The Finish the Damn Book Challenge

Rubay H. said:

Let's see, Tuesday I got in 1,000 words.
Yesterday, I wallowed in self-doubt and pity and played video games instead.
And today, I wrote in 15 minute bursts throughout the day and managed another 1,000.

Oh, and I hate my desk chair. It's squeaky and it hurts me.

How are you guys doing?

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Well, I'm just starting the day - ran out of magenta ink, replaced that cartridge, tried again - ran out of cyan ink, No new cyan ink cartridge... so I couldn't print off the thoughts I had scribbled on my pad last night, and just dictated into the PC... so I had to phone my DH at the hospital and ask him to print that, plus the 2 manuscripts of people who are reading out at the new writers group I joined at the main library, so I can critique them before the meeting on the 27th....

But I haven't actually written anything yet today.

I do hope to though because that scribbling of ideas last night felt quite helpful at the time, it consisted of me asking myself questions and then answering them. (hopefully correctly.)

I might not be writing yet today, but I'm still thinking about this next bit, because I keep stopping and adding bits to those notes.

Which is a bit irritating as I already sent the earlier version to DH for printing. Only now it's bigger... sigh.

I'm very lucky in that I have a very comfortable chair, with lumbar support, neck support, adjustable arm rests, adjustable back height and position backwards and forwards... etc etc, it's the best chair I've never been able to afford - I was very, very lucky to get it.

I'm one of those irritating people who can always find something to moan about, only I'm really not moaning about this, - I just mention it:
If you rest your head on the headrest - all you can see is the top of the wall near the ceiling - you can't see the screen.
Looking on the bright side, if you need to rest your head like that - you could quite easily drift off to sleep for a bit. I've done that.

Fran, I'm so jealous of your chair!! (

I started to procrastinate lately, but my mind is always thinking about the plot. I was really, really stuck a few days ago, but then while I was taking a walk two days ago, the idea just came to me, out of nowhere. now I know where my plot needs to go. I'll have to adjust a lot of things and I'm already feeling lazy just thinking about it, but I'm sure I'll come up with a better first draft in the end. It's still better than struggling to find a solution )
In the meantime I keep editing the fist chapters. Good luck to you all, friends!

andra said:

Fran, I'm so jealous of your chair!! (

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It's certainly more than I could ever have afforded to buy myself, I've never before had cause to be grateful for my disability - but I got it because of my osteoarthritis and the damage to my spine, which isn't completely disabling, yet, but makes many things difficult and painful to do, so when I went to University I was given this chair to enable me to manage my studies with less pain. I was quite astonished when I discovered I'd be able to keep it even after the course was completed. It seems they are made to fit each person individually. Such a boon!

I started to procrastinate lately,

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I had looked at this earlier, and was just about to reply when I thought, 'no, try and write something on those notes you made last night first,' and I'm happy to report a new 1,105 words. And that just covers a small part of my notes... which makes me very happy having so much more to expand upon.

but my mind is always thinking about the plot. I was really, really stuck a few days ago, but then while I was taking a walk two days ago, the idea just came to me, out of nowhere. now I know where my plot needs to go. I'll have to adjust a lot of things and I'm already feeling lazy just thinking about it, but I'm sure I'll come up with a better first draft in the end. It's still better than struggling to find a solution )
In the meantime I keep editing the fist chapters. Good luck to you all, friends!

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That sort of thing doesn't usually happen to me in the middle or near the end of a book - not with stuff I can add to the current work - those sort of ideas usually mean a new and different story, hopefully another follow on to this one.

Thinks.... Or I might be able to add it to book 3 or book 4. There's plenty of room in those as yet, as I only have tiny bits for them, made from previous bolts of inspiration.

Lizardmaker, lots of short fiction sounds good. Seems like you're always working on something.

Rubay, nice job!

Fran, the postcard idea is a good one. It would make it simple to see how to shift around the scenes. It's funny because about 10,000 words ago I got stuck so I wrote out pretty much what you described in a word document. I mostly wrote what had happened so far and it helped me see the overlying story and gaping problems. And I was able to get back to writing. So, perhaps I can pseudo-outline as long as I trick my brain into thinking it's something else.

So, you originally thought your WIP would be around 70k. What changed?

Yeah, if you're enjoying the introspection, definitely don't worry about it for the time being! But readers do love conflict and action. Maybe make two of your characters hate each other.

Andra, so nice when that happens!

Only 280 words yesterday. Still, better than nada.

I don't know how to count anymore! I was sailing along pretty good, then had my first two chapters critiqued in the North American critique circle Wednesday night and realized I can make my book much, much better by going back and doing some re-writing.

I woke up ready to jump in, then faced the pages and got stymied. So off to work on something else for my writer's group last night. They really like it. So -- what to work on today? I think I'm going to have to start keeping counts of words on all WIPs. Don't know what I do about all the words I take out while rewriting. Maybe post a negative number? Ah, well, a cup of coffee, then back to work.

LStein said:

Fran, the postcard idea is a good one. It would make it simple to see how to shift around the scenes.

