June Challenge - Write Every Day

Taylor - keep at it!
Layla - gardening

Today I went to see Jurassic World 2, but also managed to finish a scene in chapter 4. Shana went to stop someone hurting someone else, but discovered that the first person was the victim. He called her a halfwit. 421 words.

Carry on swimming!

Started a new novel today. It's one that has been on my cork-board (I use it to show all my ideas) for quite some time. I'm excited and it's already writing out better, even in the planning stages, far better than I thought it would be.

I'm at 900 words so far, but I plan to stay up late late late!

I'm aiming for 5000 today again. Better to aim high and finish high then aim too low.

Wish me luck!

*UPDATE*

Didn't even come close. So tired.

Still not smoking though.

Day 14: 1355.

Day 14
Words Written Today: 2,421
WIP Total Count: 65,113
Other WIP Count: 16,323

Drive by from me today. work took up most of my day. And then I rewrote my first chapter of my finished ms AGAIN but this one feels absolutely stronger already so maybe I've finally fallen onto something that works. That chapter is going to be the death of me for sure. I also slept past my alarm so you know that was fun.

Earlier this week I set myself a sort of mini-target of 3500 words this week (500 words/day); I have already done 2500 so that leaves 333 per day - eminently doable. I won't be weeping and wailing if I miss it, but something to strive for.

Hi folks,

thereeness: I think that's sound progress. Keep moving forward; editing has its time, and it certainly shouldn't come during the drafting phase.

Your paleo diet sounds interesting - glad it's helping you with energy Keep us updated about how it goes.

Pterofan: Nice word count. I love love love Carry On! I loved Fangirl as well, and basically all of Rowell's YA works. Amazing, super amazing author. I hope you enjoy Carry On! It did remind so much of HP, and I loved it all the more because of that.

Taylor: I'm sure you'll be able to do that. You've been on a steady path so far

Layla: I've been trying your time-tracking technique for half the day, and it's revealing a lot of things ... At least now I know where all my missing time is going (i.e. in chatting and breaks that go longer than I'd consciously allow myself). My next step is to be more aware and strict about those minutes and hours.

17 WPM out of a target of 50 - that means you've accomplished 35% of your goal. Well done! You'll get to 50 soon enough

Keithy: Ouch for Shana's situation ... Her bona fide intentions sure backfired badly. Also, 333 is a lucky number - fingers crossed for you

Daniel: 1355 words is still great progress (along with the no-smoking)! And congrats on starting the new novel. It's always an exciting process.

KatMitch: The alarm thing sounds like bummer. The rewrite of the first chapter, though - huge congrats! I always love the idea of a strong first chapter.

Day 15: Slow, started late. That's been the pattern these last few days ... It's probably a sign of waning motivation, but I did do a few things to remedy that. And I succeeded in finding the missing tension from my current chapter and coming up with a solution to fix that. A nice day, but I'm aiming for more tomorrow. I really need to get focused.

Nice job, everyone, and good luck for another day

Day 14 - no work on either WIP. Instead I got an idea for a whole new story, and did about 100-150 words in brainstorming, sketching out a basic plot, picturing the characters, and two test paragraphs. I'd rather finish one of the WIPs, though. If interest is still there by the time I get around to it, who knows?

I finished reading Carry On and took it back to the library, so other than yard work I'm out of excuses.

I think was a bit harder this morning, but I got a full page done.

Rooting for SKara, Pterofan & Taylor. Hopefully better writing days await.

OK I just finished 663 words, a scene set in a medieval market. Shara buys something that looks like a pretty pattern, but it's really a product of high technology.

Next up - a public burning, and a scolding.

Keep on swimming!

Kiethy - Gardening indeed! and congrats on the 421!!
(& PS - congrats on the steady progress & productivity)

Daniel - IMO - the main thing is to quit while writing - so if you write less, but you didn't smoke - that's a WIN. IMO - there is nothing in life as important as taking care of our bodies.

