September Challenge - Write Every Day!

Didn't write for the last three days due to an overload of schoolwork. Today I managed half a written page. It's good to finally be able to write again.

April - 4k is awesome! Well done! I was running earlier in the summer, but I can only have one hobby, and when I started writing again, the running went out the window, sadly. But even when I was running, it was nowhere near 9.5K, so well done on that, too!
Layla - I remember you too! And thanks!
Cindyt - congrats on the publication! I'm sorry it's a little on the bumpy side...
DanielSTJ - Hello! and congrats on the streak! That's awesome! And it becomes motivation all on its own after a while.
starrystorm - well done for getting some writing in there with all the schoolwork. It's not easy and takes commitment, so celebrate the little achievement!

I had a net gain of 487 words yesterday, which is... fair. Nowhere near my target, but I'm editing as I go and rewriting a section I was struggling with in order to be able to move forward, so good work overall, I think.
I'm taking a few minutes to come down off a terrible mood before I start today's writing. Mood partly inspired by local politics (SO not going there), but partly inspired by rehearsal shenanigans surrounding my short play, which is getting a reading at the local Springworks festival (yes, in the fall ...don't ask). One of the actors is out of town until the week before the reading, but I was kindly offered rehearsal time without her. Which is fantastic, given my play is a two-hander. (sigh) Never mind.

Day 19
1,185 words drafted of Book IV.

Layla: I don't know how you manage to get so much done. Amazing!

Cindyt: Congrats on the pub. Another productive day for you.

Daniel: Keep at it.

Taylor: Good luck with your sub!

Keithy: Wishing you well. Mulling is invaluable!

Pterofan: That's a great line! Made me laugh.

starrystorm: Congrats on your half page.

Kithica: Congrats on the play!

Cindy - I'd be really interested in hearing that list of ingredients. & here's to some good re-reading energy!

Daniel - congrats on the 120, & on winning the Keep on Keeping on prize! You earned it

Congrats on that sub, Taylor

Kiethy - take care of your Ma. & (((hugs)))

Ptero. You should be ashamed ( "not in front of the kids" )

Starry - congrats on that 1/2 page, and on getting back to it!

Kithica - congrats on that net gain! & hopefully all that is just pre-event chaos…

Gough - 1,185 words - that's a lot! (Ironically, I was thinking this very evening 'I'm wasting my time. I need to do more.')

WIP - 1/4 page
R/SC - the 10-hour day
$$ - indy project (more research); some performance practice

Cindyt: Well, they had to fill the time somehow! I wrapped my hair in tin foil when I was younger and sat in the sun. Not really sure what I was hoping to achieve.

Pterofan: That’s the best damn goat pun I’ve ever heard.

WGough: Guid stuff. You can’t be far off the finish line for Book IV now, right? Have you got a tally of all the words you’ve written in the last couple of months?

Layla: Cropping is the key skill of our modern age. Mind you, 10 hours work and 90 mins cycling doesn’t sound so relaxing. Enjoy that lunch!

Daniel: Cling to the streak! Cling for dear life.

Taylor: Woo! Sending a story out is awesome.

Keithy: Lots of good vibes for your ideas, your mother, and you most of all.

starry: Yay for half a page! Sometimes life takes over, but the words are always waiting for you when you return.

Kithica: Oh, that 9.5 miles is mostly walking! I run for about, hm, 4 minutes?! Good luck with the play – it sounds rewarding but challenging!

Wrote 1000 words yesterday then made myself stop, because the scene just wasn’t working. I’ve still got an issue with the central conflict, so I’m taking proper time to sit down and figure it out. I’m using five minute sprints to keep me focused and away from Netflix…

Day 19: Decent bit; 5.5 miles; full rainbow, no gold

550 yesterday.

I'll catch up later.

Day 19 - 351 words

I'm feeling hopeful today. I'll bet I can make that pesky scene work now. If not, it's time to break out the story I finished last month and get to editing. Either way, I'll finally start being productive.

Haven't written for the last few days. Still dealing with shitty group mates but I'm ignoring it until I actually have to turn in something worth points. Maybe then they'll step their shit up. But seriously my class is getting a real crappy review in the surveys they send out at the end of the term because I take online classes so I don't have to deal with idiots. Who makes a group project for a online class???? I have a weird schedule, I don't want to have to coordinate with other people, or rely on other people to make sure my grades don't suck.

