Fractious February - 500 words/day writing/editing - all genres welcome

January, January... wherefore art though, January?!

Look at it one way. The twin goals were to write 50k in order to finish the draft. I didn't write 50k, and I didn't finish the draft.

But!

I did write 36k - which, 'scuse my French, is pretty fucking great. I got to THE END and I'm just filling in the missing bits from the start. I used the time I had off from work well and motivated myself to sit down and write every day without getting distracted by Playstations and all the other fun stuff at home. I found rhythm with the story and I'm really happy with how it's turning out.

So I'm calling January a good one.

Now, February is not going to be as good as that. It can't be, because I have to do the day job this month. January was a one-off and I need to stop reminiscing for "the good old days" - last week - and get used to reality. So harder targets to hit, even though they seem smaller.


This month I have three chapters to write, which will complete the first draft. Secondary goal (for extra XP) is to complete more research. The reward if I hit all my marks is getting to outline the next book*.


Let's have a great February, team!





*: no sarcasm! I genuinely love doing the first outline on a book. It's loads of fun and I have to stop myself just writing outlines rather than actual books.

*peeks around doorjamb*
*sidles inside*
*coughs gently*

New to the goals threads here, but I love making goal lists (and love crossing them off afterward even more.) So, February goals...

1. Finally get 2 self-published print books uploaded to Ingram to diversify print availability.
2. Figure out how to use the used Mac my sister-in-law gave me so I can do my own uploading of titles to the Apple bookstore. I don't do Macs, so this will be interesting.
3. Do whatever needs to be done for my July book--don't know if I'll get the edits back before the end of the month but fingers crossed.
4. I keep putting it off, but I really, really need to get my website theme changed. I'm reasonable handy with WordPress, but the idea of changing themes is kind of daunting.
5. Write something. The short story I worked on in January (for another Book View Cafe anthology) is nearly done--probs by Sunday--so I need to finish it off and put it aside to marinate a couple of weeks before a final polish.
6. Talk to agent lady and and decide what to write after that. Been feeling more than a little paralyzed there...

Welcome Marissa! Happy you have joined us. You've set some impressive goals.

Thank you Liz for starting the new thread. I'm ready for my first full month of the challenge.

Congratulation on a great January OSG! You too have some nice goals set for the new month. Good luck!

While I got in on Judicious January near the end of the month, I'm happy with my production for January. Mostly because after meeting the great folks here and starting the challenge I only missed one day of writing. That hasn't happened since my last NaNoWriMo. This has really motivated me.

Here are my goals for February:

1. Write every day and average at least 500 words per day.
2. Reach the 35,000 word mark with Mare's Nest before the end of the month. That would have my first draft 70-percent completed.
3. Finish outlining Reichtag Fire, the new spy thriller I'm working on.

I achieved a lot in January but very little of it was the writing goals I wanted, so I'm trying to find my way again this February.

Okay. Specific, measurable, achievable goals. Let's do this.

These are rough and likely to change as I find my way....

* Maintain weight below the 140
* Hit 135.
* Spinning 1x week (when not travelling).
* Roller derby 1x a week (when not travelling).
* Read 5 books. [Inside the Mind of a Dog, An Accident of Stars, The Stars Are Legion, and anything else]
* Write 20k.
* Hit 25k consecutive, clean words on the WIP.

Welcome EMaree and Marissa D! Nice to have you on board.

OSG - Nice work and congrats. It can be tough to stay focused at home (*cough* I'mguiltyofthat *cough*) but you were very productive and your novel is nearly done. Awesome.

Larry - Awesome on writing every day.


I did pretty well. I was a bit unfocused at first, as I usually am after turning in a book to my editor, but I got entranced with Oubliette (again) and knocked out 21,191 words and breaking 40k. Not bad.

I also started writing on 1/2 and did not miss a day. I'm in a "Don't Break the Chain" challenge and my goal was to not break the chain. And I didn't.

