Defiant December - 500 words/day writing or editing - all genres welcome!

lizmonster

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Because we all have to defy something, amirite?

How was November? Did everything go swimmingly for you? Were there challenges? Things you'd like to do again? Things you'd like to change?

What's up for December? What can we do to support your goals?

Go, Team MTS! :e2cheer:
 

lizmonster

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My November was successful, I suppose. I was really moody, BUT a lot of stuff got accomplished. Did a couple of edits for the short I sold, hit 50K for NaNo, and got a draft of a query letter that I'm still tweaking before putting up on SYW.

This month: Get that query letter up. And more words on my NaNo book. And a short for my newsletter (yes, I'm going to finish it, damn it). And anything that comes up on the other short.

Also, life stuff. Which does have a way of getting in the way!
 

onesecondglance

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November was busy and generally productive, but December has actual deadlines in it. So my goals are actually quite simple:

1. Finish the essay I need to hand in before Christmas
2. Revise the two chapters I need to hand in before Christmas
3. Write at least one more chapter of the WIP
4. Revise two more chapters of the WIP ready to be handed in after Christmas (probably including the one from #3)

Bonus goals:
5. Have a pop at a short story
6. Brew some beer for the first time since August...
 

Saoirse

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I did pretty well. :) Got my antho story done and sent, got the final edits and proofreads done on my secret project (and publication is imminent), and I did my goal of 5 pages on the BEP.

This month I want to lessen my workload b/c holidays:

~Release secret project
~Some words on Oubliette
~Survive Christmas
~As many pages of the BEP as I can tolerate

That's it. :)
 

lizmonster

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Looking forward to your secret project release, Saoirse! (And I hear you on surviving Christmas...)

Wrote 825 words on the WIP today, which is more than I have on my December schedule, but I think I'm going to have to revise my daily word count. I'd like to get a full draft by the end of February, which is likely to mean something closer to 1200 words/day. But for today I'll declare victory. :)

I also got a pub date for my short story! They haven't rolled out the publicity yet, so I'm feeling like I shouldn't share details, but it's nice to have something on the calendar. :)
 

Saoirse

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:D Definitely a victory, Liz. And yay on the publication date!


Yesterday I sent out ARCs. First time ever. It's beginning to feel real. All I need to do now is write the front and back matter and then...publish it. I also need to get it formatted for print which I'll get done soon, too.
 

Zan75

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November was all about NaNo. I did not hit 50k words but I'm ok with that. This month is back to Project 2 and the holidays.

Best of luck for a successful December! Congrats Liz on the upcoming publication.
 

Saoirse

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Zan75 - Any amount of words is a success. Good job. :D


So, I tore a ligament in my ankle (severe sprain). Oddly enough, I was having Achilles tendonitis and had an MRI b/c my doctor thought it was partially torn. It wasn't. The ligament being torn was a complete surprise. I'd been having mild pain on the outer side but thought it was connected to the Achilles tendonitis. And as for how this happened...I can't figure it out. I don't recall any injury. I have to wait 2 weeks to see the podiatrist. I am hoping for no surgery. Ugh. I have to work upstairs now and I HATE working upstairs.

In other news, I'm hopefully going to get the front and back matter written for the secret project so I can release it.
 

onesecondglance

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Ouch, Saoirse, that sounds painful.

I got 1800 words done today. I reckon I need about a thousand more for my class in... checks... groans... nine hours. I'm off to bed...
 

lizmonster

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Yay on the ARC, Saoirse! And huge sympathy on the sprain. Not at all fun.

Welcome to December, Zan75! :hi:

Best of luck on your remaining thousand, osg. :)

Got 1203 words in today, and a smidge of work on my query letter. Nothing whatsoever on the short for my newsletter - The Kid's been home sick, and it's always a bit more difficult to focus when I'm in Worrying Mom Mode.

And they announced my short yesterday, and I'm feeling really jumpy and apprehensive about the whole thing, and their description of the story is kind of wrong and I don't know if I should say something or not. I'm happy they bought the story, but I haven't the faintest idea what I'm doing when it comes to dealing with the actual publication stuff. Sigh.
 

onesecondglance

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I am awake and reading AW because I can't brain enough to make words good.

