May Challenge - Write Every Day

Hi everyone!

Taylor: Relax and enjoy the break! Take your time, and when you return to writing, who knows you might get inspired to resume your old novel

Keithy: Looks like version three is swimming well! I hope your distracting situation doesn't last long.

Layla: Keeping a daily routine does help! And you seem to be doing well with both the writing and the life thing Congrats on the 1/2 page!

xenylic: 900 words is great! I know it's hard to do anything at all when your health gets in the way. So don't be too hard on yourself about it. Take care of yourself and get well soon

Daniel: Well done on the word count - and great job with maintaining your resolution! Editing isn't as much fun as writing, but one gets used to it.

I had a nice day. Managed to revise 1150 words, although that took me 3.5 hours because of some confusion over structure. In hindsight, I should've just moved on. I started this challenge with the intention of only making the revision 50-70 percent good, and I need to keep that in mind. Really hope to get back on target tomorrow and gain some momentum.

Everyone's doing a great job! Good luck for tomorrow!

Parting words:

It's the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting ― Paulo Coelho

Xen - good to see you! sorry your not feeling well, but glad you got a walk in. Hope you can check of those boxes soon, that always feels great!

Daniel - congrats on the 4K+ and on getting some editing in

Hey Skara - 1150 words of revising is great! & congrats on getting in 3+ hours


Day 15
WIP: 1/2 page
R/SC 8.5 hrs of earning service; a wee bit of exercise
$$: housemate call, a wee bit more work on my write-up exercise,

Edited a few page and I've just finished brewing a tea.

I've read A LOT today, even by my standards. Holy moly macaroni!

Starting the writing process now. I only work at 9 A.M tomorrow so I've got plenty of time. Time to try and make it shine!

Good luck everyone! : D

P.S. Still smoke free! Haven't used any of my nicotine gum yet either!

Very little done today :-(

DanielSTJ: 4.7k on a workday? As an abominably slow writer, that's the stuff of dreams for me. As for edits, I think it works in many ways with writing (in that you need to start small and just get the cognitive wheel turning), but it's the polar opposite of drafting. For me, I'm on the other end. My strength is more in editing than getting the words down, which leaves me with a distinct lack of completed manuscripts. Nevertheless, practice makes permanent. Hope you can continue building those editing muscles up and good luck tonight with writing!

SKara: "In hindsight, I should've just moved on" epitomizes my month as a whole. I'm guessing overthinking is how we stumbled into this writing thing in the first place, so it's only natural we overthink to the point ourselves up. If nothing else, today can serve as a lesson for mental pitfalls to be weary of, but I also think the revisions matter a great deal. Sticking through a 3.5 hour session despite losing that momentum is awesome, especially when you're keeping honest to yourself on how thorough you want revisions to be at the moment.

Layla: Nicely done as always, Layla!

Keithy: Sorry, Keithy! Sometimes a day is just unceremoniously lost (to no fault of our own). Hope tomorrow treats you more kindly!

Did an absolutely grueling 1.1k for me today, but my goal was to hit triple digits, and no matter how ugly it felt, I did just that! Some parts of it were absolutely great in terms of character designs, but most of the actual on-page writing was awkward transitional stuff that will probably not survive past the first round of revisions. Nevertheless, learned my main villain's superpowers, and finally got her to cross paths with MC. Been very stuck with what's on the horizon. I'm considering skipping head soon, because I have some great ideas that have propped up, but they're just out of reach of where I'm currently stuck at.

Didn't do a whole lot except meditate otherwise today. The writing really did leave me wiped since I went a couple hours past my usual writing time to reach my goal. Tomorrow, I want to get up early again and keep things moving. It's always after 40k that the drafting becomes ugly and I start wanting to jump ship. I also need to finish a lot of backlogged work (Query letter and book 2 synopsis chiefly).

Good night everyone! I'll check back tomorrow!

Gosh, this thread is encouraging. I love knowing that other people are pushing to get something written every day -- it's like accountability for me!

I'm at 32k as of tonight, out of a goal of 85k, which really isn't too bad considering I started the first draft of this manuscript only about a month ago. The plan is definitely to get finished by the end of summer, but the sooner the better, because the first draft stage is always the craziest and it's juuuuust possible I might be moving sometime in early autumn! (Shh -- haven't told anyone yet!)