Anyways today I got 300 words in. I'm off work tomorrow so hopefully I get more done.

Day 20
Drafted 743 words of Book IV for a total of 68,349 words. This book, she's fightin' me!

Layla: You're so steady. Congrats on your 1/4 page. 8 hour day job days kill me. I don't know how you do 10.

April: 1,000 words is amazing! Since March, I've drafted, and halfass revised, my way to 313,167 words, not counting research, flimsy outlines, cut scenes, etc. I'm hoping for a total of 400K+ for all four books.

Daniel: Great word count.

Pterofan: Hey, you've been productive! Writing in some form every day is a marvel.

KayMitch: 300 words and shitty group is quite the accomplishment. I'm with you. People suck. Present company excluded.

I continue to blame the impending equinox for not meeting my daily goals (she said for the first time ever).

Have to work on a 2500-3000 word assignment. It was for a class that was supposed to be simple. Great.

Got 300 words done on a comedic piece I wrote for my friend. That's all today.

I have to finish my assignment. Will check in later.

April - congrats on the 1000 & the keeping at it

Nice work, D

Ptero - congrats on that 351

Congrats on those 300, Kay - and hope the course gets better

Gough - congrats on your 743. How I do it, btw - I only do it 4 days a week. I eat at my desk so that I don't lose any other time. But it's up at 5:30 and to bed 9:30 but it's 10 already… But I got my lunch and my snacks & my two stove-top espresso makers ready so I'll be able to do it all again. & there's no rest for the weary, because I'll work ~6 hours on Sat & Sun. But I might be able to drive a forklift, so that's something to look forward to

& congrats on your 300, Daniel

WIP - 1/4 page
R/SC - horseback riding lesson(!)(first time!!), cooking & making lunch for work tomorrow
$$ - performance/training, very very wee bit of research for the indy project

No new words for me today and likely no new words for a while. Resistance has been kicking my butt.

I'm still really struggling to get my head together what with all my other headaches - and the situation with my mother. So I haven't be able to put a plot together let alone write anything.

Day20 - 303 words. I think I've got the story going again.

I spent most of today reading through/revising the story I finished in August. I've only found a couple rough spots. I might be able to send this out next week.

Taylor - You just sent out a sub, right? Sometimes that's followed by a period of floundering around before the brain slips back into writing mode again. The words will return, never fear.

Day 21
1,475 words drafted of Book IV.

Daniel: Good luck with your assignment.

Layla: Two espresso makers and a forklift. You are my hero.

Taylor: Resistance is futile.

Keithy: Hope things get better for you soon.

Pterofan: What a great day you had! Congrats. "The words will return, never fear," is my new mantra.

Have a great weekend, folks!

Pterofan: I think I'm getting a grasp for how my mind works under normal conditions. I'll have a burst of productivity and then the brain just stops, as if to say, "Woah, take it down into first gear!" I spent some time putting next-to-last edits on a story, now letting it sit longer. Not sure if each of the sections, which are designed to showcase a generalized history of events, ought to be longer and fleshed out, or if the ending is to gimmicky. Currently 4500 words. I've been reading a bio of Winston Churchill and find myself wishing I had a staff of people to do my research for me and take dictation...

WGough: I see what you did there...

Daniel: Well done for keeping that run going!

Pterofan: Fingers crossed for the scene!

KayMitch: Well done for getting words in despite all the other crap going on.

WGough: You are my hero. Here, have an offering.

Layla: You are also my hero. Have an offering too. (You both get to choose the offering. I recommend something in a bottle.) I got on a horse when I was about 10, then couldn’t sit down for a week. Hope you had more fun

Taylor: The words will come back eventually.

Keithy:

Yesterday was a bit of a booboo. It was one of those ‘I am rubbish/useless/lazy and all my ideas are terrible’ sort of days. My WIP is stalling again, so I’m taking my pants off and working on an in-depth outline. I’ve tried pretty much every other tactic, so I might as well give this one a bash. It has been SO LONG since I finished a manuscript. Please, send me luck and cookies.

Day 21: Wee bit; 8.5 miles; Bake-off boost

Hit about 1000 a day this week... that was one advantage to having no internet for a week. And edited one chapter this week.

Day 21 - 135 words

Finished rereading/revising/polishing the August story this morning. I think I got all the plotholes. I'll send it out maybe maybe Monday or possibly Tuesday, and this time take more time and effort on the query letter.

