A Life of Crime and Chocolate

GailD

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Liz, it sounds to me as if the company you're with did not think things through before bringing resources on board. And there's not much worse than doing a job you loathe. It's the kind of invasive unhappiness that permeates everything else. You deserve so much better. I hope your headhunter can find you something good asap. :Hug2:


Silver, ironing out the 'kinks' is where the rubber meets the road - creatively speaking. You can do it. :e2cheer:
 

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Yeah, but still....

--

Well, slightly tired but really can't afford to nap too much right now. I've got stuff to work on. I honestly think I'm going to have "one of those weeks". Ugh.


@Liz: Again, I really hope everything works out with your job though. :Hug2: :Hug2:

Now, though, I will be looking forward to the future.
 

Zelenka

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HJ - Hugs - so sorry to hear about your loss. Hope you're holding up okay. :(

Mr Mitchell - that sucks. Hopefully you can get something back on the insurance.

liz - I hope you find somewhere that suits you more and where you'll feel happier.

Good vibes out to everyone. Sounds like it's been a hellish time lately.

I just got back from Prague, visiting my boss. I've been put in charge of writing a new tour and making up the route and everything. Probably the most responsibility I've been given. I spent the weekend trudging through the snow trying to work out the best way to go but I think I've got it, and now all I need to do is write the script and test it out. Best thing about my boss though is she always tells everyone I'm a writer, and uses that as my main job title for her company as well. It always feels good :)
 

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I just got back from Prague, visiting my boss. I've been put in charge of writing a new tour and making up the route and everything. Probably the most responsibility I've been given. I spent the weekend trudging through the snow trying to work out the best way to go but I think I've got it, and now all I need to do is write the script and test it out. Best thing about my boss though is she always tells everyone I'm a writer, and uses that as my main job title for her company as well. It always feels good :)

That sounds amazing!

Am I the only one who sometimes thinks about getting business cards that say "Writer" on them? It'd mostly be to remind myself, of course. ;)
 

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So the latest development in the Job from Hell:

Remember that guy who was going to start on the 11th? Well, he's not going to start, because he failed the drug test.

Now, as a general rule, I have mixed feelings about drug tests. This is the first place I've worked at that required one. And there is just no way to go through the process without feeling like a criminal.

That said, the company is completely up front about this. The guy had lots and lots of warning (multiple weeks). The test doesn't even require a measurement of zero - low levels of some things are ignored.

So it was an IQ test of sorts, and he failed.

On the one hand, I wasn't that keen on him anyway. He was nice, but I didn't think he was really qualified. On the other hand, now I'm STUCK ALONE HERE AGAIN.

It's good that I have a job. I'm obscenely well-paid. I have a friend who was at Dell until recently; she's trying to go it alone as a consultant. My friends at my last job are still facing rolling lay-offs.

But if I am to remain employable in this business, I do need to find a way to do some coding, even if I have to do it on my own time. Which eats into writing (even more than Game of Thrones! :D), which is exactly what I do NOT want happening. Having said that...I think my book is not too bad, but even if I find a publisher it's not going to pay the bills. I need to keep coding; that one is non-negotiable right now.

So other things must give. Right now, I'm thinking one of them will be sleep, because I REALLY want to finish this book.
 

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Ugh, I'm doing that thing again where I freak out/obsess over what font to write in/with. (I talked about this in the "Pep Talk" thread). I really need to find a way to break out of this habit. It's just one of those terrible, terrible writing habits that I have, and I really can't seem to shake this one. Anyone have any advice for breaking? I mean I know that I only do it because I'm freaking out about my story because it's not as well as I pictured it in my head or as I want it to be. And I think, for some unknown and crazy reason, that if I find this "perfect" font all of my writing will come out good, well, and closer to the way I see it in my head. I know that this font-changing thing is mostly, if not entirely, psychological. However, I just can't seem to break it; I had this problem even before I joined AW. But I think it was more manageable then. Now, it just isn't. I think I spend more time playing around with fonts and choosing one than I do actually writing, which is a bad thing.
 

