September 2019 Challenge - Write Every Day!

Magnus · Aug 28, 2019

This is a thread open to anyone who wants to start, maintain, or reinforce a writing habit. (It can also be about revision, editing, research -- all writing habits welcome!)

The basic idea is that repeating something daily, even if only for a short while, will build a habit that becomes stronger over time.

It's entirely up to you how much and in what way you participate. Post your goals if you like, or just check in when you can!

Here are some tips:

Set achievable goals – I can't stress enough how important this is. To build a habit, doing something is more important than quantity or quality.
Keep up the habit as many days in the week as possible – even if it's just a few sentences or a bit of editing. It reinforces the habit and makes it easier to get started.
Mix it up – Try different types of goals, different times of the day, different tricks to reward or motivate yourself. A good habit is what works for you, not someone else.
Be patient – It takes a long time to build a strong habit and you'll always be facing new challenges. Get used to constantly adapting and you'll be better prepared for whatever problem comes up next.
Don't give up because you didn't hit your goal – When you fail to hit your target, your job is figuring out why it happened. That way, you can find ways to get around your roadblocks (and don't be scared of lowering the bar). If you share your stumbles in the thread, others might be able to help out with tips, tricks, and support! And sometimes, it's okay to just take a break for a day or two, or have scheduled days "off". Whatever works for you!

Good luck, and see you on September 1st!

Layla Nahar · Aug 29, 2019

MAGNUS!!!! Thank You!!!!

I'm in for my usual 3 - keep writing even when Life is challenging. (In the past, when things got stressful, writing went out the window.) Here's my three actions (the thread oldsters know this already...)

1) Add something to my WIP - (no title yet...)
2) One action of responsibility or self-care
3) "BP/$$" This is a kind of nebulous category - but I have my 'Big Project' - which is a combination of massive Unhoarding and writing a kind of memoir kind of thingy. I'd also like to increase my earning (who wouldn't) and any actions related to that go in this category.

I may take 1 skip-day per week in any (or all) category(ies).

Here's to a wordful September for all of us

Cindyt · Aug 29, 2019

Yeah! I'm in for writing my bimonthly article and continuing revisions on the historical and crime novels.

Pterofan · Aug 29, 2019

I'm in because it doesn't look like I'll be finished with the book I wanted to finish in August. Yeah well. I'll probably just start the other book anyway and switch off, depending on which one is going better.

Keithy · Sep 1, 2019

OK, I think I've done enough map making for Demon Hunter, at least enough so that I can tell the story and mention a few important places not in the vicinity of where it all takes place.

So, on with writing the second draft. Which is the first draft hacked around and put back together. I dare say I will not get this done by the end of this month but I will try.

Pterofan · Sep 1, 2019

Here we are in September, and I haven't written anything yet. Plus I hopped into my business email on a whim and discovered I got an assignment yesterday. Yes, on a Saturday. Good thing I looked. My schedule for this week will have to be revised.

This month I want to finish Book 3, get back to Book 1 and, if possible, up my daily word count to 1000 words. That means either no more TV, or writing longhand during TV commercials.

Also, I can't hold out any more waiting for the book to get done. I'm going to have my pizza and Coke for Labor Day. When I finally finish the draft, I'll get Chinese.

starrystorm · Sep 1, 2019

Not sure what my goals are since I finished my first draft of my sci-fi in August.

I guess right now it's focusing on the UF with reviewing beta edits (which I'll get in full around September 3rd). For now I'll work on revising it's first chapter.

Maybe do a little planning for another book too, but I don't know as of now.

the countess · Sep 1, 2019

Hi all!!

My goal is to work on my WIP on 50% of the days in September.

sandree · Sep 1, 2019

I’m in. Being part of this group has helped me to keep going. My goal is to finish my rough draft of Destrier Station and if I finish, move into heavy editing.

Second goal is to continue with my photoshop class through Udemy. I have a cover figured out for this WIP so that’s exciting. Now I just have to gain the technical skills to create it for ebook and print.

