The Finish the Damn Book Challenge

Lizardmaker · Feb 2, 2012

Welcome, Marumae!

My stats: Wrote the last 800 words of chapter 4 and the first 100 of chapter 5. Still slightly behind my writing calendar, but getting closer.

joeyc · Feb 2, 2012

I hadn't been able to write over the last two weeks due to a move, but I'm in the mood again.

So back to revisions, with a new title.

"The Coward's Gambit."

auriel · Feb 2, 2012

I have a giant over-written monster of a novel that I've been working on for years, here and there. This year I've made a promise to myself that I'm finally going to buckle down, cut down the unnecessary prose and sub-plots, and finish it. With my full-time job I can only write a lot on the weekends, but I managed to win NaNo last year, so I know I am physically capable...I just need the will :tongue

And then the massive amount of word-chopping begins!

Rubay H. · Feb 2, 2012

auriel said:
I have a giant over-written monster of a novel that I've been working on for years, here and there. This year I've made a promise to myself that I'm finally going to buckle down, cut down the unnecessary prose and sub-plots, and finish it. With my full-time job I can only write a lot on the weekends, but I managed to win NaNo last year, so I know I am physically capable...I just need the will

And then the massive amount of word-chopping begins!

Hi Auriel! Welcome and good luck!
And Hi joeyc! Nice to meet you!

(562 words tonight. Meh. I had such high hopes for more - but I got stuck in a particular scene and has too much tired.) :/

shayla.mist · Feb 3, 2012

Oh, I totally get you, Rubay! I wrote roughly 2000 words yesterday, but it was still early and I could have gone at it for at least one more hour. Then I reached a scene that gave me a lot of trouble and I had to stop. My brain just couldn't process it at that late hour.
Hi Marumae, Aurie and joeyc!

Charlie Horse · Feb 3, 2012

I'll jump in here and check back every so often to update on my progress. My current WIP is currently at around 72k words. If history is any indication, the first draft will be around 110k words. Given that my goal is 500 words a day, or 3000 words a week (I usually take one day off a week) first draft for this baby should be done sometime in May. Of course I'd like to step it up and finish in April but no pressure.

shayla.mist · Feb 5, 2012

procrastinating is back

I only managed 600 words two days ago and about the same yesterday.I've reached the climatic scene and I have such a hard time working on it

(

MysteryRiter · Feb 5, 2012

I only have about 3k in left in the WIP! :hooray:

Chrisla · Feb 5, 2012

Okay, I'm going to try this again. I've found that I can only do about 250 words a day, no matter how hard I work--mostly because I revise and edit as I go. I do a lot of thinking in between sessions, leading to changes in what I've written. I also have a critique group every week that leads to more changes. Positive side of that is, I don't have much revising to do once the d--d thing is finished!

So, despite being awe of those of you who are churning out 5-00, 1000 and more words a day, I'm jumping in here with my 250. For me, that's progress!

I'm currently at 25,720 words.

Monkey · Feb 5, 2012

Neat to see new people dropping in.

Chrisla, don't worry about having a low word-count goal. For the longest, I had a goal of 50 words per day. I found that I was more likely to sit down and write if my goal was low--I couldn't tell myself that I didn't have time. And once I sat down and wrote a few sentences, I knew I was already over goal for the day. All pressure was off, I had my butt in the chair and hands on the keyboard, and the words really flowed. Having a low word-count goal can be a great way to be extremely productive.

Not that I am right now...

I'm now teaching parkour, and it's taking up more of my life than ever. I only have so many hours in the day and so much mental bandwidth....and parkour's really getting the lion's share. Everything in the video in my sig after the rail work was done on Friday afternoon...since then, I've taught one 2-hour class and participated in one 4 hour class. In late March, I start teaching 2 additional parkour classes for the local college. Pretty soon, my schedule will have me doing parkour almost every day of the week.

I have managed to rewrite my query again...necessary because that big agency that asked to see my MS ultimately rejected it, and most other agencies have rejected without even a request for pages. My goal for Monday is to finish my latest revision of chapter one and send the new query to at least two agents.

Chrisla · Feb 5, 2012

Thanks, Monkey, for the encouragement. I worked again today, and only got about 100 words, after all my revisions. Part of my problem is that I'm doing a whodunit, and I have to spend a lot of time keeping up logs of who was where at what time, who knows what, and how many clues and red herrings I have dropped, and how have those played out thus far. It's a tough genre, but I love it, so I'll keep churning away . . .

BellaCara · Feb 6, 2012

I am in.
"Gravity"
47k words
Goal:
Edit at least half of a chapter (most are roughly 3k words) a night. Write 500 words a day.
Have the book's first revisions done by the end of the month.
It is a lofty goal but doable and very necessary.

Monkey · Feb 6, 2012

Welcome, BellaCara!

EDIT: It's 5:33 and I've completed my goals for today.

Lizardmaker · Feb 7, 2012

I'm behind on my WIP (hope to catch up today), but one of my forthcoming novels just got its cover! Take a peek: http://www.anneejohnson.com/harley.htm

auriel · Feb 7, 2012

MysteryRiter said:
I only have about 3k in left in the WIP!

That's awesome! Good luck getting that last bit finished!