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Ugh, I'm doing that thing again where I freak out/obsess over what font to write in/with. (I talked about this in the "Pep Talk" thread). I really need to find a way to break out of this habit. It's just one of those terrible, terrible writing habits that I have, and I really can't seem to shake this one. Anyone have any advice for breaking? I mean I know that I only do it because I'm freaking out about my story because it's not as well as I pictured it in my head or as I want it to be. And I think, for some unknown and crazy reason, that if I find this "perfect" font all of my writing will come out good, well, and closer to the way I see it in my head. I know that this font-changing thing is mostly, if not entirely, psychological. However, I just can't seem to break it; I had this problem even before I joined AW. But I think it was more manageable then. Now, it just isn't. I think I spend more time playing around with fonts and choosing one than I do actually writing, which is a bad thing.

Speaking as someone who is occasionally obsessive-compulsive, I'd say a couple of things.

1. What's the payoff here? There is something about choosing a font that is more rewarding for you right now than actually writing. Do you know what it is giving you? You mention feeling that your work will be better, somehow, in the right font. Is that true? (That's a serious question - back when I wrote longhand, it was very important for me to have the right journal, or I just didn't feel that the writing flowed.)

2. You are pushing yourself really hard, and I suppose that's what we all do here. :) But...what's the harm in indulging yourself on this for a while? What do you lose if you take a few days/weeks/however long you need to put your energy into this side of things? Maybe your spirit needs to figure out fonts right now more than it needs to write. There's no harm in that, you know.

Everybody always says "If you want to write, you can't wait for the muse." Yeah...but sometimes you HAVE to wait for the muse. Sometimes forcing yourself to make words is exactly the wrong thing to do.

Do you work well with schedules? Could you schedule yourself a block of font-deciding time (a day, a week, a month), and then write when that's done?
 

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Speaking as someone who is occasionally obsessive-compulsive, I'd say a couple of things.

1. What's the payoff here? There is something about choosing a font that is more rewarding for you right now than actually writing. Do you know what it is giving you? You mention feeling that your work will be better, somehow, in the right font. Is that true? (That's a serious question - back when I wrote longhand, it was very important for me to have the right journal, or I just didn't feel that the writing flowed.)

2. You are pushing yourself really hard, and I suppose that's what we all do here. :) But...what's the harm in indulging yourself on this for a while? What do you lose if you take a few days/weeks/however long you need to put your energy into this side of things? Maybe your spirit needs to figure out fonts right now more than it needs to write. There's no harm in that, you know.

Everybody always says "If you want to write, you can't wait for the muse." Yeah...but sometimes you HAVE to wait for the muse. Sometimes forcing yourself to make words is exactly the wrong thing to do.

Do you work well with schedules? Could you schedule yourself a block of font-deciding time (a day, a week, a month), and then write when that's done?


You know what, I never actually considered that it might be some form of OCD. And my font-thing is very similar to your former notebook thing. If I'm in the wrong font, something just feels wrong and off about my writing. I don't know why. I don't know how; it just does.

1) I'm not sure what the pay off is. I suppose I just end up liking what I write better. It reads and feels a lot better I guess. If that makes sense. I like it a lot more than usual.

2) True.....

See, that's thing. I use to write by the muse. Maybe that's the other thing. I don't feel inspired by anything; I don't feel that "umph" of inspiration like I used to or how I used to. But like you stated earlier, I was told always waiting for the muse to strike is a bad thing. Supposedly.
 

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You know what, I never actually considered that it might be some form of OCD.

I am rather mildly obsessive-compulsive, but probably diagnosably so. I've learned a lot of coping mechanisms over the years. One of them is that for SOME things, it's OK to be obsessive-compulsive. It's when it stops you from doing what you want/need to do that it becomes a problem.

But like you stated earlier, I was told always waiting for the muse to strike is a bad thing. Supposedly.

ALWAYS waiting for the muse to strike IS a bad thing, if you want to finish a piece of writing. But sometimes waiting is much, much better than the alternative.
 

Silver-Midnight

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I am rather mildly obsessive-compulsive, but probably diagnosably so. I've learned a lot of coping mechanisms over the years. One of them is that for SOME things, it's OK to be obsessive-compulsive. It's when it stops you from doing what you want/need to do that it becomes a problem.



ALWAYS waiting for the muse to strike IS a bad thing, if you want to finish a piece of writing. But sometimes waiting is much, much better than the alternative.

