September 2019 Challenge - Write Every Day!

Post, congrats on that string of 1K+ days!
Cindy, congrats on 1k+ and the other things!
April, congrats on the great work and the good feelz
Ptero, sounds like a lot of good work over the last 24
Pia - part of the reason I did it was the desire to 'set the tone' - to just do something to break out of sitting in front of the computer eating cookies (tho that is pretty nice, too - but all things in good measure Congrats on the 209, and on Dealing with Agencies (definitely a Dreaded Task) & all on a work day. Way to rock!
Mangus, good to see you and glad to hear you're moving ahead

Day 18

WIP - 1 page
R/SC - returned some book & got some books at the liberry; got some groceries, boiled some eggs & fixed my bike a bit
BP/$$ - earning service

Day 18

Draft - 1463

Blog - Continued writing my next article.

Revisions - 2 scenes

Tweeked - 6 chapters.

Research - Celebrity breakups in 1985. I chose Janet Jackson & James DeBarge. Redwood picnic tables.

April - Nice word count! And Congrats on finally having something worth fixing! That means a lot. My article didn’t end like it was supposed to either. I’ll have to change the opening sentence and a few other things.

Pia - Decent word count on a busy day.

Layla - One page!

Layla: Yay 1 page! Got any good book recs?

Cindyt: Woohoo 1463! Yeah, it is such a relief to be finally through my writer’s block. Bloody nightmare.

Magnus: Sounds like you’ve got a solid plan.

Pia: I can sometimes spot differences in my writing if I was writing with a lot of energy, but other than that, I can’t tell when I was focused and when I was in a mind-fog! Well done for tackling phone stuff. I hate that sort of thing. And awesome work getting a couple hundred words down on top of it all.

Pterofan: I do enjoy some good telly writing. Nice work.

Pain struck again yesterday with forked bolts of lightning but somehow I cranked out 3448 words. They are complete dreck, but they exist. My climax is falling flat as a pancake so I’ve got to really think about how to jazz it up. Nearly at the end though … Squee!

Day 18: Decent bit; 5 miles; oh yeah dragonborn

Day 18-19:
Just more editing. Pretty soon I'll be able to recite my entire book by heart.

Day 18 - 169 words

Day 19 - 213, so far. Slogging my way through the love scene. Apparently Snake Woman likes hairy men. I didn't even know Mr. Selleck was hairy. Is this what they mean by characters surprising the writer?

April - you cranked out 3000+ words while in agony? I thought only Stephen King could do that. You just won the month. Those words will probably look better once the pain goes away, which I hope is soon. Hang in there, the end is in sight!

Cindy, a pentastic day! And with ~1.5K words drafted even
April, I"ve been on a Mercedes Lackey spree. I had always seen her books in the library and they all have these terrible 80s covers & I was like no just no, but I really couldn't find anything, so kind of impulsively took one home and got hooked. & holy moley - you did 3K+ in pain? You are made of some stern stuff!
Hey Josh, good to see you! Keep up the good work
Uh Ptero - Sellek not hairy?? (I guess that depends on your definition of hairy. I mean, he's not a blank slate fer sur) & congrats on the 169 and 213!



Day 19


WIP - 1 page I'm glad I managed it. I had a surprise I didn't like, but I reminded myself that's why I'm in this thread - to keep writing even when Life happens.
R/SC - deposited my check (had to use the ATM because now I'm working 5 days but it was do that or run out of money.) Made couscous so I have work lunch tomorrow.
BP/$$ - earning service; reading assignment

Day 19

Draft - 866

Blog - Finished the first and second drafts of my article, now Thursday’s Child

Revisions - 3 scenes. The article

Research - Disabling a car so that it runs for a few miles and then stalls. I chose “rising oil in the pan due to a punctured head gasket,” in my case, due to sabotage.

April - Sorry the pain returned, but 3348!

Ptero - OMG I love me some hairy men. That’s why I married one with two hairs on his chest.

Layla - Great page count during a bad surprise! WTG!

Josh: I remember that feeling. With my very first novel I felt I could sing it backwards—in French. It’ll all be worth it in the end!

Pterofan: Ha, thank you I’m not sure anything can make those words look better, but the good news is they’ll all be written over during revisions. Snake Woman can have the hairy men—I like mine smooth (but not waxed—there’s a difference).

Layla: I’m as shocked as anyone that I managed it tbh! Oh, that’s so weird cos I’ve been considering Mercedes Lackey for a while now, but got put off because I had no idea where to begin. What one did you start with? Sorry about the unpleasant surprise—writing 1 page is a massive achievement. Fun couscous story: one time I was on a long-haul flight and they gave my vegan meal to the wrong person (and there was none left) so I got to eat the steward’s Tesco Finest couscous with proper cutlery from first class Sometimes it pays to be vegan.

