The Finish the Damn Book Challenge

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LStein

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Congrats, Lizardmaker! Another one down...

I wrote about 800 words last night which beings me to a little over 58,000.
 

muravyets

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Draft 1 of Chapters 1-5 are complete. That's Act 1 of the WIP. They're handwritten, so no word count. Today, I started typing the MS and rewriting for Draft 2. At the same time, I flesh out the outline for Act 2 and start hand-drafting that.

I also need a new desk chair. My back and knees are taking vengeance on me. But on a happier note, I inaugurated a new notebook for the next segment of the book, and I heard a rumor Staples is having a sale on pens.

Oh, and I lost typing time tonight due to watching the Oscars, but I have 736 words of Draft 2 so far tonight, and I might get over 800 before bed.
 
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Kewii

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I've finally got back into the writing and think I have solved one of my big problems. Being indecisive :) Which led to a problem with plotting, which made it hard to write.

I've now completed a full outline for a novel--which should keep me from getting stuck.

I've also started a new system to try to focus a bit more for writing time. It's a bit silly, but I'm so easily distracted and this is helping. I set a timer for ten minutes and write. I don't stop until my beep goes off. Then I let myself be distracted for a bit. Then I write again.

I'm hoping to increase the ten minutes as we go. I just feel that forcing it too much isn't working. This way works for me.

Anyway, just thought I'd share. I've written about 800 words so far today. I plan to double it before the day is over :)
 

FranOnTheEdge

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Welcome, Sarona!

Nice drawing, tepelus.

Sorry, Fran. I misread something in your post and somehow missed your signature entirely. (Not sure how that happened). So fantastic about your WIP suprising you like that. Funny how we can have misconceptions about our own novels.

I don't think it would hurt to ginger him up a bit though. But it's nice to know things aren't as bad as I thought.

I haven't been writing. Got distracted by a new writing project. But I think I came to a realization which is: I can't write in the morning anymore. I'm going to bed too late. But I usually have a window of time between 10 and 11pm and I usually waste it watching TV or reading. I will make that my new writing time, no excuses.

Congrats to everyone who's been keeping the challenge going!
I didn't think I'd been writing either, just poking and prodding and editing, but somehow despite that I seem to have managed a new 1254 words, which is nice.
Like you I think my writing time has changed, I used to write in the evening, but I'm becoming so tired then that I think I need to try writing when I first get up. My arthritis is playing me up at the moment so I'm taking painkillers regularly again, and that makes me sleepy earlier.

Hey, Telepus, nice work, I love the attitude of the boy's head.

Rubay H,
Consistant is great, I wish I could manage it.

Sarona - Hey new blood, welcome to this strange thread, Sarona.

Lizardmaker,
Sequals are good, I envy you that - I'll probably be going about this in completely the opposite direction - if I'm lucky. If I can get this book published, it might lead to getting book 1 published too - but I'll have a mammoth task to do if that ever looks likely, since book 1 isn't as good as this one is, so I'll need big sharp editing knives to sort out book 1.

Hey LStein, 800? that's great!

muravyets
You certainly need to get a decent chair, you can do yourself a lot of damage with the wrong one. I know, I have. But 736 words is pretty good.

Kewii
Whatever your method, the 800 words says it's working.

Hey gang, I just had a fantastic critique on the first 1500 words of this current novel, people liked it and said really nice things about it as well as a few constructive ways to make it even better, I keep reveling in words like 'fantastic' 'brilliant atmosphere' and one guy said I'd cracked the big question of having a unique, really intriguing start to the novel.
I'm in 7th heaven!!!
 

elindsen

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Checking in, which I always forget to do. Got three more chapters to write. I should be done with first draft in three days, maybe sooner if I keep my butt in the chair. It will bring my total to 22k. I write short novellas. No attention span for longer works lol :)
 

Rubay H.

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Great job, guys! Way to go with the word counts!

elindsen - That's awesome you are so close! And I know what you mean about short attention spans and novellas. As a matter of fact, I'm getting the feeling that my current WIP is going to be a bit shorter than I originally projected.

As for me, I finally passed the 30,000 word mark.
It's a goal I had back in Dec. It took me long enough, but I'm finally here. Yay!:tongue
 

LStein

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Nice going, muravyets. That's an interesting way of doing it. I might have to try a version of that method for the next one.

Kewii, yay for decisiveness!

Good job, Fran! I actually prefer writing in the morning. There's something about the fogginess that makes it easier for me to slip into the world of the novel. But I can't get up early right now due to the significant other's schedule and honestly, I don't think it matters too much when you write as long as you write, right?

I didn't last night. For shame. But the night before I wrote about 1,000 words which brings my total to a little over 59k!

Nice, elindsen! And Rubay? Congratulations on reaching and soon surpassing your goal!
 

Lizardmaker

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Great to see all these big word counts, guys!

I haven't written much new on the WIP1 today, but I typed in and edited about 1500 words.

Fran, as to sequels, I know people who've done what you're describing: publish what they think of as the second book, and then interest their publisher in their first book. Hope it works out for you.
 

JustinlDew

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Well, I want to finish my WIP by the tenth. All I'm waiting for is to finish this last chapter that is the cliffhanger, the only problem is. I know how the beginning of my chapter plays out, and the ending, just not the bloody middle.
Other than that
EC1: 50k someodd words, hopefully done by tuesday.
 

Rubay H.

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Well, I want to finish my WIP by the tenth. All I'm waiting for is to finish this last chapter that is the cliffhanger, the only problem is. I know how the beginning of my chapter plays out, and the ending, just not the bloody middle.
Other than that
EC1: 50k someodd words, hopefully done by tuesday.