I'm already looking forward to the eventual overhaul and polish. That being said, I'm loving writing and getting to know my characters better, even if I don't always feel motivated to write. Having a lot of fun with this one! I just love my story and my characters, and that's a good feeling, even if carving out time to write every damn day isn't always as fun.

Just settled upon the idea for my next manuscript, too, which is such a relief after a couple of hiatus years where writing was the last thing I wanted to do. ♥

I'm going to bed. I gave it a good run.

Today's total: 7837.

Good luck tonight and tomorrow everyone!

Hiya, everyone!

I fell off the face of the planet for a while, but I did manage to get the completed outline drafted over the weekend. (It was horrible, I'm a pantser at heart but a series demands a certain level of organization to move forward.) Do words from an outline count? Haha, 6,448 words on that outline! No? Okay.

I've written maybe 4k story words since last posting. I hope everyone is doing well, progressing nicely, and conquering their goals.

Taylor: Woo hoo! Congrats on finishing! Hope you get everything sorted out, and are back to writing in no time. Good luck on your journey!

DanielSTJ: Wow…nice updates from you for the past few days! Great word counts--AND--quitting smoking. Congrats! Quitting smoking was one of the hardest things I ever did, but so worth it. Besides the obvious health benefits, just the money I’ve saved over the years is incredible.

SKara: 4200 words in 5.5 hours is super productive! And spending time planning and restructuring is exhausting, so nice work there too. Glad that it’s resolved now. Good luck with the ever elusive sleep.

Keithy: Congrats on getting to version 3 of your outline! Glad to see your making progress with it, and that you like it better than the last two versions.

Magnus: Great that the new routine of writing before breakfast is working for you. And thanks for the reminder that just checking in here when life gets crazy is “okay.” From now thru mid-July I might be doing quick check ins only. Just finding time to cook a meal or pay a bill has been a struggle as of late, and I’m not fully in the thick of things yet. By next week, all hell should break loose at work.

Layla: Nice to see that you’ve been keeping on, keeping on. Really hope the housemate thing pans out for you soon.

April: Yikes about the drunk and the dripping blood--and then another incident the following day?! That could really put a downer on your walks, huh? Hope the experiences at least give you some writing fodder to use one day.

Xenylic: Nice work on the 900 words. So sorry to hear that your health issues have been overwhelming. I hope you get back on your feet again soon! Hang in there.

Rachel: 32k out of 85k is fantastic. You’re over a third of the way done. Nice job!

VFStorm: I say outlining counts. 6,448 words is a lot of work, and it will help you going forward…right? At least that’s the hope. I’m a pantster too, and am in the middle of outline hell as well, so I feel your pain. Congrats on the 4k story!

As for me, I finished reading through my entire manuscript and while I do have some ideas about how to fix some of the issues, others are not coming to me just yet, or are very vague. I might have to just dive in and do the work before I figure them out. But before I do that, I am attempting to create a rough outline to send to my editor first, just to see what she thinks of the things I "do" feel I can fix. I'd hate to dig in, spend months re-writing the entire thing, and have her not like it.

Hi everyone!

Layla: Congrats on the steady progress! Looks like your days are going smooth and busy

Daniel: 7837 - that's a huge word count! Keep it up, and glad to hear you're sticking to your will power challenge. Rooting for you

Keithy: It's all right. Think of all the days that went well - and you had many of those! I'm sure you'll be back to your daily progress again Remember to give yourself credit for all the nice work you've been doing this month.

xynelic: You're write - overthinking is a double-edged sword; it does play a part in our writing process. Your 1.1 k is very impressive, all the more so become of the grueling nature: it's a task of gigantic strength to go through those words, but it's always very liberating. Hang in there And keep up the meditation - I always count it as time well spent.

Rachel: 32k is amazing progress in a month! I know the thrill of writing a something like that where you just love the story and the characters so much! My current project is something like that, although the revision part isn't as great. Good luck with story - I'm sure you can get it done by the end of summer!

VFStorm: Welcome back! And 6.5k in outline does count! Add to that the 4k that you actually wrote. All in all, that is a good pace!