Kay - congrats on getting work (what I call earning service) writing *and* your 'heart writing' in on Day 14.

Yeah, skara, it's really interesting isn't it? I like the word 'revealing'. (& the wisdom is to record without judging - frex - I noticed that no matter what, I puttered and puttered (sitting on the porch) from ~9-10am almost every day, and I was thinking 'oh, I have to fix this.' - and then I realized - no, I don't. That porch time makes me really happy. What I have to do is figure out a way to be productive that accommodates that mid-morning break, just as I persist in doing it…)(fwiw ;D )
& congrats on finding that missing tension

Ptero, glad you managed to get some writing in

Keep at it, Taylor!


Day 15

WIP: 3/4 page! after really struggling to start and thinking I might be lucky to get 1/4

R/SC - more work on the noren, cut the damaged sleeves off a t-shirt (new shirt!), pinned up my work pants for repair, did some cooking, ran some errands

$$: copied some reference material for one of my indie projects (then had to return the book - it's interlibrary loan, so no renewal and complicated to ask for..), and typing (made it to 20 wpm )

Drive-by today.

I quit chewing my nicotine gum yesterday. So I'm 2 days free of smoking, and the nicotine gum, altogether. I'm saving the rest of mine, just in-case, but I'm looking to be off everything.

I read a lot today, but my cerebral skills feel fuzzy. I figure that'll go down in a few days or so.

Aiming for 1250 today. I'll let you all know how I do.

*UPDATE*

Only got 173 in today, big non-productive day on the writing front. Oh well, I edited some more.

Sleep now. Good luck tomorrow everyone!

Day 15
Words Written Today: 3,007
WIP Total Count: 65,113
Other WIP Count: 19,330

Got my work done, glad it's the weekend, and wrote just a teeny bit over 3k for my WIP. I am feeling accomplished. I am also exhausted but that's okay cuz the weekend is here.

Keithy: Good luck with reaching that 3500 goal. I believe in you!

SKara: Good job figuring out the missing tension. That's the hardest part, and half the reason I've rewritten my other first chapter a thousand times.

Ptero: I always work on whatever is inspiring me. (Which is probably why I have about 3 different WIPs XD)

Taylor: A full page is awesome work. Anything on the page is awesome work to me.

Keithy: A public burning sounds fun. My next scene is a dream sequence where my MC gets to chat with Father Time XD

Layla: Earning Service. I like that I'm going to use that from now on. Congrats on all your hard work. Much more productive day than me.

Daniel: Good luck on the non smoking front and good luck with the goal word count!

Wrote for an hour and fifteen minutes. Need to work out some kinks with my magical artifacts so they present more convincing obstacles, but since it's a first draft, I was able to gloss over it and now the plot's moving forward again. One full page.

Day 15 - 388 words

I notice lately I've been putting off writing until right before bed. I'll bet if I started earlier in the day I'd get a lot more done. I'm going to work on that over the next week.

Hi everyone,

Ptero: I know the magic of starting a new project. Sometimes I think whatever gets written is a blessing. So, well done (on both days)! I know that odd habit of putting off work until late at night - it's a drain on productivity during the day. Really hope you get into a better routine soon

Taylor: Wow, you're doing some seriously steady work!

Keithy: I really like where this story is heading ... That was a clever trick with the pretty product turning out to be high tech stuff. Swim, swim, this sounds interesting!

Layla: You're right. I'm also trying to keep the breaks intact in more productive ways - which will actually allow me to make better use of the time I do have. And nice work on the 3/4 page - that's in your upper limits! You're wowing me with your typing speed improvement

Daniel: Congrats on giving up the nicotine gum - and successfully staying off smoking! And you still got some writing and editing done, so I'd say a pretty successful day you've had.