Liz, supermegacongratulations! I'd leave the description alone - all it has to do is draw people in. :)
 

lizmonster

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Well, that was a day. Took The Kid to the doctor in the middle of the day, talked to a care supervisor for my parents, and oh, wait, wrote 1,181 words.

This weekend I WILL get a draft of my query letter up.

Liz, supermegacongratulations! I'd leave the description alone - all it has to do is draw people in. :)

Yeah, I suppose I should be less concerned about the inaccuracy than the fact that the whole description is a big honkin' spoiler. But it's only a 2,700 word piece, and I suppose it has to stand on its own even if it's spoiled.
 

onesecondglance

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That is indeed a helluva day, Liz.

After my brainfart at 7am yesterday I got another 700 words done. I had to leave at 9.15 to get to class on time. I finished typing the last line at 9.15, so in the end I was twenty minutes late with a fresh draft still warm from the printer. I'm counting that as a win. Although now I am nervous about my class having a 100% unpolished first draft. Usually I give in v1.2-type stuff, where I've at least had a day to correct any obvious rubbishness. Still. Win!
 

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Saoirse - Super congratulations :partyguy:
Best of luck with your ligament as well, let us know how it turns out, hopefully no surgery.

Liz - A super congratulations to you too for your short. :hooray:

OSG - Still cranking out the word count, awesome.

It's been a bit of a holiday for me the past week or so. Got a few hundred words done, but it's been more holiday related stuff. Tis the season :)
I've still been working on stuff in my head. So I'm hopeful for some productive time during the second half of the month.
 

Saoirse

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Zan75 - It all counts, right? Thanks for the congrats and luck!


I've been doing mostly freelance stuff. Trying to get ahead so I can take some time off for the holiday. I do want to return to Oubliette at some point. My muse says I need to write a sappy holiday short story about the two MCs and their first holiday together. I may do that and post it on my blog. Maybe.
 

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One more:

C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S, S A O I R S E !

About 800 words on a scene I must have deleted, then didn't replace. Busy times. I got two requests from #PitMad, but think it's all for naught. One rejection came very fast after sending. I think she thought it was romantic suspense. The other is a huge POD in Britain. They do rep Angela Marsons ... So maybe they won't be afraid of my work--if I can get the full out without a missing scene :Headbang::Headbang:

Have a nice day everyone!
 

onesecondglance

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Deadline day for me tomorrow, so worth revisiting my monthly goals:

onesecondglance said:
1. Finish the essay I need to hand in before Christmas DONE
2. Revise the two chapters I need to hand in before Christmas
DONE
3. Write at least one more chapter of the WIP
DONE
4. Revise two more chapters of the WIP ready to be handed in after Christmas (probably including the one from #3)

Bonus goals:
5. Have a pop at a short story
6. Brew some beer for the first time since August... DONE

Feeling pretty good right now. Though that might be the celebratory beer.
 

Saoirse

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Lucie - Thank you, and good luck on the PitMad request. :)

OSG - Whoohooo! You definitely deserve a celebratory beer. :D


Not much happening here. I had an idea for a mermaid story that's gnawing at me now.

:ignores goals list for this month:
 

lizmonster

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Posted in the wrong thread!

So here's how much I'm procrastinating on that query letter: I started Book 5 today. I'm not yet done with Book 4.

1,851 words, and I rather like it.

Go for the mermaids, Saoirse. :)
 

Saoirse

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Liz - Awesome starting on book 5. And yeah, maybe I'll see what I can do with the mermaids. Although my mermaids will be evil mermaids....


Finished proofreading job (new client) and today I am stacking ads for my book. Hubby and I did a marathon gift wrapping session in case I end up in a cast on Friday. 10 days till Christmas!
 

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Congrats on meeting your deadline, OSG. I'm clear of deadlines for the moment--and that's not really a good thing, but I've been enjoying a few days with my Baby (19). I picked him up from university in Texas on Friday.

I sent my full out and wrote a little in the next book, abt 450 words. VERY happy to move on mentally from Paradox. A twitch of a change in the ending made me feel very satisfied with it. Got that light-hearted burst of pure joy. Took years, but I love it.

Most of my editors are out, so I'll probably wait til January to pitch much. Instead, I'll write for fun.
 

Zan75

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Is it me, or does it seem like there's a ton of time before the holidays get here and then suddenly - boom - they're staring you in the face?

This week has been more productive, added a little over a thousand new words so far.