Determined December - 500 words/day or editing - all genres welcome

I think last month was the first time I ever met my goals.

This month, I want to do two chapters a week. That's about nine chapters, which will probably wind up being about 16-17K words total, which averages out to 500-550 a day, I guess, though I tend to write either nothing or an entire chapter in one day, so it's more helpful to think in terms of weeks than days and chapters than wordcount.

I feel like I should have some fitness goals, but I'm not sure how to settle on something specific. I want to do something that is active and gets my heart pumping because I am far too sedentary even though I otherwise appear to be fit. But cardiovascular exercise suuuuuucks and it's too cold now to do fun active things outside. I have a feeling I will be doing random jumping jacks every few days without any accompanying sense of accomplishment.

November was rough. I MADE MY DEADLINE FOR EVER TOUCHED, so that's off my desk till January. But, it was hard won, with family stress and Thanksgiving and work...luckily, I've been on vacation this week. I also got a freelance editing job come through, due Wednesday, so that's the priority.

I have a short story to write for the TDP blog due January 1st.

Other than that, nothing pressing, so after the editing job is done, I'm taking a break. I've been working long and hard for months. My brain and body needs this. I may poke at an outline for a rewrite, or a revision of a novella if I feel the urge and/or have the brain cells. I also need to get back into exercising this month as well, as I have been horrible about it.

And, survive Christmas.

I finished work on a screenplay. Sent in my novelette -- I'll hear back from the publisher in January. I scrapped the story I started. My heart wasn't in it. I've started work on an outline and plan to start churning out words either this weekend or next week. I've also got to query more agents this month for my novel and my screenplay. Once my outline for my new novel is done, I'll have some more concrete writing plans.

Fitness? Urrgh. I am not a fan of fitness. For my entire life, my favourite activities have all been ones that involve sitting down (ie reading, writing, playing video games, playing RPGs...). Exercise is good for you and hence it must be endured as a necessary evil. I rather view eating vegetables in the same light (don't like any of those, either). And when it's dark and cold I am even more disinclined to move from my comfy chair in front of the fire - or my bed - if I'm not having to travel to and from that other necessary evil known as The Day Job.

So my fitness regime in the last few months has dwindled to nothing. And likely to stay that way until January, when guilt will no doubt inspire me to make another New Year's Resolution to once more look for an exercise regime I can stick to.

As for the writing - well, there was not as much of that in November as there should have been. I am aiming to do more in December. It's always difficult, of course, at this time of year, with time having to be allocated to present buying and wrapping and so on.

The day job shuts down for Christmas, though, and I have ten days of blissful lie-ins. I am aiming to drag myself away from the TV and the mince pies for a few of those days and park myself in front of the laptop for some wordage. I have two publishers expecting different books from me next year and I need to get my backside into gear.

So fellow scribes, if you don't see me posting word counts on a regular basis, please poke me with sticks.

I am not a fan of fitness either. Throwing my body around in unpleasant ways while sweating and grunting is just not appealing.

*sips wine*

*adjust pearls*



I'd do sparring or dancing since there is a social and competitive aspect to that, but it's just not possible right now.

This sounds fun! I was hoping someone would continue a thread after Nano. I'm keeping on, keeping on. I'd love to join and encourage you all. I did hit nano, but yeah . . . so much more work to go.

I'm originally from Mass, and feeling nostalgia--awesome to meet you Liz, and thanks.

So I'm up to 211 pages edited of 315. Deadline is Wednesday.

You're all doing so well. I'll be happy if I write anything this month. It would help if I stopped traveling around. Two weeks until my next trip. Maybe I can manage a few words before then.

Welcome, Darien!

I watched Jason Bourne last night and was appalled-- It has next to no dialogue. It's practically three large tentpole action scenes with clunky scenes of exposition in between and even then Matt Damon barely speaks. I thought it was just awful. (Although the woman C.I.A. agent I thought had the only interesting character and arc, and also happened to be super cute.)

BUT instead of just complaining about it, I decided to write a screenplay that's a spy/thriller with dialogue and intrigue, spycraft and interpersonal drama and a climax that actually earns the action involved. Jason Bourne left me feeling so empty by its end that I had to write a rebuttal to it in the form of a screenplay. Started work today and I'm 10 page in. That's 10% of a screenplay. So I'm having an okay night.

776 words achieved this morning!

Ugh. December. I have been avoiding this thread for at least a week because I got nowhere in November. But, like a hungover detective examining himself in the mirror, let's recap my goals from November:

1. Write as much as I can on the WIP. Not officially doing Nano, but lots of words would be nice.
Started at 7786. Finished at 12511. 4725 words, which is rather less than some folk manage in a day.

