's goals were kind of a washout. Only got 36K on the NaNo novel. I may well go back to it as I do like some of it, but not now.

For December - I am currently plotting a new mystery, borderline cozy this time. Or at least slightly less gritty than I went for the last time because that didn't work. I would like to get a big chunk of the first draft done this month.

It occurred to me for some reason the other day that of all the books I've started or planned I've only ever finished four, and all of those turned out to be so awful they had almost universal rejection. So my goal, not just for December but for the foreseeable future, is to make sure I finish the draft. I want to have a story that I actually believe in, that's not so awful it can't be salvaged like the other books, could actually be made passable with some editing.

I would also like to keep working on short stories, and maybe try submitting a few if I ever get any that aren't awful. I just figure if I keep writing them, maybe eventually one of them won't suck. Hasn't happened yet but...

That's about it. Not setting much of a goal for December because there's so much stuff to be done this month.

Namatu · Dec 1, 2011

My November both started and ended strong, but contains a nonexistent middle as far as writing. This is a sad state of affairs. My commitment to December is to just keep going.

kaitie · Dec 1, 2011

Omg that title! That's sheer brilliance! *Hugs Doc*

I'm like Namatu. My goal for this month is to keep going and get something done. I'm not giving myself a word count goal because I keep falling way behind on those and I don't want to pressure myself too much, but I feel like I can get a whole lot done if I try.

My November goals were a bit of a wash, too. I made it through my rewrite, which took a lot longer than expected because I had to change quite a bit. I'm actually writing for real again, though, and loving it. I feel like I'm not all that far from the end, so we'll see. I might be able to get this sucker done by January.

knightrunnermat · Dec 1, 2011

I wrote almost 29K words for my NaNo novel. This isn't as bad as it seems since I didn't start it until the 8th. I really like the direction that it is headed and I hope to finish a first draft by the end of December.

Logan! · Dec 1, 2011

"A December to Dismember." Someone write this book so I can read it!

I finish my undergrad in a few weeks, so I won't get much done until then. After that I start a new job, but I imagine I'll find some time to write. I'd like to get 10,000 words done, although I'd probably be happy with 7,000-8,000. I really need to hunker down and get the romantic subplots figured out, too. I've been skipping over a lot of those scenes to get to the mystery at the heart of the novel.

Diana W. · Dec 1, 2011

I'm with Logan. That would be a great book title. Hell, I'd buy the book for the title alone!

I made a decent start to December, a good solid two hours of editing. I even posted some snippets on my Facebook page. My plan is to do something with my novel every day this month, except maybe Christmas eve and day. And maybe the day after Christmas.

Jilly McGilly · Dec 1, 2011

I'm with the crowd on the title. Love it!

As for this month, I'm hoping just to finish this latest draft of my wip. I've been stalled, or stalling, lately. Yesterday and today I've been working on blog posts (coming your way soon, Ken), so at least I'm getting some writing done.

Shara · Dec 1, 2011

The thread title is inspired!

Well, I mentioned in November thread that I did meet my goal of an average of 600 words a day, with a total word count for the month of 18,000 words.

So what are my goals for December? Well, I'd like to exceed that, as I'm making good progress on the WIP.

I do have my other WIP scheduled for a flaying - er, critiquing - with the writing group later this month, so I may be back to commencing Draft 4 on that one.

However, with the festive season I have a whole 10 days off from the EDJ this month, so that equates to lots of writing time.

So I've decided to set my goal as this: 20,00 words in total on the first-draft WIP by the end of December.

Not a good start, though, as the day is ending here in London and I've done more words. But stating my goal might motivate me to crawl out of bed early tomorrow for an early-morning Starbucks writing session.

DocBrown · Dec 1, 2011

Don't blame me completely for the title, HJ made it snappy.

As for my November goals, well, it seems I fared as well as a few of you. I washed out. I think the only one I made were ten blog posts, but I really phoned it in on those. I'll have to do better this month.

December's goals:

1) I recently started my newest WIP, a sequel to Dim Speak. I have most of the next week off, so I want at least 10k words this first week. I'd like 20k for the month, but will settle for 15. I know the end of the month will get a little hectic, so a lot of this will probably have to get done early. Since I'm bursting to write, I'm hoping for a quick start.

2) Ten good blog posts this month. No more of the lame whiny ones I've been trying to pass off as posts.

3) Get Dim Speak on Amazon & Smashwords (finally). This was my big goal for November and I failed, so it's time to get that done.

That's it! One, two, three! Should be easy right? :ROFL:

ETA: Oh yeah, I guess I should get some Christmas shopping done in there as well. I just bought myself the most expensive computer I've ever bought, so I guess I'm done with me. Let's see, who else is there?

