M/T/S Challenge, Feb. edition

heyjude said:

Okay, folks, gear up your pens and laptops again. Here we go...

Rules are the same as last month. Everyone welcome, even if you didn't participate last month.

I'm in. Are you?

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AAAGGGGHHHH!!!!! No, no, no! (Please)
Here are the rules, as posted, for last month.


The Rules:

1. Must write every day.
2. Word Count is key. No minimum. (example: if you only get 20 words for the day, it still counts.)
3. The person with the highest WC in a day gets bragging rights for that day.
4. All participants are on the 'Honor" system. (Sorry, I know everyone here is as honest as the day is long, but it had to be added as a rule.)
5. All participants must have a counter or post their total WC somewhere in their signature.
6. Contest will end at midnight 31 January. (This will be set according to the AW time zone.)


I think that they are all just fine except for Number 1: Must write every day.

Blah! I can't do that. Writing is my job and I sure don't write every day -- at least one day a week I devote to research, for example. Another day to tactical outlining and revision. Could this one be worded differently... like MUST WRITE AT LEAST 4 DAYS PER WEEK or something?

I would love to join your group but, heck, if I can't even meet the number one requirement, that's pretty pitiful... sigh.

Just thought I'd ask. Thanks!

I need to do this; NEEED...but afraid to flake out and write nothing.

Nah, I didn't follow last month.
Oh, does it matter if it's not M/T/S?

ok. I'll give it a shot.

Giving a shot. I only have something like 10-15k to do and my book is finished, so whatever.

heyjude said:

Melville, you're right. I am officially doing away with the "Must write every day" rule. It's an overall race to the end. I don't write every day either. If I did most of it would be gibberish.

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Thanks so much, heyjude! I'm in!

Okay with me to change rule #1. Heck, I made them up and didn't write every day last month.

No words today either, so far. I'm stuck on a hospital scene. My MC is visiting her partner in the ICU and she HATES hospitals!

Finally got through the hospital scene. *phew* And I guess I'll have the honor of being the first to post a word count. Only 185, but it's a start.

NOTE: Of course #6 is changed to midnight 28 Feb. (AW time zone) Only 27 days to go!

I'm in, though I don't think I'll get to anything today.

Good thing rule #1 was jacked.

We'll see. Maybe I'll be back later, after I figure out whether or not I want a siggy or not.

Whew! I finished my daily output... my self-imposed requirement is that I write at least 1375 new words on a "Writing Day" or I'm not allowed to get up from the chair. (I'm not kidding either!)

I have 14 more writing days scheduled for this month so I hope to have 28,000-30,000 more words added to my new novel, passing the two-third mark.

Good luck to everyone! I'm a happy tortoise who respects the speed of hares.


WIP (2nd Book In Series Set In Las Vegas)

Fantabulous February M/T/S Challange - 1650

Melville said:

Whew! I finished my daily output... my self-imposed requirement is that I write at least 1375 new words on a "Writing Day" or I'm not allowed to get up from the chair. (I'm not kidding either!)

About me, your new member:

I write "finished words" in that I edit/revise as I go so once I write THE END, all it needs is a thorough proof-reading. I don't do drafts; I don't let things sit after I finish. When I'm done, I'm done. And there's always a new project waiting, which I'm eager to get into. I also don't use "beta readers"; in fact, after me, the only person to read what I write is my bright-as-a-penny new agent.

During my grad school days, and for notable periods afterward, I worked as a book editor for a couple of the major publishers and those skills are still alive on my "Revision Days". On those days, my creative self is dormant, thank goodness.

(Actually, I come from television writing where you write fast, hand it over, and it's filmed the next morning so revisions are not possible... and before that I came out of academia where we actually wrote final exams by hand in blue books -- no revision there either -- so I think that for me this process -- write and run -- is natural.)

I know everyone has their own technique -- whatever works for them -- but I just thought I'd lay mine out there as it works for me.

I tend to average between 1500-3000 for a day's work though I once had to write 5500 words in one day as the book (a children's book) was going to print the next morning. Blah: that's too many words. I still remember that headache.

I have 14 more writing days scheduled for this month so I hope to have 28,000-30,000 more words added to my new novel, passing the two-third mark.

The publisher wants it by April 1, so that should work!

Hopefully that's not TMI

Good luck to everyone! I'm a happy tortoise who respects the speed of hares.


WIP (2nd Book In Series Set In Las Vegas)

Fantabulous February M/T/S Challange - 1650

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I can already tell you're going to whoop my butt. I'm doing good to get out 1K a day, if that.

Ken Hoss said:

I can already tell you're going to whoop my butt. I'm doing good to get out 1K a day, if that.

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Thanks for the welcome! To be clear: I'm not here for the competition, but for the camaraderie! Any words taken out of the ether and installed on a page in some unique phrasing are to be applauded.

I happen to believe 100 words can be more extraordinary than 1000, depending on how you use them!

I will, however, gladly giving a standing ovation to the winner

Congrats on your day's total!

2307 today. The champ has arrived.

Looks like I'm off to a crappy start. In addition to what I posted earlier, I only managed a whopping 243 more, for a not-so-grand total of 428 for the day. *bleah*

Have a bit of a dilemma. Kelli was in her kitchen making tea, reached into the cupboard for a cup and found a bottle of Irish Whiskey, an old bottle, left over from when her dad was alive. Now she is contemplating taking "just one drink", which is impossible for an alcoholic. I don't know if I should let her, or have her call her sponsor.

Ken Hoss said:

Have a bit of a dilemma. Kelli was in her kitchen making tea, reached into the cupboard for a cup and found a bottle of Irish Whiskey, an old bottle, left over from when her dad was alive. Now she is contemplating taking "just one drink", which is impossible for an alcoholic. I don't know if I should let her, or have her call her sponsor.

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Blah! That's an EASY choice. To coin a phrase, she needs to simply remember "WWMD"... "What Would Marlowe Do?"

Um, drink of course!

heyjude said:

Melville, you're right. I am officially doing away with the "Must write every day" rule. It's an overall race to the end. I don't write every day either. If I did most of it would be gibberish.

So the official rules are: Write as much as you can in Feb. Keep a counter. We're on the honor system, of course. And, um, be nice. Yeah. Aside from the spankings, be nice.

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We all broke that rule last time anyway.

Woohoo, we've got some newbies! Prepare to have your asses kicked!*

Kaitie also requests that everyone list their current amounts in their siggy so she can keep track easily.

*probably by Todd again.

ToddWBush said:

Blah! That's an EASY choice. To coin a phrase, she needs to simply remember "WWMD"... "What Would Marlowe Do?"

Um, drink of course!

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I'm with Todd on this one.

Anyone else hopping into the game? Everyone's welcome.

Congrats Todd!

OK I'm in again. I found all this very helpful even though I LOST last month. So I just can't let that record stand! Now that our magazine is done I can actually get back to fiction and my WIP!! I shall adjust my siggy.

Edit: Adding my 281 words.

Creeping back in again...

231 done. Will see if I get anything else done before I need to deal with the laundry and go to bed.

Love and coffee,
Frances
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M/T/S Challenge, February: 231

Woohoo, lots of players this time! This ought to be fun.