So, what would you suggest I do? Just wait?

And how do I kind of make sure I don't hooked on waiting for the muse like I did before?

ETA: I think I have the same OCD with the fonts as I do with choosing what program (MS Word, Word Pad, Scrivener, yWriter, etc.) to write in as well though.
 
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lizmonster

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So, what would you suggest I do? Just wait?

Realistically, I think the "answer" is different for everyone.

I've been writing all my life, but there have been long spells - years - when I've written nothing at all, not even journal entries. Looking back, those were times when for various reasons I was unable to be honest with myself about what was going on in my life. Writing - even fiction - is all about honesty, at least for me.

What do you get from writing?
How much do you need what it gives you?
Is what's stopping you from writing more important right now?

There are no proper answers to these questions. They are going to be different for everyone, and they can change day to day.

And how do I kind of make sure I don't hooked on waiting for the muse like I did before?

Habit.

In early 2010, for reasons unknown, I started writing every day. I'd tried to get into the habit before, but this time it stuck. Three years later...well, I don't write EVERY day :D, but I rarely skip more than a day, sometimes two. And when I do skip a day, I feel weird.

The hardest part for me was getting over the idea that what came out had to be any good. Writing is Art[tm], sure - but it's also a form of exercise. Lousy workouts are just as important as the ones that go well.
 

Silver-Midnight

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Realistically, I think the "answer" is different for everyone.

I've been writing all my life, but there have been long spells - years - when I've written nothing at all, not even journal entries. Looking back, those were times when for various reasons I was unable to be honest with myself about what was going on in my life. Writing - even fiction - is all about honesty, at least for me.

What do you get from writing?
How much do you need what it gives you?
Is what's stopping you from writing more important right now?

There are no proper answers to these questions. They are going to be different for everyone, and they can change day to day.



Habit.

In early 2010, for reasons unknown, I started writing every day. I'd tried to get into the habit before, but this time it stuck. Three years later...well, I don't write EVERY day :D, but I rarely skip more than a day, sometimes two. And when I do skip a day, I feel weird.

The hardest part for me was getting over the idea that what came out had to be any good. Writing is Art[tm], sure - but it's also a form of exercise. Lousy workouts are just as important as the ones that go well.

I just feel like I don't know what I want to write at all most of the time. I've genre-hopped so much since I've been here. I originally started in Romance (mostly unsuccessfully) then I moved to Urban Fantasy and now I'm also writing(or trying to write) M/T/S. Not that there's anything wrong with genre-hopping. I think it's fine. It's just now I can't figure out what makes me happy to write. I mean they all make me happy. They just make me happy at different times I think, if that makes sense. Or I show interest in them at different times I think. Something similar to that.

I mean I enjoyed writing my Romance stories, mostly because they were short (think like 2K - 5K at the most, but mostly 2K), pretty much plot-less/point-less, and I was usually done with them in a few days, if not an entire day.

Then I wanted to try to write longer stuff and incorporate other things into my stories besides just Romance or whatever it was I was writing. And so, came in Urban Fantasy. And I wanted to try to do a short story for that, but that I was harder than I expected because I had/have a hard time pushing a plot(that make up for a UF) into that kind of small space or word count limit.

And then I wanted to make sure that I didn't get bored with UF so, I "dove in" and said "why not try M/T/S too", mostly because they're similar. Writing M/T/S makes me nervous still. Mainly because I feel they're so difficult to write. Nothing I write feels "thrilling" and/or "suspenseful". :ROFL: But that's just my opinion and I know I'm my own worst critic.

And this all leads back to, I just don't know what I want to write. I feel like there are so many options out there, and because there are so many options out there for a story to go, especially an un-plotted, lengthy, even un-synopsis/summary written story one, that my brain just overloads with what could happen. Even when I'm writing, and I do have a synopsis/summary and/or idea of where I want to take it, my brain still plays the "Well, what if this happened?" or "What if it turned out to be this instead?". It's like I'm given a bunch of options and because of that I can't tell what I want to do just due to the fact that there are so many out there. It's like I can't decide; everything looks good or at least looks like it looks good.