Cindyt: Hurrah for finishing an article (and writing 866)!

Ah yesterday was THE BEST DAY EVER. I revamped an entire character, which led to me realising a much better climax and feeling genuine excitement to write a scene for the first time in years. In the end I wrote 2897 and finished the damn draft. It is rough as hell, and far too short at 47k, but the story is there, ready to be revised. I don’t know what’s happened in the last few weeks but it’s like a switch has gone in my head that’s finally turned off my horrible perfectionist block and returned me to my natural creative state. Feel so bloody good right now.

Day 19: Flying unicorns!; 5 miles; celebratory pizza and Janeway

Drive by (via taxi)

My wife had to go into hospital for an emergency operation so I've had no time for writing. It's lots of errands to run, and I don't drive so it's walk or taxi.

474 words on Wednesday and quite a bit of thinking while walking.

Editing a bit. Mulling a lot.

Keithy - sending good vibes for your wife’s Hospital stay
April - thrilled for your creative flow experience and finishing the draft
Cindyt - 2 hairs on his chest - made me laugh
Layla - I had a Mercedes Lackey phase a long time ago - I should see what’s new

Follow-up to Day 19: the "writing to Raiders" worked out so well I did some extra work on the book last night, this time with Avengers: Age of Ultron on the tube. Got another 200 words or so in, even with the distraction of Chris Hemsworth. Tonight is Battlebots, which is 20 minutes of robot fights crammed into a two-hour show. I could probably get the book done while that's on. Which brings us to...

Day 20 - 1095 words! Yessssssss! Granted, a good chunk of that was retyping longhand, but the love scene is now in the rearview. From here to the end it's action, wrapping up loose ends, and Spielbergian pyrotechnics resulting in a bunch of vaporized vampires. There may be an extra love scene, but it'll be a quickie and skimmed over. Snake Woman has agreed to come to bed in a cowboy hat, stiletto heels and fishnets, but only if Mr. Selleck wears a similar outfit. She may let him off the hook on that, however.

April - congrats on the finish!

Keithy, hope your wife gets better soon!

I've been in a "meh" state of mind the last couple of days. Managed to only write 118 words. Oh well.

Sandree - I like a good mull.
Pterofan - yay, 1k+ club.
PiaSophia - thanks for the good wishes.

OK, I've done a little writing related stuff over the last two days. Firstly I am whipping chapter 5 into shape. This is where Shana finds out what a prostitute is. She's not that kind of girl in more ways than one. The other thing was finding out what a medieval tavern is like. Well, actually looking at a picture.

Wife is a bit better but needs a lot of cushions to sit.

swim swim swim.

Nice solid four today WTG Cindy
That's a fun coucous story I read 'Take a Thief' - but really I think you could start anyway. 'Take a Thief' is a standalone I think, but she does seem to have a good number of trilogies. Congrats on the 2897, the finishing and the feeling excited!
Oh dear Keithy, I hope things will be fine - & congrats on managing some words while that is going on
sandree - mull away. Let it steep
Lol Ptero - tha fun! & congrats on the 200 & the 1095
Magnus, congrats on your Patreon & on being a good boy and all
Pia - congrats on that 118 - the meh could have helped the blank page win & all
Keithy - glad to hear the missus is doing better, & congrats on the chapter 5 work


Day 20

WIP - one page
R/SC - Cooking, some handwash
BP/$$ - earning service; reading assignment; a wee on-boarding task

Day 20

Draft - 220

Blog - Posted Thursday’s Child

Revisions - Article, 3 scenes

Tweeked - 1 line, 1 chapter

Research - Dog movies available on VHS in 1985. I decided not to use one until later.

April - WTG! I those switches. Having a deeper relationship with a character makes for a deeper story.

Keithy - Great word count. Hope your wife gets all better soonest.

Layla - One page!

Most of my work was revision which didn’t produce much new wordage.
I updated my scene chart. I wrote for hours and hours every night last week and started feeling Meh today, so I quit early.

Keithy: I’m glad your wife is on the mend.

sandree: Happy mulling! Love a good mull …

Pterofan: Woo! Awesome stuff! Enjoy the action-packed finale.

Magnus: Awesome job posting your story. Good luck with the next project.

Pia: Meh days are rubbish. Here, have a digital cookie.

Layla: Thanks for the rec—I’ve got it added to ma wish list (I love its old-school fantasy cover.) Hurrah for 1 page!