Layla Nahar · Sep 1, 2019

Here we go! September time

Day 1

WIP - 1/2 page
R/SC - housemate stuff, tidying, cooking & got my lunch ready for tomorrow
BP/$$ - earning service

Ellis Clover · Sep 1, 2019

Hello September (and everybody)!

Yesterday was Father's Day here in Oz so I didn't get any writing done (I probably could have when I got home, but the final eps of Mindhunter beckoned)... I'm buckling down today though, and have fairly ambitious goals for the month. Bottom line, I plan to finish my WIP. I first began drafting in April 2017 so it's very exciting to be creeping up on the home stretch.

Best of luck to everyone with achieving your September goals!

Cindyt · Sep 1, 2019

Day 1

Draft - 757

Revisions - 1 paragraph

Research - Photo illustration. Prank calls. 1960 pop culture. The dawn of birth control pills and free love culture. Price of a gallon of gas and pack of smokes. Also, while googling how a bread delivery company spelled its name, I got sidetracked by a pot roast simmering in a Dutch oven. That bread company appears to be out to lunch. So, I asked my fan base, and it’s Dutch Oven.

Layla - WTG on half page!

Writing the first draft of my next article, The I Do blues.

Josh Hagen · Sep 2, 2019

Thanks Cindyt for letting me know that the August Challenge is over and there is a September one now. I was wondering why it was so empty. *Slaps forehead*
(3739 words yesterday - Sept. 1st)

I'm hoping to finish my first draft this month and possibly finish the second.

I'll post today's word count later today/tonight.

starrystorm · Sep 2, 2019

DAY 1-- Working on rewriting chapter one for beta edits. I have to add more voice and setting. 817 words rewritten.

Taylor Harbin · Sep 2, 2019

Last month I mentioned I was going to write a scholarly article for a history journal. In the last few days I’ve written six and a half pages (why academia measures articles in pages and not word count I’ll never understand). I’m very confident I can pull it off, but writing this way on a typewriter is a little tedious since I have to type all of my citations and footnotes MLA style.

AW Admin · Sep 2, 2019

Taylor Harbin said:
I’m very confident I can pull it off, but writing this way on a typewriter is a little tedious since I have to type all of my citations and footnotes MLA style.

Are you going to submit via hard copy? Not many journals will take hardcopy these days.

Pterofan · Sep 2, 2019

Day 1 - 227 words. I think. It was over 200 for sure.

Day 2 - Definitely over half a page longhand.

It's cloudy with rain expected later this afternoon, and I'm wondering if I can sneak in a bit of lawn mowing before it hits. Putting the "labor" in Labor Day...

Cobalt Jade · Sep 2, 2019

Oh boy I think I need to take this challenge this month. Writing SOMETHING every day even if it's not fiction.

Josh Hagen · Sep 2, 2019

Day 2 - 3187 words and... I finished my first draft! :hooray:

Time now for a short break from this. Maybe work on some short stories or something. Then I'll tackle the edits for draft 2.

sandree · Sep 2, 2019

Day 1 - nada
Day 2 - 1,841
no photoshop

Josh - prodigious word counts!
Cobalt Jade - your avatar suggests so many possible stories
Pterofan - happy laboring
Starrystorm - so glad you are sticking with it

PiaSophia · Sep 2, 2019

Hi, there! Can I join?

I don't know if I'm doing this right, but I have a very simple goal this month. That is to write on a story every single day. Writing 'something' would be too unspecific, I feel, as I write in my journal almost every day and I don't want that to count. So it doesn't really matter to me how much I write, as long as I think about and write on one of my stories every day. As far as editing goes, I feel I only want to do that when I finish a story. Not a specific goal this month, I'll see where that goes. Okay, here goes.

Day 1 - Worked a 12-hour shift, didn't have much time to write, but felt inspired. Wrote 398 words.
Day 2 - Worked a 13-hour shift, didn't have much time to write either. Felt very tired. Wrote 143 words.