Nissie · Feb 7, 2012

I'm actually working on two wips at the same time, switching to one when I lose steam over the other. YA psychological horror and a weird YA steampunk

Just clocked in 3,000 words on the latter!

joeyc · Feb 7, 2012

Congratulations on everyone's progress so far.

Want to know what I hate?

Having revisions going quite well, and then coming up with an Awesome Idea (TM) that requires some changing in the previous chapters. But I think it'll work in the book's favor.

MysteryRiter · Feb 7, 2012

I. Finished. The. Damn. Book!!!!!!!

David Poellot · Feb 7, 2012

Way to go, MysteryRiter!

For me, I'm in no writing land, and I can't seem to get out. I did work on some brainstorming while at work today. But getting home and taking care of everything else has left me no energy to write. Maybe tomorrow.

Rubay H. · Feb 7, 2012

Congrats, MysterRiter! I really, really want to be able to say that one day...

As for me, I think I got around 500 words last Friday but that was it. Then I sprained my neck over the weekend and could barely move my head. I Finally have some movement back and my arms have stopped tingling. I'm going to take one more night to recover. Sitting and typing at seems to aggravate it.
Hopefully, I'll get back on WIP by tomorrow.

Good luck everyone!

shayla.mist · Feb 8, 2012

Omg! Congrats MysterRiter!! that's so awesome!

I only wrote 600 words yesterday. that equals almost half an hour. And nothing happened to me. Just being lazy

Rubay, I'm sorry to hear about your injury. hope you'll be better soon! Good luck!

FranOnTheEdge · Feb 8, 2012

I'm up 2064 words but I've written a scene that happened before the novel started, 2 scenes in fact... so I don't know if that lot will make it into the finished novel.

However, as these two scenes involved the killer and the first victim - who isn't found until halfway through the book, I very carefully removed all mention of the killer's name, just in case I can use it.

I'm quite pleased with this section although it doesn't match the title I had come up with for the chapter.
The title, which is really just for me at the moment - I hope to come up with a better one later - is 'Is Stephen The Killer' but no one has even mentioned Stephen yet in this chapter.
The scene is called 'Jerry and the Pin' - and is about Jerry finding a pin (or badge) 16 years ago - a pin which the owner had never been seen without, and the owner is never seen alive again.
Now, if I can just bring Stephen into it somehow.... ggg

Wow, MysteryRiter, congratulations!

I am so far behind that point...

joeyc,
Yes, I've done that - and I can't see any way to shoehorn it into my current novel, try as I might, it just won't fit... so it'll have to wait for book 3.

But it is a lovely idea. I got it from a quiz program.

andra,
600 words is pretty good, I've had a lot of days recently where 23 words was about my mark - sometimes it's been minus 23 words!

LStein · Feb 8, 2012

Congratulations, MysteryRiter!

So, sticking my head shamefully in here after many weeks because I have written probably 1000 words in the last month.

Anyone have any advice? I used to write in the morning. Then, I was writing at night. I keep making plans to sit down and write but I can't seem to force myself to do it. I'm worried about my WIP, worried it has no story (only a really good theme), worried no one will connect with the main character, worried basically about what the hell I'm even doing. I know I've just got to put my butt in that chair and my fingers on that keyboard but does anyone have any advice on how to do that when the WIP just seems like a steaming pile of crap even if there are a few shiny gems peeking out?

UPDATE: I wrote 1,431 words tonight! Maybe just ranting to this board helped a little. Still appreciate advice though because I have a feeling this won't last.

Paul · Feb 8, 2012

close to the end myself. well of draft one anyway....

Rubay H. · Feb 8, 2012

LStein said:
Congratulations, MysteryRiter!

So, sticking my head shamefully in here after many weeks because I have written probably 1000 words in the last month.

Anyone have any advice? I used to write in the morning. Then, I was writing at night. I keep making plans to sit down and write but I can't seem to force myself to do it. I'm worried about my WIP, worried it has no story (only a really good theme), worried no one will connect with the main character, worried basically about what the hell I'm even doing. I know I've just got to put my butt in that chair and my fingers on that keyboard but does anyone have any advice on how to do that when the WIP just seems like a steaming pile of crap even if there are a few shiny gems peeking out?

I understand the feeling LStein. My current WIP gave me the same feeling when I first wrote it for NaNoWriMo. I knew it was complete crap and it was. I write horribly when I'm rushing things! But, I sat on it for a year, and decided to use it for a really detailed outline and try it again. I changed around characters a bit, added some and took out others, but the plot and theme remained the same.

So, just keep writing even if it is crap because there is so much to learn just by going through the process. And who knows - maybe it wont be crap at all and it will be awesome! You won't know until you try!

Paul - Awesome!
Good Job, FranOnTheEdge!
Andra - Thanks, my neck is feeling a lot better! But - I had to stop a little early tonight. I might get a little more in later...*crossing fingers*
Good luck, everyone.

(631 words tonight.)

The Finish the Damn Book Challenge

practical experience, FTW

practical experience, FTW

Speaking in metaphors

practical experience, FTW

Murder isn't so bad...

practical experience, FTW

Is me.

practical experience, FTW

Is me.

practical experience, FTW

not a beer

Murder isn't so bad...

practical experience, FTW

Procrastinating lots, writing a bit

figuring it all out