Cindyt: Okay I definitely think that’s your weirdest research topic to date! Yeah, getting those central characters right is key.

500th post!

Thanks all for your congratulations Joining this thread has made such a difference. Before, I used to feel lonely a lot, but that just doesn’t happen anymore. Knowing there are other folk out there showing up and getting the words down makes writing that bit easier.

Anyhoo, I spent yesterday trying to figure out the revised outline. I’ve not had something to revise for so long that I was really excited to get back into organisational revision mode and make loads of to-do lists and tables. Yeah I know, I’m sad.

Day 20: Wee bit; 6 miles; hustlin’

Keithy - Glad she's feeling a little better.
Layla - way to go! you're doing this very well.
Cindy - sounds like a productive day even though you felt "meh". Keep up the good work!
April - Thanks! Want half?
Magnus - Scribbling a bit before bed can turn out in the best stories you'll write, good for you!

Day 21: 423 words today. Finished The Testaments and felt inspired afterwards. I guess that's what a good book does to you.

Day 21 - 586 words. We're coming into the home stretch. Our Heroes are headed for Oklahoma to attack the vampires' stronghold. Except the vampires know they're coming and have devised a trap. Which I haven't figured out yet. Momentum may dwindle while I work on that. Pantsing is such sweet sorrow.

Keithy - glad the missus is okay

Cindy - dog movies?
April - happy 500th post!
PiaSophia - 423 words is good progress.
Pterofan - how about a big net?

ok I did 431 words today. Ella has taken Shana to a tavern. It's like looking after a younger brother or sister.:"You can have one ale but not the spirits". Shana learns about the Guardians of Silence and is horrified by what they do.

Wife drove me into town today and we had coffee and did some shopping. She had a cyst removed from her rear area and when the nurse replaces the dressing it hurts like sitting on a wasp nest (her words). But it seems that we are going to England next week to see my mother. Phew!

swim swim swimmy swim

It's another pentad of a day, most excellent Cindy

April, congrats on the 500th post. Love those landmarks I, too, have been loving this thread. We are on our third year now. Thanks to Mangus, hello M! For me it's such an accomp;lishment to just take care of myself. I know it seems like I'm super together and productive, but it took a lot of work to get here and this thread has really helped keep it going. Like you say, it is really great to have the companionship and support of others who are doing the same.

Shout of thanks to Magnus & everyone in these threads!

Speak of the Debil Way to keep the flow, Magnus

Pia, congrats on the 423!

Exellent Ptero - congrats on the 586 and the home stretch

Congrats on the 431 Keithy - & hope she's feeling better soon

Day 21

WIP -- 1 page!
R/SC - some house-cleaning (get outta here dust! ), dip in the lake
BP/$$ -- earning service

Magnus: Glad to hear you’re ticking over.

Pia: Thank you, but I’ve got the rest of the packet here Awesome job hitting 423. I read Handmaid’s Tale in secondary school but haven’t watched the TV version (the book was disturbing enough …). I’m glad you enjoyed The Testaments. Did it inspire you to write or to smash the patriarchy?

Pterofan: Woo, great count! Hope you’ve got your reward planned for when you finish.

Keithy: Ouch, that sounds very unpleasant! Guardians of Silence sound very cool though.

Layla:

I took my dictaphone out for a walk yesterday and got down some stuff about my main characters and the magic system in my world. My dining table is currently covered in little squares of paper with plot points written on them. Today I need to flesh out the new outline--and I need to do it before tea cos I need my table back.

Day 21: Wee bit; 6 miles; beer me

Day 21

Draft - 463

Revisions - 3 scenes

April & Keithy - Christmas gifts for characters: an orphan and a dog.

Pia - You did good!

Day 22 - 806 words. I should write another 200 just to say I hit 1000

Keithy - a net might work, if it's electrified. These are vampire slayers, so they're going to have sharp knives on them. Unbeknownst to them, the vampires have a McGuiver type among their number, and he likes to play with his toys. Maybe something with lasers.

Trying to come up with a trap has both raised and solved another problem. Before Our Heroes head to Oklahoma, Tom phones home and tells the family where he's headed. So why don't his slayer kinfolk come to help? Because the heroes of the story have to solve their own problems without rescue by the family ex machina. I had the King Vampire dispatch his minions in Texas to mount an attack on the slayer homestead and keep the family too busy to ride to the heroes' aid. Then I realized this could be a plot point in the next book, where we see how the homebound folk handle the vampire attack. So parts of Book 4 overlap timewise with Book 3 now. I'd better write all this down.