April - sending you a pumpkin whoopie pie.

Day 22
Drafted 4,052 of Book IV. Two chapters and the Epilogue to go.

Taylor: Good luck with the brain.

Ms. Swanson: Sending you all the luck and cookies. My entire September has been 'I am rubbish/useless/lazy and all my ideas are terrible.' You've got this!

Remember Sage Wendig's words from "Your First Draft Does Nor Require Your Faith In It." "A lack of confidence is a bummer, but a lack of confidence in yourself or the work is so accursedly common that I’m not sure I’ve ever met a writer who didn’t grapple with it from time to time. And if I did, I think that person is probably a sociopath." You've got this!

I, too, have had to resort to the outline. Sometimes it works as a reminder of cool ideas that will further the plot, and sometimes when I get to the scene I've outlined, I say 'Meh, that's unnecessary,' and move on. My outlines are more scene lists, rough sketches of what I want to happen that I can add to if an idea hits me. You've got this!

KitKate: Way to go!

Pterofan: Good luck with your sub!

Happy Autumnal Equinox, everybody. Now go see if the egg thing works!

Whatever you do Taylor, be kind to yourself

Kiethy - glad to see your post. Take care of things - I hope it will be ok for your mother.

Ptero, glad to hear the wheels are moving

Gouigh - you're no slouch yourself WTG with the 1,475 words
the forklift is fuuun! & it's horn says 'meep meep!' They weigh as much as 3 cars.

April - I was waiting for the soreness - never happened. Prolly because I do a lot of exercise and a loooot of stretching. & much feelz on the stalled-ness. Fingers crossed for you for the flow.

Nice work, Kit

Ptero- queries - you're brave!

Gough you are blazing through this work


Saturday

WIP 1 page
R/SC - earning service. No forklift time today. Realistically speaking, now that I'm only around on weekends, it might be a while before I'll get to do it again. But I can dream, right?
$$ - performance practice/training

I totally went to bed yesterday without posting my Friday work:

WIP - 1/4 page
R/SC - the 10-hour day. Got home & was pretty pooped.
$$ - indy project research

My wife suggested that I do a writing prompt. One of them said “grab the closest book to you, turn to page 55, then use the second sentence as your prompt.” I did. Also grabbed a typewriter I’ve never used to write a story with before, just to remove all familiar things from the workspace. It was a challenge, coming up with stuff on the fly and no planning, but also a lot of fun! I’m now 500-600 words into an insane story about a girl whose governess shoots people if they make a wrong move towards her. Might not amount to anything but it has me giggling.

KitKate: Wow, good for you! Sometimes I wonder what I could accomplish if I stayed away from the internet…

Pterofan: Thank you for such scrumptious pie And yay for finishing the story! Fingers crossed for submission.

WGough: Thank you for your wise words And you’re right; I have to grit my teeth and get on with it. This is what wine is for. Oh, and my eyes popped when I saw your word count

Layla: I’m glad you escaped horse-related pain. Thank you for your crossings May the flow be with you.

Taylor: Laughter is good. Beats staring at the blank page any day.

I took most of Saturday off, but realised on a walk that my main character needs more of an Interesting Past. So I had a wee muse on that today and think I’ve come up with something decent… I’m now at the stage where I need to cobble scenes together. Not quite sure how to approach it, given it’s been so long since I made a detailed plan. I’m guessing…start at the beginning. It’s a very good place to start.

Day 22: Wee bit; 7 miles; wine-fest
Day 23: Wee bit; 7 miles; chocolate-fest

I haven't wrote in a while, but I've been so busy lately, that I felt like I needed a break.

Day 20: Typed what I had wrote.

Day 23: Edited the first three pages.

Also I've joined a writer's group, so I halted moving forward in my book to go edit the first three pages so I have something to show. I might work on that new chapter later. I'll update if I do.

Day 22 - 338 words

Haven't done much of anything today, but it's Sunday so I feel I'm entitled.

This week our town is holding its annual week-long street fair, in which they close Main Street and everybody walks around and eats goodies. There's also no parking to speak of. I may go down to the park and see the farm exhibits, because I live close enough to that to walk. Somebody told me they don't do the greased pig chase any more because someone complained. We should have a greased animal rights activist chase instead. That would be fun.