Kay: That's one big word count! No doubt you're all tired - hope you have an awesome, relaxing, beautiful weekend

Day 16: Strange, to say the least. For the past week, I've been working on my unofficial MG project during my unofficial writing hours, and today I changed the routine: I worked a lot on the MG project during official hours because I've been getting more serious about that. It's still unofficial, and I felt like I owed it to my current official YA project to at least give it an hour, which I did. So, a very productive day, but I hope to be back to my usual routine tomorrow.

Nice work, everyone. We're half-way through June! Let's keep swimming.

Hello writers. Dog is better. Working an altered day job schedule to care for him that's jacking with my writing time. Grrr at stress.

Day 16
Finished Chapter 8 revision. 19 chapters to go. Hoping to finish before the end of the month, but at a chapter every two days, it's not likely. Had a what-am-I-doing-writing-a-book, everything-is-crap crisis. Telling myself it will pass.

Looks like everybody here is doing great. Keep at it.

Layla - so many errand here too! They are piling up while I write.
Daniel - 173 words beats many of my bad days. So it's good.
Taylor - my first draft is full of (describe) and (expand this) notes. Some of my characters don't have names yet. So... first drafts are forgiving.
WGough - yay dogs. I must be the only dog and cat person I know. I'm used to the doubts, and I'm used to them passing.

I did 735 words today, finishing the "capital" chapter. I might throw or move some of what I've written, but it's there to move or throw. I've met my (easy) total for the week - 3929 words.

Will I have a rest tomorrow? I doubt it. Shana now has a job in the royal palace so she can do a bit of spying. Alas, it is not a particularly exulted position, and I am half tempted to make so that when she turns up for her first day, there's been a mistake and it's an even more lowly position. Perhaps acting deputy assistant dung shoveller with special responsibility for dumping the stuff.

Sooo.... carry on doing what Dory does.

Hey Daniel = that's really great that your kicking the gum as well as the source itself. & Even though you've had higher word count days - it really counts for a lot that you 'showed up' as they say, and let your writer take the wheel so to speak. It can be so easy to give in & do nothing…

Hey Kay - congrats on the 3K

Taylor congrats on getting in that time and on moving your story forward!

Ptero - keep on keeping on!

Hey Skara - that sounds really great -- upping the productivity. I like the idea of 'official time/WIP and unofficial'. You can approach things differently.

Wgough - grrr on stress, for sure - but you got some revision done - nice work

Woo - Keithy - 753 words - way to keep chugging along! (I love cats & dogs -- I met a Cat Whisperer the other day (well, he brings them food. He's 75. He's been chilling with the strays in the hidden bakery neighborhood for 20 years, he told me…)

Day 16 - I've decided to make Sunday my skip day for writing, but - my new schedule kind of messes up my routine. Oh well, I'll have to live with it until I fix it…

WIP: 1/2 page
R/SC: went to a protest about the closing of an artist's space (The person who bought it - dig this - runs a music festival, but he's going to evict local musicians from their practice spaces); sewing, some brainstorming & writing for a personal project

$$ - some brainstorming & marketing material design for my freelance offering

Kaymitch: 3K? Nicely done! That is progress and a half! = D

Taylor: A page is still good, too. Good hustle!

Pterofan: You and me both. I started implementing it today. I’m going to bed earlier too. None of this 3 A.M twang sort of bullocks.

Skara: Good stuff—moving forward is key— as is balancing the different projects that you have. I never work on simply one either—I have multiple that I chip away at.

WGough: I’m glad your dog is better! Hopefully, the feelings of negativity pass. I’m sure it’s not crap at all. Keep at it!

Keithy: Respectable word count and good total for the week. Meeting your goals is always nice too.

Layla Nahar: Thank you, kind lady! : ) You’re still making progress and, in my eyes, your experiences through the day add to your writing fuel. I’m sure going to a protest filled your mind, even if you did not realize it, with creative potential. Also, good job on balancing all those activities together!