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Yes, it does. It's not my idea though, I have no idea who first came up with it, I've come across it in many places now, including here, and NaNoWrMo, can't remember where I first heard about it.

It's funny because about 10,000 words ago I got stuck so I wrote out pretty much what you described in a word document. I mostly wrote what had happened so far and it helped me see the overlying story and gaping problems.

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That's how I used to do it, but I find the postcards much easier, like a sort of shorthand and more flexible.

And I was able to get back to writing. So, perhaps I can pseudo-outline as long as I trick my brain into thinking it's something else.

So, you originally thought your WIP would be around 70k. What changed?

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Er... (puzzled expression) nothing - that I know of. What do you mean?

Yeah, if you're enjoying the introspection, definitely don't worry about it for the time being! But readers do love conflict and action. Maybe make two of your characters hate each other.

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Um... well two of my characters have had a nice big quarrel, but they don't really hate each other.
One of my characters hates two of my characters though, will that do?

Only 280 words yesterday. Still, better than nada.

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Yeah, and it's a lot better than -23 as well. (a day's word count I managed a little while back)

Right, I've just done a section where one character tries to get another to hold a meeting with all the available suspects, so they can try to get to the bottom of what's been happening - he, Jerry - hasn't managed to organise any of it yet, but when (and if) he does then I have plans for a punch up, and at least a couple of slanging matches. Should be nice and angst ridden. Well I'm yawning all over the place now, can't keep my eyes open much longer, and I'm up to 1,240 for today, so I'm off to beddybyes now.

Night, night all and keep your word counts rising.

Brand new WIP is at 936 words. My brain keeps coming up with new projects. Having trouble focusing at the moment. Since I have a novel almost ready to submit, I guess I should just let my mind wander and see what it settles on.

Editing "Inevitable". Not getting very far, though.

822 words today, now I've gotta go back to a previous chapter and finish it off, before I can go forward.

Good job guys!

For me? 39 words last night. Two whole sentences.

Then I got that giant impenetrable wall of boredom feeling and walked away, got sleepy and went to bed.

There must be something wrong with this scene if it couldn't hold my interest for two sentences.
Ya think? lol

Oh well, I'll try again tonight and start the scene somewhere else.

Good luck guys!

I've decided I'm going to finish this YA even if it kills me.

Mari, it won't kill you; it will make you stronger. And then you'll have a finished novel and be extra-strong!

MysteryRiter, good luck with the editing. That can be a drag.

My stats (working on two WIP while I figure out which to concentrate on): yesterday 320 words WIP 1 and 395 words WIP 2.

And I'm interviewed today on Adriana Ryan's blog, discussing mainly Ebenezer's Locker, but also mentioning my other upcoming books. Please check it out if you have time. Adriana asks fun questions: http://adrianaryan.com/2012/02/19/j-for-anne-johnson/

I'm a quarter of the way through editing/revising the first WIP.

It probably has a lot more edits and revisions since I'm having difficulties finding betas.

Good luck with the revisions, Joey.

My stats: added 475 to WIP1 (finished chapter 1) and 210 to WIP2.

Now I was worrying that my main protag was being too laid back and thinking rather than doing in too many places in this novel?

Well I just printed the whole thing out (whole thing so far that is) and counted each time he was sitting back and thinking... and it happened once... yes, once.
He did also lean back in his chair once, in a different place.
So I don't know what I can have been thinking to imagine he was too introspective.
In my searching, I also did a bit of other editing, and managed to increase the word count by 319, so that's cool.
Now if I could just do some actual writing....

http://tepelus.deviantart.com/#/d4qnwjz

The reason I haven't been working on my novel for the past few days. Now that it's out of my system, back to writing...tomorrow!

Tepelus said:

http://tepelus.deviantart.com/#/d4qnwjz

The reason I haven't been working on my novel for the past few days. Now that it's out of my system, back to writing...tomorrow!

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Wow! Amazing job! Love the emotional detail.

As for me, I've been writing but haven't reported in for a few days. It hasn't been anything over a thousand a day but it's been consistent which is 'something'.

great work, Tepelus!

I've written almost 700 words yesterday. I never thought editing is so time consuming. I almost want to give up when I think about all the revisions (

Rubay, consistency is the key! It really doesn't matter how many words you write as long as you do it. keep up with the good work!

Thank you very much! Some process is better than no process. Keep up the good work, to you both.

So. My boyfriend saw this thread on my computer screen and said, "You should do that. Maybe it'll help you finish that damn book you started a few months back."

He was referring to my NaNo novel, which is only about 15,000 words long so far. So here I am, joining this challenge in the hopes that I'll do as the thread title says and finish the book.

Working title: The Unseen
Word count: 15k
Goal: 1000 words per week

Welcome, SaronaNalia!

Welcome to the clan, Sarona.

Welcome Sarona! Good luck!

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 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!

Welcome, Sarona.

LStein, good luck with your new writing schedule.

I'm making great progress on short fic, but struggling to be consistent with novels. Added only about 200 words on WIP1 in the past couple of days.

Oh, but I did accomplish something big: I finished polishing and submitted the novel I completed drafting in December. It's a sequel, so I'm hoping the publisher of the first book will take this one.