2. Finish a certain song I'm working on
For a given value of "finish" this is done, insofar as there is a melody and a structure. Of course, if you count pesky things like lyrics, arrangement, and recording, then nope. Not done.

3. Finish reading The Spy Who Came In From The Cold (which is awesome, btw)
This one I did at least do. Then I started reading Wizard And Glass, which is part four of King's The Dark Tower, and kinda wished I hadn't started - not because it's not good (it is), but because Remnants Of Trust came out and I really want to read that instead.

4. Do some bloody exercise and eat a bit better
Yeah, right.


Those were some big, lofty goals, and I pretty much screwed them all.



SO. What I am going to do for December so I don't just fail all over again?

I will set smaller, more granular, and more achievable targets, with clear rewards.

1. Write 5,000 words
Big woo. But that's more than I got in November. So that's the bar to clear.
> If I do this, I am allowed to drink the very special beer I bought last month. It's a one-off that will never be made again and tastes amazing.

2. Write the lyrics for and finish the arrangement of the song I'm writing.
I know just how long it can take me to record and produce something, so focusing on these elements makes the goal more achievable.
> If I do this, I will buy an effects pedal (read: toy) for my guitar.

3. Finish reading Wizard And Glass
Should be achievable enough with all the travel I will have to do with work.
> The reward for this is that I then get to read Remnants Of Trust!

4. Practice one jujitsu technique a day
I need to memorise 51 techiques to get my next grade. I can probably do more than that many already, but I need to practice to actually remember them under pressure. One a day will take less than five minutes and will get me halfway to my total.
> If I do this, I am allowed to go see the new Star Wars film at the cinema – otherwise I have to wait for it to come out on disc!

Best of luck everyone, and enjoy December.

onesecondglance said:

2. Write the lyrics for and finish the arrangement of the song I'm writing.[/I]
I know just how long it can take me to record and produce something, so focusing on these elements makes the goal more achievable.
> If I do this, I will buy an effects pedal (read: toy) for my guitar.

Click to expand...

This is the boat I'm on as far as songwriting as well. In my case, it sort of feels like the boat is sinking. Every single day I go up into my music room, sit down with my guitar and after I've played my favourite songs by Rancid and NOFX, maybe a little Clash and Nirvana, some much-loved Buddy Holly tunes sped up and distorted to hell, I play the punk song I've been working on. Over and over again until I've got it sounding just right and then I work on lyrics, fail, embrace failure and return to my office vowing to try again the next day.

Thanks for the welcome, namatu, and LA is a long way from Mass, Liz!

I've been on track words wise, but the last two nights I've spent editing on Book 2 and adding a few foreshadowings that I discovered it needed by doing Book 3 for Nano.

I reached a big scene in Book3, but I want to try something else, so I've got spinning gears for that one.

The other night I finally, finally, finally think I got the right tone for the opening of Book one. I'm hoping to post it in SYW soon. It's always amazing hearing what other's think.

Happy writing everyone!

Another early-morning writing session today - that's two in a row!

777 words achieved this time.

Brechin Frost said:

This is the boat I'm on as far as songwriting as well. In my case, it sort of feels like the boat is sinking. Every single day I go up into my music room, sit down with my guitar and after I've played my favourite songs by Rancid and NOFX, maybe a little Clash and Nirvana, some much-loved Buddy Holly tunes sped up and distorted to hell, I play the punk song I've been working on. Over and over again until I've got it sounding just right and then I work on lyrics, fail, embrace failure and return to my office vowing to try again the next day.

Click to expand...

I feel you, Brechin. Sometimes songs just come straight out, and other times they need to be teased out one note at a time.



Good work, Shara and Darien!

Right now my time is pretty split. I'm working on a screenplay and the outline for my next novel. In addition, I'm working on a summary response and outline structure for a non-fiction book--I'm headed to the library tomorrow to spend a day doing research.

:cheers all progress:

I finished my editing job last night. And now I have another one (from the same person). Not a tight deadline, though, and 20k, so I should be able to do that in a few days.

Trying to get words in every day, but finding it really difficult. Is it the distraction of the holidays or burn-out after Nano?? Either way, the words come out painfully clunky and horrible and I'm really doubting my plot now, and all the time invested in it already. Gaugh!

How are you other Nano'ers feeling about your stories now??

Was helping a friend yesterday, didn't do any words, but spilled my plot out like a little nervous kid and . . . yay! She loved it! What a relief.

Mary love, this speaks to your question. Personally, I found this climactic moment too sudden and flat, but I guess I'm going to keep it, just move it back later in story.

As to the rest, I really want to take a look from start to finish and try and get a handle on it all. I've never just cranked like that without sort of mini editing along the way.No doubt it all needs work, and I've got crime scenes to research and a bunch of police procedure to nail down.

Liz, I think brain-storming counts, just write it down and -tada- words!