Me: I met my word count today. I had planned for 1000 and wrote 1178. Also, edited 3 pages. That is alright, but I'm going to accelerate the pace if I have more time off. I had the whole week off and it was great to quit. I think I've got a strong hold on not smoking-- no gum and it was easy: did not want, did not crave. This summer has been GREAT for productivity and development as a writer. I've quit drinking as well and am working on losing weight as well. All in all, one of my favorite summers thus far.

Keep going everyone! Each and every word counts!

Day 16
Words Written Today: 6,555
WIP Total Count: 65,113
Other WIP Count: 22,279

Drive by for me today since it's almost 1AM (so technically not day 16 still, but I'm counting it cuz I haven't gone to bed yet).

Rewrote a chapter from my finished ms, and then wrote the next scene for my WIP. Lots of words written today. Very productive.

I've got about 19 scenes left in my WIP, so my new goal is to just get at least once scene done a day. Some of them are shorter scenes which are easy to finish in a day, but others are much longer scenes. XD We'll see if I'll be able to keep up with that goal. Nighty night people <3

Ugh. Horrid night’s sleep, but somehow I got another page and a half.

Morning all, quick drive-by update. Sadly no writing because work's been an absolute mess and I can't focus long enough to write and am mentally exhausted when I get home from work. Hoping to do some major writing on my weekend Monday and Tuesday night.

Keep swimming everyone!

Drive-by. I had an okay day, with more work on the MG project than the YA ... Somewhere in between, sleep deprivation caught up, and there was a nightmarish nap involved. I still haven't recovered from that. I will refrain from mentioning the details of how pesky Picturesque is being today.

Wishing you all well in your writing Swim despite the sharks, lovely people.

PS. Special wishes for Taylor - hope your sleep goes better tonight

Day 16 - 386 words ... right before bed. Sigh.

Managed to mow the lawn this morning, before it got too hot. I may go out around sundown and deal with some weeds.

Keithy - I'm also a dog and cat person, dogs a little bit more than cats. However, I'm "on staff" for the neighbor's cat across the street. If he sees me and he's in the mood he'll come over, and I have to sit there and pet him because you can't say no to a cat. I think it's in the Constitution.

Daniel - you're kicking a** and taking names! Hang in there!

Day 17

Got over myself. Revised two chapters--wrote two new connecting scenes and fixed a major problem. Up to 90,961 words, and I don't give a f--.

Keithy- Congratulations! "acting deputy assistant dung shoveller with special responsibility for dumping the stuff". I love it. I used to have cats, too, but every time we had to put one down, my partner was devastated. As much as I love my dogs, I do miss sleeping with a soft little paw pad on my cheek. (It's not gross, Mom!)

Layla - You get 'em. May I borrow a cup of that energy?

Daniel - 1178 words and edited 3 pages? Amazing day. So glad you're not smoking and feeling good!

KayMitch - Just wow. You are killing it.

Taylor - Boo insomnia. Great job pushing through with your writing. Sleep well.

thereeness - I feel your work exhaustion. Stupid day jobs, you go squish!

SKara - I envy all of you who juggle multiple WIPs. Flabbergasted at your awesomeness.

Pterofan - Totally respectable word count.

Glad to be back. Thanks, as always, for your well wishes. Heads up, folks, and swim, swim, swim!

Hey Daniel - nice work, and congrats on getting the editing in - very different animals. I'm working on a lot of changes, myself. (((hugs))) of strength, and high-fives to you brother. Here's to some excellent personal growth this summer


Hey Kay - congrats on the lots of words & on the productive day. Keep riding that wave!

Taylor, well done getting 1.5 pages (!) on horrid sleep!

Reeness - good to see you. Hope you get some good rest and back to the writing

Skara - glad you got some writing in despite what sounds like a hectic day

Ptero - congrats on getting those 386 in

Wgough - Ha! big congrats on getting over yourself. I wish I did that more often - and congrats on those scenes & the fix!


Today was my skip day.
That is all.