Lakey: Glad to have you back here! Well done on the 1-1.5k! Sometimes skipping a tough bit is the best idea - that's the lesson that keeps cropping up repeatedly in my writing. Hoping your other storyline goes well

D.L: Yup, it's definitely better to clear things up with your editor. It might even help you go into the revision with more faith (which is a GREAT thing, because writing is usually so ridden with self-doubt). When you do start the revision, just fix what you can - sometimes the unconscious mind takes time to work on complex problems. Good luck!

Magnus: I know, it's hard to start work first thing in the morning (personally, I think it's impossible ) which is why your routine already surprises me. I'm very glad you've started on your fiction - really hoping you pick up momentum there!

I had another slow day. Three hours, 1000 words. But here's the thing: today I let the annoying scenes remain there in their annoying form because I couldn't figure out a better way; I'm trying to come to terms with it now, and hoping I make it a habit. Otherwise this thing isn't going to finish anytime soon. Really hoping to get some serious progress tomorrow.

Nice job everyone! Keep at it - we're halfway through May!

Parting words:

Don't let yesterday take up too much of today - Will Rogers

SKara said:

today I let the annoying scenes remain there in their annoying form because I couldn't figure out a better way; I'm trying to come to terms with it now, and hoping I make it a habit. Otherwise this thing isn't going to finish anytime soon.

Click to expand...

I'm right there with you on that one! I've been mentally wrestling with a chapter of mine and finally had the guts to tell myself to suck it up, let it go, and press on with the rest. So much easier to edit what's already written, and I can't make it sound good if I have nothing to shape it into! Keep moving forward!

Drive by for me tonight. About to crash.

Day 16
WIP: 1/4 page
R/SC: 9 or 10 hrs of earning service. Got a bit frustrated with it today; did some laundry
$$: two housemate calls

Well, the garden is looking a bit tidier now, but the writing has taken a back seat. I suppose I added a couple of minor ideas to the outline.

It's more bob bob bob than swim swim swim right now.

Rachel: 32k is great for the time frame! Also, with having a solid deadline in mind and a manuscript on deck, you're really on top of things! It's great when the writing itself is fun with the characters. Keep that close the next time you're struggling to gain any traction on this project!

Daniel: Congrats on 7,837 words!

VFStorm: Outline's totally count, so I will congratulate for a completely legitimate 10k words written!

Lakey: Hope the crisis with the association dies down quickly, and hooray for keeping at the writing! Keeping in motion is the name of the game.

D.L.: Sounds like a good idea. I hope you feel like you two are on the same page with the revisions! Whenever those start, good luck!

Magnus: Nice job with finishing the non-fiction project! It's always feels like you can dial things up, and I think your on the cusp of that. Keep it up!

SKara: That was pretty much me yesterday, so I totally relate, but you absolutely did the right thing. There's time to create and then there's time to fix said creation—mix the two at your own peril. It's extremely hard to resist the revision urge, especially when it's unsatisfactory, but the larger picture comes first. I think it's one of the hardest things about the writing process to master, so, to put of a positive spin on it, if you can master that, you can probably master everything in writing.

Layla: Enjoy the sleep! You earned it!

Keithy: Just keep bobbing! The water'll start to follow the rhythm of your movements and propel you forward! In the meantime, way to make use of the downtime for something equally productive.

Something clicked today, and I'm really happy about that! Actually, no, two things clicked today. My new character really started spreading her wings and taking center stage, offering me a much needed break from the constant improvising I've been forced into for the past few weeks, and some of those unreachable plot points that I kept coming up with in my effort to avoid the creative abyss in front of me finally paid off. My mind made an excellent catalyst to segue from Point A to Point B with little to no lingering issues. Now, hopefully, I've curbed the existential crisis of my plot for another 10-20k words.

As for the numbers, I got in another 1.1k in a much more expedient fashion than the last two day, allowing me time and energy to also devote into my reading once again. I also did my meditation as well, so all around an excellent use of 24 hours of life.

Good night, everyone!

Slower day-- as I had a long work schedule.

Still, I managed to pull some words out.

Day 16 word-count: 1368.

I have tomorrow off, so I'm hoping for much better progress.

Good luck and good work everybody! Keep it goin'!

Hi everyone!