Welcome Justin,
I'm totally envious of how close you are to the end, so congrats! I hate bloody middles which is what I've been slogging through the past week. Ugh!

Good luck!

+1,500 words on my WIP yesterday and today.
 

JustinlDew

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Middles are the worst. Especially the ones with dialogue, and words. I hate those, and thanks. Then it's beta reading, lots of redits and Query hell.
I've got a fun couple of months ahead.
 
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Rubay H.

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Middles are the worst. Especially the ones with dialogue, and words. I hate those, and thanks. Then it's beta reading, lots of redits and Query hell.
I've got a fun couple of months ahead.

Words are so hard. Having to write so many of them. Getting in the way of my genius!*
And screw letters. We need to go back to hieroglyphs. I could rock a novel in hieroglyphs.*

*may be a little loopy
*might need to back slowly away from the keyboard
 

Lizardmaker

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Justin, we know you'll fight through all the annoying stuff.

My stats: Added 312 words to WIP. Still spending most of my time on short fiction. At some point soon, that had better change, or I won't get the WIP done in time. Pub is expecting it at the end of the summer, so it needs to be not only written but beta-read and spiffed up by then. FOCUS!
 

Tepelus

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Still adding to mine here and there (I don't think I'll ever get it done). 500 words here, a thousand there. Finished up a chapter last night and started a new one (which will be short) and should finish it sometime today. Started a new drawing last night for another scene in my novel. Got a couple of new portfolios yesterday so now I need to draw more so I can fill those up! May end up filling one whole portfolio with drawings of scenes from my novel, eventually. Off work today, so after I finish the boring house cleaning duties I can get to work on the fun stuff.
 

LStein

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Tepelus, maybe you won't get it done but you'll get the next book done. Or maybe this book just comes out in spurts. Sometimes I feel like I'm not getting anywhere (and it is taking so much longer than I thought it would) but then I look at my word count, compare it to what it was at the beginning of the challenge, and realize I've almost written a damn novel!

Nice going, peops. You can do it, Justin!

Wrote a bit tonight and yesterday and now am just shy of 60k.
 

cara

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I really should do this! I get distracted too quickly by the internet...
 

shayla.mist

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How are you doing, folks? I see everyone is working hard.
as for me, I'm rewriting my first chapter for the second time. It's so annoying realizing I have no idea how to structure a chapter, much less a whole plot. I'm starting to panic :((
Tepelus, your method -drawing scenes form your book - is interesting. does it help you keep your focus on the plot or do you just do it for fun?
 

Kewii

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I wrote another 300 words so far today. My total is now at 3400. I really want to get to 4000 by the end of the day. But I'm also side eyeing my stack of essays that need graded. I hate you stack!

I feel like I'm plodding along quite nicely. I could do better. But my stints of ten minutes are working because they get me going. It's like "it's only ten minutes" and then it flies by and I'm not quite ready to stop :)

Edited to Update: Just made my 4000! And still going. Woot, good day for me. The fiance needs to go away more often.
 
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Tepelus

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Congrats, Kewii, wish I could write that much in a day, I'd get done so much faster. The most I've done I think was in the two thousand range, which isn't bad, but four thousand would be the cat's meow. :)

Andra, I draw the scenes for fun, though I feel like drawing this one scene and have the basic outline done, the details just aren't coming out like I want. My drawing muse is more fickle than my writing muse, probably because I'm much more finicky about my art than my writing. Just keep writing, and reading, you'll eventually figure out how to structure a chapter in time. Learning to write takes time. We all are always learning.

Cara, welcome to the finish the damn novel challenge! Hope to see more posts from you!

LStein, yes, I think this is what is happening, the book comes in spurts. One day I'm thinking of one scene or a series of scenes near the end of the novel and write those, sometimes I go back closer to the middle and write those scenes, and so on. I would write another book, oh but this one won't leave me alone until it's done. And the story is a long one. Very long. I'll probably be like G.R.R. Martin and take a few decades to finish the series. lol! Oh dear, I hope not!
 

G. Applejack

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I think signing up for the challenge might be a good idea for me. I'm 10 chapters into my (estimated) 20 chapter WIP, and I'm really feeling the blahs.

My goal is one chapter a week.
 

Rubay H.

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How are you doing, folks? I see everyone is working hard.
as for me, I'm rewriting my first chapter for the second time. It's so annoying realizing I have no idea how to structure a chapter, much less a whole plot. I'm starting to panic :((

I'm sorry you're having so much trouble, but don't panic! :tongue Maybe we can help?
What's causing you the most concern with your chapter?

And welcome G. Collins! Good luck with your goal.
Awesome progress Kiwii! 4000 is spectacular!

As for me, I edited my last four chapters and went -500 or so. I stopped counting because it made me sad.
 

Lizardmaker

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Welcome, G. Collins!

Sorry you're frustrated, Andra.

Kewii, those are very large daily numbers. Wow!

Rubay, the editing process can be so frustrating. But I'm sure your novel is better for losing those words.

I've added about 1400 words in the last two days, which is very good by my usual standard of output.
 

joeyc

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So I finally took a long break and am at the point where I can do some "serious" editing.

Feels good.

(Unfortunately, I'm only 4,000 words in. I've cut several scenes already and am actually having to think about things.)
 

Nick Rolynd

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Stolen

Total Est. Word Count: 85,000
Current Word Count: 6,627

Current goal: Write at least 1 chapter a day until the end of spring break, that is, 9 chapters (2 have already been written). These chapters should total at least 25,000 words.

That should do for now. I'll write a post-spring break goal later once I see how much time I have when I get back to college. I want this draft done by the end of April though. I need to finish a novel. I've been writing too much short fiction lately, and my novel ideas are really getting backed up. I'll never finish them all if I keep stalling. =P
 
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