May 2020 Challenge - Write Every Day!

Did some editing on Chapters 9 and 10. Something's come along and sucked the joy out of this. Not sure what it is, but I'm not feeling confident I'll ever be able to whip this into shape. Doggedly hunting information and can't find it, which hinders my ability to write the scene; all I need is the address of a hotel and I can't find it, but it's in all the vintage directories! Maybe watching that interview with Greg Iles has me in a funk. He described being a best-selling author like being on a hampster wheel. After a bad car accident and coma he had to give up that lifestyle and return money advanced by the publisher, really starting all over again. I thought "Gee, that's awful! I hope I'm never confronted with that situation. I don't want writing to be a hamster wheel. It'd kill my creativity."

And now I have to work...*sigh*

Day 20 - roughly a page longhand, around 400 words
Day 21 - about 3/4 page longhand this morning, maybe 300 words if I'm lucky

I'm back on the series! I jumped past the sex scene to continue the storyline. I'll go back and fill in the blank spot once the assignment's done.

I also discovered a widening plot hole in regards to my FMC. She gets visions of the future, but no warning the wolf shifter's waiting for her at her apartment. She walks right into a trap. Why didn't her magic warn her? I decided she has a blind spot when it comes to wolf shifters, possibly because she's half shifter herself. She also fails to use her magic against them--psychological block? Could be. She may need to establish her place in the pack hierarchy by beating the fur off her sire, the alpha wolf. I'd better write all this down so I remember it for draft two.

Taylor - hang in there. This could be temporary and you just need a break. For most of May my daily writing has been flash scenes because I was blocked on the book. Recently--not sure why--the block lifted and I'm back at work and excited about it. I just had to let things rest for a while.

On the other side of Mr. Iles's experience, consider this: Stephen King was hit by a van and hospitalized. He'd been dragging his feet on the Dark Tower series, but, confronted with his own mortality, he turned out the last three volumes in record time, in spite of chronic pain. And they weren't slim volumes, either. I don't recommend near-fatal auto accidents as motivation. Some stories die. Some fade for a time, but ultimately demand to be told. Only the writer can decide for themselves which is which.

Bear - stay safe

That's my problem, Wolly and Petro. I'm terrible at recognizing the usual ups and downs of the creative process versus cataclysimic problems that might derail a project or my desire to continue. It's hard to think logically when you're buried in the work.

Quick check in--Finished editing chapter 20 and it is 2929 words now. Worked through a couple relational issues (decided the antagonist is going to be dumped by his lover, earlier, and he will be musing about the wretch from time to time.)

I like seeing the chapters end around 3K words. Not sure why, but it feels like a good length to me. So the extra few hundred words feel right on that score too.

Polished it up and moving on. But today there's critique group and tomorrow a meeting for (other stuff) which I suspect will drain my will to write, and so, it might be Saturday before I hit chapter 21. BUT! That still means the twenty-sies by the end of the week. If I can make it to chapter 23 or 24 by the end of May it will be good (My goal was to make it through chap 25.)

Will catch up on all your awesome progress later today.

Woolly: Excellent editing!

Layla:

Cindyt: Very good word count and intriguing research, as usual!

Taylor: I know it’s hard, but try and forget about all that stuff. Your writing career is going to be different from Greg Iles’. Keep your eyes down on your project, and hopefully the joy will come back. Or work on something else for a bit if this particular project is really giving you a headache.

Pterofan: Yay for words and grand returns!

*whispers* I think I might have find a route through my beginning blockage. I put my character down a different path from the one I’d planned and so far, so good. I got 6 pages today without much effort, so surely that’s a good sign? Anyway, I’m continuing to hope and pray that my difficulties are about to ease.

Hi, everyone! I got waylaid by life and Pandemic and everything and have basically been glued to the news. Working from home and still writing almost every day. I feel less overwhelmed now. My WIP is short at about 93k in the first draft. I am doing second draft revisions now and seeing alot of places where it can be fleshed out. Unfortunately, there are a bunch of places where it needs to be trimmed as well. Anyway, I am back and on it.

I am so glad to see everyone's posts! I have really missed the comaraderie.

ION:
I got a referral from a friend to do edits on a brand new author's WIP. She is needing to start with developmental edits so that will probably be a long project. It has been fun though, doing story editing as opposed to legal code editing.

Cindy, congrats on the 751
Taylor, congrats on that editing. Hope you get the better of that funk soon
Nice work, Ptero
bear, congrats on that Ch. 20 work
April, glad you got that obstacle behind you
Hello ubriel


Day 21


WIP - added some words!
R/SC - Walk/run in the woods, paid bills, ran errands, updated my apartment ad
BP/$$ - 6 hours of job

Word Count 272

Research - Corncob doll hair (corn silk, of course; I was just making sure the silk was feasible.)