Rachel: I know it takes a lot of strength to move on but you did the right thing! It's such a basic point, and yet we forget it - we keep trying and getting frustrated, hoping that if we try harder, it'll come to us, but that's now how creativity works; it needs space, it needs time, it certainly doesn't need more force/mental effort. We need to remember this for the future

Layla: Hope you had a restful night - your days are always so full and make me wonder at your superhuman strength! Keep inspiring us

Keithy: Something is still better than nothing. I'm sure you'll be back to swimming in no time

xynelic: You're right about the larger picture coming first - once the structure is in place and things are clearer, revision becomes much easier. I'm letting the little things/doubts go for now. Because what's the other option? Guessing, going back and forth between decisions, and stalling.

Congratulations on the beautiful day! Those clicks are priceless - when things fall into place and flow smoothly. 1.1k sounds awesome, and I'm glad the "existential crisis" of your plot is over (I didn't know plots had those, lol). Hoping your days go well

Daniel: 1368 words are still great! You always manage to over-compensate the next say, so I wouldn't worry

I had a nice day: 3.5 hours, 1750 words, but without the usual pressure. I've learned to stop pushing and just step back when things aren't working. And then lo and behold, they work.

So, remember, folks, things will come to you in their own time but only if you move on. Keep moving on!

Wise words from Bob Proctor:

If you're not prepared to lose, you're never going to win.

I am well-rested.

I have tons of tea.

I am not smoking.

I feel energized.

Finally, my five-day weekend started today. Oh boy! Time to take care of business!

I'm starting my writing now. I've read for approximately 10 hours today. I read A LOT.

Time to try!

Good luck everyone!

I think version 4 is coming soon. I just can't seem to get the thing together. Where do I start?

drive by again, sorry -

WIP 3/4 page -
R/SC - another 10-ish hour day - but some recognition of my contribution; tiny grocery shopping
$$ - managed to to a little research for one of my indie $$ projects

Daniel: I hope you enjoy the five day weekend; that sounds amazing right about now! And so does 10 hours of reading. I'm jealous!

SKara: Good for you! That's what writing should always be about. We get too caught up in the quality and quantity every day that we forget the pleasure of just exploring our imagination in the free-form manner it best comes out as.

Lakey: Yay! I'm so glad you got promoted! I'd say it's a perfect time to take off as a reward for the hard work you put in! And I highly doubt it will go to waste; you've got a lot of things stacked up for the break. Secondly, congrats on the 200 words. I know how stubborn that party scene is for you, so hearing that you made any headway at all on it is very impressive!

Keithy: Is this version 4 of the outline? Either way, I have complete confidence you'll figure this out! See if there's an unconscious link or pattern to what elements and decisions you've liked and disliked so far in experimenting. And don't let pressure of choice get too into your head! Good luck!

Layla: Nicely done again, Layla! The research for your indie project sounds exciting!

Kept with everything today. 6 hours to write my 1.1k, but I made it happen all the same. Better yet, I got all my other stuff in during the abbreviated time slot today. Also, I'm really feeling my confidence surge forward in writing and just day-to-day life at the moment.

Went to a monthly writer's group I'm a part of and had a fun time. Talked to some new people, and maybe met a new friend, so feeling quite refreshed. I'm ready to close this week out tomorrow with a big fat 50k landmark on book #2. And for the weekend, I will actually, this time for sure make my new query letter of book 1.

Good night, everyone!

Well, I faded pretty fast. Yet, I still did great work. My best total so far.

Day 17: 10,036.

Hi everyone,
Lakey: Huge huge congratulations on your promotion!

You definitely deserved a day off - I hope you had a nice day full of writing related joyful things

Daniel: 10 hours is a lot of reading (I'm envious) - and 10,036 is a lot of words (I'm envious again)!! Keep on writing and reading!

Keithy: I hope you find a starting point soon and start swimming on with version 4 (although I really had a soft spot for number 3).

Layla: A 3/4 page is great! You're doing very well

xenylic: Congrats on the six hours and 1.1k! Enjoy your weekend, and I really hope you get to your query for B1

As for me, 5 hours, 2600 words (I need to double the pace soon), but I'm very satisfied now that I'm moving forward again. All in all, a very good day.

Good luck everyone!

Security is mostly a superstition. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing - Helen Keller