So, in short, again, I just can't tell what I want to write/do. It's like I want to write everything(Romance/Chick Lit, M/T/S, and UF) all at once. Or something close to that.


ETA: Before when I wrote, I guess I would give myself limits on what I wouldn't/couldn't do, and because of that, it limited what happened in the story. Now, however, I don't give myself any limits, or I only give myself a select few limits to what can happen, thereby, giving everything a possibility/chance for plausibility.

ETA 2: Yet, at the same time, I usually manage to have the same/very similar plot idea and/or opening lines/paragraph/chapter whenever I attempt something M/T/S or UF. Which is truthfully, very strange, especially given all of the M/T/S I've read. I've been reading it a lot, lot longer than I've been writing it. I can't say the same really for Urban Fantasy. But Mystery, Thriller, and Suspense I can.
 
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French Maiden

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I've been writing all my life, but there have been long spells - years - when I've written nothing at all, not even journal entries. Looking back, those were times when for various reasons I was unable to be honest with myself about what was going on in my life. Writing - even fiction - is all about honesty, at least for me.

What do you get from writing?
How much do you need what it gives you?
Is what's stopping you from writing more important right now?

There are no proper answers to these questions. They are going to be different for everyone, and they can change day to day.



Habit.

In early 2010, for reasons unknown, I started writing every day. I'd tried to get into the habit before, but this time it stuck. Three years later...well, I don't write EVERY day :D, but I rarely skip more than a day, sometimes two. And when I do skip a day, I feel weird.

The hardest part for me was getting over the idea that what came out had to be any good. Writing is Art[tm], sure - but it's also a form of exercise. Lousy workouts are just as important as the ones that go well.


I love the analogy that Writing is excersize, it really truley is, excersize of the creative mind. And I feel the more we go for work outs, the better we become and the more stamina we have.
 

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liz, I hope I didn't scare you away from the thread. I just got on a roll, and all of the problems just starting coming out. :ROFL: I mean it's still basically the same. I just sometimes, a lot more than probably should be, don't know, like really don't know, what I want to write. It's weird. But it's true. I mean I know I like writing some kind of UF(or PNR if the romance is really important) or M/T/S(or Romantic Suspense/Thriller, etc. for the same reasons) because when I don't write it(or some kind of element like it) I get bored with what I did write. I just get this "Okay? Where's the interesting action part at?". It's my way of creating problems/conflict/etc. I mean I still create others too. However, this main conflict kind of maybe helps out the others, if that makes sense.

And even with knowing all of this about myself, now at least, I still get this thing of trying to write everything at once. Or wanting to write a little of everything. Which I truthfully think is fleeting. :ROFL:
 

lizmonster

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liz, I hope I didn't scare you away from the thread. I just got on a roll, and all of the problems just starting coming out. :ROFL:

HAH! No, you didn't scare me. :) Life intervenes sometimes.

I mean it's still basically the same. I just sometimes, a lot more than probably should be, don't know, like really don't know, what I want to write.

You know, that's perfectly OK. I wrote straight mystery for years, and then I got sucked into romance, and then SF. Now I'm kind of doing all three, but mostly because I got past the idea that I had to put a label on it. I write what I write.

Now, when I market it, I'll have to give it some sort of recognizable genre - but really, step one was getting the book out, and worrying about genre was counterproductive at that point.

I have another question for you: Are you really wanting to finish a long work right now? Because I think the obsession to write A Book can get in the way of writing sometimes. Writing fragments, or the beginnings of stories that later bore you, or just random ideas that don't go anywhere can be VITALLY important.

My husband was telling me last night about some artists he follows on Facebook. He loves paintings of nature - birds, frogs, even insects - and he says these artists will often post pencil sketches. Here's the bird on a branch. Here's the bird from above. Here's the bird with its wings spread. Here's the bird's foot. Dozens and dozens and dozens of sketches...none of which bear any strong resemblance to the final, elaborate painting of the bird.

Writing is an art, but it's also a craft. I think when people say "Don't wait for the muse" they're saying "Practice your craft." That means producing a lot of random, off-topic, throw-away stuff, ALL THE TIME.