HistorySleuth · Dec 1, 2011

Me! Me! How about me Santa Doc! I would like a laptop.

(OK Doc, that was your fault for wording your last sentence that way. )

kaitie · Dec 1, 2011

Ooh, can I have one? My e keeps sticking. I think that's a valid reason for a new laptop, don't you?

DocBrown · Dec 1, 2011

I must admit that every time I've found my laptop ticking I've thrown it and ducked behind the nearest functional shelter type object.

ETA: Oops! I misread kaitie's post, but I still like my response so I'm leaving it.

For what I paid for this desktop, I could have certainly bought you both highly adequate laptops. Which is why my family will be getting fuzzy throw pillows and other cheap paraphernalia.

MeretSeger · Dec 1, 2011

Thread title drew me like a moth! Now I want to kill something, so it must be perfect.

All I want for Christmas is to start in the right place, off the right people creatively, and have conflict punched up. Unfortunately, Santa is useless for that, it'll put me on the Naughty List.

MysteryRiter · Dec 1, 2011

Ooo, now I want to dismember one of my characters (in my novel of course

)! My goals:
- finish draft one of my novel by Jan 3: the biggie
- get at least 10 more blog followers this month to up my follower count to 79
- write a few other flash fic stories to submit to certain mags I have my eye on
- sell at least ten copies of my short story which will be published around the 15th of Dec.
- blog post most days of the week

Ok, I think that's it for the goals! Phew!

DocBrown · Dec 1, 2011

On the first day of Dismember,
my true muse gave to me,
One thousand-seventy words.

Shara · Dec 2, 2011

My first writing session of the month produced....640 words.

Not great, but the month is young. Plenty of time for more words.

heyjude · Dec 2, 2011

Great goals, everyone! And words already... I'm envious!

Doc, love it. From now on everyone should report their words in the form of a Christmas carol. No? Oh all right. But still, it would have been fun.

mccardey · Dec 2, 2011

Best. Title. Ever. :ROFL:

My December Dismemberment Goal is to finish plotting the 1941 section of New Book, and to start scribbling notes for Next Book which is going to be either the one about the kid or the one about the Mary Hattam murder in '58. Not sure which one.

I'm off to France to live for a year next March (sucks to be me, doesn't it

) and I'm going to need a lot of things to work on. Because otherwise it's just going to be, you know, cheese and bread and Gigondas wine, and where's the fun in that?

Did I say sucks to be me, yet?

Flowerfairy · Dec 2, 2011

DocBrown said:
On the first day of Dismember,
my true muse gave to me,
One thousand-seventy words.

He-he. I love how you coined those words. And title is a magnet! Nice idea.

Greetings, everyone. Novembre--November was a different one for me, really. I was experimenting with another genre (mild horror) in preparation for this month's writing.

My protag must have to learn the hard way, if he is gain some bit of information about his past. At this point, the suspense grows. And I don't want to mess it up. I don't set a goal on the word count. But would do my best to make this month a December to Dismember.

BfloGal · Dec 2, 2011

Well, I did get some writing in the first part of November. The holidays and the book release have really consumed my bic time. Most of my new words have been in blog interviews.

But good news, my ebook, Gold, Frankincense, and Murder, is now available for 99 cents.

Jilly McGilly · Dec 2, 2011

(To the tune of I Had a Little Dreidel)

Google google google
I use you just to play.
And though I procastinated,
I got 800 words today!

DocBrown · Dec 2, 2011

LOL! I love it Jilly! :roll:

Here's mine:

Joy to the world!
The muse has come.
With eleven hundred words.
Let edits start, prepare their doom.

And Absolute Writers sing,
And Absolute Writers sing,
Absolute, Absolute Writers sing.

ETA: I figured I'd finish out the verse.

TheIT · Dec 2, 2011

Still too wiped out after the last push for NaNo to write anything yesterday, but my goal this month is to finally whip my revision of "Shapes and Formalities" into shape for submission. Next step, query letter. :scared:

I can haz agent for Christmas, please?

Good luck to everyone on their goals!

A December to Dismember--500 words/day, all genres welcome

Making my own sunshine

Researching History's Mysteries

Going home!

Lost in mental space.

With great power comes

I'm evolving

Crumpled!

Fix it in the Rewrite

Hopes to one day write for food.

Researching History's Mysteries

With great power comes

Hopes to one day write for food.

The Alydar of Writers

Murder isn't so bad...

Hopes to one day write for food.

Fix it in the Rewrite

Making my own sunshine

Lady Entropia

Lost in a plot hole

Crumpled!

Hopes to one day write for food.

Infuriatingly Theoretical