Taylor Harbin · Sep 2, 2019

AW Admin said:
Are you going to submit via hard copy? Not many journals will take hardcopy these days.

The particular journal I have in mind requires it. However, I’ll digitize the typescript and clean it up using Chicago style citations before I do. Using a typewriter just helps me get through a first draft.

Keithy · Sep 2, 2019

CindyT - good 757 words I hope. I just looked up dutch ovens. So that's what they are. Hmm.
Josh - that is a mighty word count, sending copious hat doffings your way.
Taylor - what part of history is it?
Ptero - still puttering away I see.
Sandree - that's hard graft.
PiaSophia - welcome aboard!

OK I started on the second draft of Demonhunter and managed 692 words.

Shana's people - a highly advanced race - made a wormhole to travel between two planets without all that messing around with starships. Alas on the grand opening day the thing went wrong, tearing the wormhole loose and
sucking her into an interdimensional void. There's a bit of setup that needs expansion later on (or else I could ignore it). After a scary journey she exits the void and lands in a puddle of mud, where she vomits.

Non-writing:

A session of Aquarobics. I did a lot of stomach crunches and am feeling the result. But the weight loss is continuing.
I made three Christmas cards! (yes, I make greeting cards)
Coloured in a picture of wonder woman with coloured pencils. I am a massive WW fan.

just keep swimming... no drowning (I'm feeling good today)

Taylor Harbin · Sep 2, 2019

Keithy said:
CindyT - good 757 words I hope. I just looked up dutch ovens. So that's what they are. Hmm.
Josh - that is a mighty word count, sending copious hat doffings your way.
Taylor - what part of history is it?
Ptero - still puttering away I see.
Sandree - that's hard graft.
PiaSophia - welcome aboard!

OK I started on the second draft of Demonhunter and managed 692 words.

Shana's people - a highly advanced race - made a wormhole to travel between two planets without all that messing around with starships. Alas on the grand opening day the thing went wrong, tearing the wormhole loose and
sucking her into an interdimensional void. There's a bit of setup that needs expansion later on (or else I could ignore it). After a scary journey she exits the void and lands in a puddle of mud, where she vomits.

Non-writing:

A session of Aquarobics. I did a lot of stomach crunches and am feeling the result. But the weight loss is continuing.
I made three Christmas cards! (yes, I make greeting cards)
Coloured in a picture of wonder woman with coloured pencils. I am a massive WW fan.

just keep swimming... no drowning (I'm feeling good today)

I’m writing about an old murder trial, which took place in my new hometown in 1910. It has never been examined in detail, and the story is fading from local memory. Only a handful of people know it happened. My plan is to enter it into a contest, which solicits unpublished work. All entries will be considered for publication in Arkansas Historical Quarterly. The big advantage I have is that I work at a state archive now, so I can access all kinds of sources.

PostHuman · Sep 2, 2019

OK I'm gonna try something a little different this month, non-stop writing 2 hours at the same time every morning, and any work on outlines, editing, review etc will take place outside of this 2 hr block.

Day 1 - ufff....recovering from barbecue on Day 0, not a great start
Day 2 - tried changing everything from 1st person to 3rd person and then back to 1st person again :Headbang:

not sure why exactly, but seems to flow better now - 449 words

September 2019 Challenge - Write Every Day!

Magnus

Layla Nahar

Seashell Seller

Cindyt

Gettin wiggy wit it

Pterofan

Trust me, I'm a writer

Keithy

Just keep swimming

Pterofan

Trust me, I'm a writer

starrystorm

the countess

sandree

Layla Nahar

Seashell Seller

Ellis Clover

watching The Office again

Cindyt

Gettin wiggy wit it

Josh Hagen

starrystorm

Taylor Harbin

Power to the pen!

AW Admin

Pterofan

Trust me, I'm a writer

Cobalt Jade

Josh Hagen

sandree

PiaSophia

Balkan writer of feminist horror stories

Taylor Harbin

Power to the pen!

Keithy

Just keep swimming

Taylor Harbin

Power to the pen!

PostHuman