The book I'm polishing now has roots in something a friend of mine did while we were in college - in 1986. It was a mundane little decision on her part, but her reasons for it, and her positive feelings about it, really stuck with me. Then about three years ago I wrote something random that had a character make a similar choice, and that character eventually turned into my female lead for Dead Hour.

My (long-winded) point is that what seems random and unfinished to you now might very well be the foundations of what you write later.

So write everything, all the time, and don't worry about it. :D
 

Silver-Midnight

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You know, that's perfectly OK. I wrote straight mystery for years, and then I got sucked into romance, and then SF. Now I'm kind of doing all three, but mostly because I got past the idea that I had to put a label on it. I write what I write.

Now, when I market it, I'll have to give it some sort of recognizable genre - but really, step one was getting the book out, and worrying about genre was counterproductive at that point.

I have another question for you: Are you really wanting to finish a long work right now? Because I think the obsession to write A Book can get in the way of writing sometimes. Writing fragments, or the beginnings of stories that later bore you, or just random ideas that don't go anywhere can be VITALLY important.

My husband was telling me last night about some artists he follows on Facebook. He loves paintings of nature - birds, frogs, even insects - and he says these artists will often post pencil sketches. Here's the bird on a branch. Here's the bird from above. Here's the bird with its wings spread. Here's the bird's foot. Dozens and dozens and dozens of sketches...none of which bear any strong resemblance to the final, elaborate painting of the bird.

Writing is an art, but it's also a craft. I think when people say "Don't wait for the muse" they're saying "Practice your craft." That means producing a lot of random, off-topic, throw-away stuff, ALL THE TIME.

The book I'm polishing now has roots in something a friend of mine did while we were in college - in 1986. It was a mundane little decision on her part, but her reasons for it, and her positive feelings about it, really stuck with me. Then about three years ago I wrote something random that had a character make a similar choice, and that character eventually turned into my female lead for Dead Hour.

My (long-winded) point is that what seems random and unfinished to you now might very well be the foundations of what you write later.

So write everything, all the time, and don't worry about it. :D

Quite glad I didn't scare you off. :D And I know what you mean about life. Hahaha!

So, even if it's something that I a) so far can't figure out or really decide the plot for or b) it's just a small scene or something that's playing in my head, go for it anyway?

Truthfully, right now, I'm just trying to figure out what kind of writer I am. I'm still kind of young. (I turn 21 in March. :partyguy: ) And I'm just trying to figure out if I'm a novelist or not, and what kind of books I do want to write or like to write. I really try not to be genre-obsessed or focused one particular type genre. However, I'm afraid to let my story to get too out of hand because I'm afraid it will literally go all over the place. Not that there's anything wrong with mixing three or four genres/elements. But I just don't know if I can pull it off. I mean I might be happy or enjoy it because I'll utilizing all of those little ticks or whatever in the back of head that say "S-M, write this!", "No, write this!", "What if this happened, S-M?". But again, I think it would be extremely hard for me to do, or rather do well. :D But I guess it could be something to still think about, at least anyway.
 

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So, even if it's something that I a) so far can't figure out or really decide the plot for or b) it's just a small scene or something that's playing in my head, go for it anyway?

Exactly. Really, think of it as exercise - today you're not running a race, or going for a particular time; you're just working your muscles. Do a little each time, on a more-or-less consistent schedule, and you'll start seeing patterns in what you like to write.

Truthfully, right now, I'm just trying to figure out what kind of writer I am. I'm still kind of young. (I turn 21 in March. :partyguy: )

Happy almost birthday! :hooray:

And I'm just trying to figure out if I'm a novelist or not, and what kind of books I do want to write or like to write.

There is only one way to do this, and that's to just sit down and do it. You can't, purely through intellect, discover what kind of writer you are. If you're curious about a genre, or a structure, or a length - try it. See how it goes. Try a bunch of different things, if you're so inclined. Just write, write, write.

Not that there's anything wrong with mixing three or four genres/elements. But I just don't know if I can pull it off.

My beta is a pretty traditional amateur-detective story (apart from the SF setting) with a nice, linear timeline. My current WIP has an entirely different structure, with interwoven timelines, and it's a delicate thing figuring out which bits of information to sprinkle in where. I've no idea if I'm going to be able to pull it off - but boy, am I having a good time. :)

Find out what's fun for you to write. That doesn't mean it'll NEVER feel like work; but if fundamentally it's fun for you, it's what you'll write best.
 