Goals:

Get to 50k or better on Oubliette
Poke at the secret project - still waiting for 2 betas, but I'd like to at least start thinking about it again

And that's basically it. My edits for Fireborn are hitting on March 1st and beyond that, I will be super busy. I just want to write words and enjoy the process before shifting gears.

Liz - Progress is progress is progress, I always say.


441 words on Oubliette.

Great goals and progress, everyone.

I managed around 500 words yesterday.

Welcome, EMaree! Happy you've joined the team.

Awesome January production Erin and I'm impressed with your February goals. Loving the progress you're making on Oubliette

So pleased you're making good progress with the editing LIZ, and well done on the progress made on CoW. Yep, you need to focus on having some fun that's for sure.

Great job knocking out the 500 words yesterday OSG!

I finished writing late last night, so I'm combining reports today. I've been writing the outline for Reichstag Fire the past two days, and have finished outlining the first five chapters. For the first day of February, I wrote 2,703 words. Today, 1,506 words.

Yep, it is a bit long for just an outline. But, the method I'm learning is more a detailed than bare bones outlining approach. The outline not only covers the plot points, but lots of detail from my research. I can't wait to start writing the first draft of this book because I'm certain it is going to go super fast using this outline. Everything is in the outline. So, I won't have to keep flipping back to research notes or minor character notes while writing.

Wishing you all continued success! Let's stay motivated!

Just finished the short story--yay! Now it can go marinate, and I can move onto something else. Just don't ask me what yet.

OSG - Nice work!

Larry - Thank you! Nice wordage and awesome about the outline.

Marissa - Congrats on finishing the short story.

Liz - Of course!

482 words for me today on Oubliette.

Well done Marissa on finishing your short story!

Too funny LIZ I'm sure none of us ever doubted you're normal. No, really. Ha-ha-ha

Great wordage Erin. You're on roll.

I finished another chapter in Mare's Nest today, 1,823 words. Feel like I made up for neglecting it while working on the outline for the other book. Hope you all had a lovely Saturday. Now if you'll all excuse me, I've got to go outline a couple more chapters.

lizmonster said:

My character didn't get any words done today. Slacker.

Click to expand...

You can never trust them LIZ Ha-ha

Guess everyone is watching the Super Bowl? I got my writing done early before the game started, 1,198 words on Mare's Nest. Not that I really wanted to write today. Back before I joined these monthly challenges I'm sure I'd have skipped it. But, once I got started the words came pretty easily. Hope everyone had a great weekend.

Thanks LIZ

Oh, I love the Godfather. Especially the first one. Speaking of that, I saw the sale on your book. It was an offer I couldn't refuse Don Corleone. Ha-ha We'll see what you got LIZ I read the first couple of chapters and it's really good. And wow your WIP, "simultaneously the most complex and the most straightforward thing I've ever written" sounds intriguing.

Larry - Awesome wordage.

Liz - Sounds interesting. Can't wait to read it (eventually).


So guess who didn't watch the Superbowl? I did what I do every year: I gamed. I played Guild Wars 2. I've just discovered that it is free to play, but with some restrictions. It's quite different from Guild Wars 1, but I am enjoying it so far. And naturally, my eye had to protest in the form of level 9 TN pain so I'm done for the day.

I did get 643 words in of Oubliette, though.

I am told there was some kind of sporting contest in the old colonies. Good show, I say.


About seven hundred words to add to the tally since last time, although I deleted a bunch of redundant chapters I'd left in from a previous false start, so technically I'm down about 13k...

Good to hear everyone's progress. Hopefully this will be a good week for us!

Liz - Would you like me to shake some sense into your character? I'm pretty good at it.

OSG - Still progress regardless.

Yesterday I wrote 821 words on Oubliette and left it on a very tense moment. This should be fun. :rubs hands in glee:

Liz - Different can be good.


747 words today, and it was fun writing the scene.