Silver-Midnight

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Exactly. Really, think of it as exercise - today you're not running a race, or going for a particular time; you're just working your muscles. Do a little each time, on a more-or-less consistent schedule, and you'll start seeing patterns in what you like to write.



Happy almost birthday! :hooray:

I know; I just think I'm highly impatient. I want to know now. :ROFL: Or I just get that feeling of it I guess. Oh, and thank you for the help. As well as the birthday wishes.



There is only one way to do this, and that's to just sit down and do it. You can't, purely through intellect, discover what kind of writer you are. If you're curious about a genre, or a structure, or a length - try it. See how it goes. Try a bunch of different things, if you're so inclined. Just write, write, write.
I might try a lot of different "formats" or sub-genres of M/T/S and UF. Again, like I said, my stories tend to have direction or purpose or I can say the plot when someone's life is on the line. Literally. :tongue But at the same time, I want the non-main plot/sub-plots to have some issues. That's not to say I want the relationships to be super complicated and hard. But I don't want them to be complete walks in the park either, if that makes sense at all. :ROFL:



My beta is a pretty traditional amateur-detective story (apart from the SF setting) with a nice, linear timeline. My current WIP has an entirely different structure, with interwoven timelines, and it's a delicate thing figuring out which bits of information to sprinkle in where. I've no idea if I'm going to be able to pull it off - but boy, am I having a good time. :)

Find out what's fun for you to write. That doesn't mean it'll NEVER feel like work; but if fundamentally it's fun for you, it's what you'll write best.

Cool.
 

Silver-Midnight

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Well, today was pretty good. Kind of glad about that. I do a little bit of writing. Just a little but that just means I'm just that much closer to finishing the chapter that I'm on. I think I might put another word counter/meter in my siggy when I really get a chance; I liked those a lot. And if I go over my "projected word count", I just go over.
 

lizmonster

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Well, today was pretty good. Kind of glad about that. I do a little bit of writing. Just a little but that just means I'm just that much closer to finishing the chapter that I'm on. I think I might put another word counter/meter in my siggy when I really get a chance; I liked those a lot. And if I go over my "projected word count", I just go over.

I'm all for counters, if they help!

I will say, though, that when I first wrote my beta, I was VERY rigid about how long I wanted my chapters to be. If a chapter was too long, there had to be a really good reason. Chapters that were too short...I padded. Sometimes a lot. And it showed.

For my WIP, I'm just not dealing with chapters at all. I do section breaks, and I'll probably label them with days (or spans of days). These may turn into chapters when I get to the point of editing; but I needed to get away from chapter-length goals in order to keep going.
 

Silver-Midnight

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rising from the depths of a cup of coffee
I'm all for counters, if they help!

I will say, though, that when I first wrote my beta, I was VERY rigid about how long I wanted my chapters to be. If a chapter was too long, there had to be a really good reason. Chapters that were too short...I padded. Sometimes a lot. And it showed.

For my WIP, I'm just not dealing with chapters at all. I do section breaks, and I'll probably label them with days (or spans of days). These may turn into chapters when I get to the point of editing; but I needed to get away from chapter-length goals in order to keep going.

Oh, okay.

Me, my chapters go anywhere from 500 to 2000 words. I'm trying to get away from padding chapters too. Because, like you said, it shows when you do it. However, I really like reaching the 2K mark. :D

Also I'm trying to get into the habit of naming my chapters, at least for the first draft version. For the simple fact that I think it will help me see the chapter more like a collection of short stories(in fan fic terms, one shots or drabbles), and thus make it less intimidating for me. Because even when I wrote fan fic, I primarily wrote drabbles/one shots. I did one or two (maybe three?) longer stories, but I did far, far more one shots. So, I think looking at it like that, treating it like that will make it less intimidating for me. I mean each one (chapter/story) will still relate to the plot/characters of course. However, I think I'll still have something accomplished in each one still. Whether that's related to the love interest, the actual plot, or etc. Something will happen, it may not be something big, it probably won't be something big every time. But something will happen/be accomplished.