Taylor - I try to avoid negative vibes from other writers, especially established authors, because I pick up their funk. Ditto some of their remarks about what it takes to be a writer. Everybody is different. The only thing obstructing writers from writing and editing a polished manuscript is to just not do either. When I’m so down that I am on the verge of shelving my historical, I ask myself, “Is this story worth telling?“ The answer is “Yes,“ and I just keep on plucking at it until the knot unravels. Keep looking for that address. It took me months to find out how much a voyage from Liverpool to Charles Town cost, but I found it and a bunch of other interesting tidbits. What’s the name of the hotel? Where is it? In what time period? I’d be glad to offer a fresh keyword search.

Pterofan - In my crime novel, Billy is all about going by his gut feeling. When it tells him to take a taxi instead of driving, he does it. Then BOOM! one day without warning he and his girlfriend walk right into the path of a killer. He handles the situation, but thought of what might have happened haunts him.

Woolly - I like at least 1K word-chapter with a bang, cliffhanger, or disquieting ending.

April - That has so happened to me before. It’s like the story waits for the writer to take the path it wasn’t to follow.

Ubriel - Welcome back and good luck with the story editing.

Layla - Congrats on some words. That’s what it’s all about.


I got a late start today. Boo.

Cindyt said:

Word Count 272

Research - Corncob doll hair (corn silk, of course; I was just making sure the silk was feasible.)

Taylor - I try to avoid negative vibes from other writers, especially established authors, because I pick up their funk. Ditto some of their remarks about what it takes to be a writer. Everybody is different. The only thing obstructing writers from writing and editing a polished manuscript is to just not do either. When I’m so down that I am on the verge of shelving my historical, I ask myself, “Is this story worth telling?“ The answer is “Yes,“ and I just keep on plucking at it until the knot unravels. Keep looking for that address. It took me months to find out how much a voyage from Liverpool to Charles Town cost, but I found it and a bunch of other interesting tidbits. What’s the name of the hotel? Where is it? In what time period? I’d be glad to offer a fresh keyword search.

Pterofan - In my crime novel, Billy is all about going by his gut feeling. When it tells him to take a taxi instead of driving, he does it. Then BOOM! one day without warning he and his girlfriend walk right into the path of a killer. He handles the situation, but thought of what might have happened haunts him.

Woolly - I like at least 1K word-chapter with a bang, cliffhanger, or disquieting ending.

April - That has so happened to me before. It’s like the story waits for the writer to take the path it wasn’t to follow.

Ubriel - Welcome back and good luck with the story editing.

Layla - Congrats on some words. That’s what it’s all about.


I got a late start today. Boo.

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That's very kind of you to offer. I'll send you a PM.

As for my work today, I am still editing Chp 10, which is pretty good compared to Chp 11.

Day 22 - just shy of a page longhand, maybe 350 words if I'm really lucky.

Once again the book advances, slowly but surely. Progress is progress.

ubriel: Glad to hear you’ve been writing every day. It is hard to stay away from the news right now—but I always feel better when I do.

Layla: Hurrah for words and woods etc! I have chocolate cookies in the oven right now … I think you should have some cookies too.

Cindyt: Nice work. Glad I’m not the only one whose stories have a mind of their own!

Taylor: Great job editing

Pterofan: You must have neat handwriting. A page for me is between 200 - 250 :/

I’ve definitely waded through the opening quagmire, and my characters are moving along nicely now. Obviously I’ll hit more snags along the way, but I’m bloody glad to have that particular swamp behind me. Onwards!

OK, I've had a bit of a hiatus.

I had a day of almost give-up-itis followed by a "day off". Now I'm working on a plan for the next 1/4 of Fishy tail.

I've had some watery problems this week too. Mainly it being in the wrong place.

Who knows, I might end up with a complete first draft soon.

Cindy, congrats on the 272. (Corncob doll hair reminds me of Little House on the Prarie - Laura’s doll was a wooden spoon with a face painted on it, and a dress her mother made.)
Don’t let the bastards get you down, Taylor (especially those bastards that live in our heads…)
W00t Ptero, nice work!
April! I’ve been eating some delicious cookies (akshulla I’d say they are biscuits - so crispy, so dissolve-y in your mouth). Congrats on getting out of the swamp
Keithy, sorry to hear about the stall, glad you made it through


Day 22


WIP - added those words!
R/SC - did a chore, & a bit of at-home spa time
BP/$$ - 11 hours of earning service

Finished editing Chap 10 and 11, blitzing through the latter and ending with a bullet point list of what to add and cut. It can be salvaged. To be honest, I was half tempted to throw Chp 11 out and rewrite it with different characters after the arrest has been made, but it's not a simple matter of going to the guy's house. They had to go some distance across several states, which makes for good reading if I can get it right.

Word Count 55

Taylor - That town’s museum is the utter pits. But, I may have found the building and there’s a current address. You be the judge.

Pterofan - WTG on the word count.

Keithy - Good luck!

April - Progress!

Layla - Congrats on those words! In the books, I don’t remember the wooden spoon doll. Carrie had a proper rag doll that her mother made. Ditto Laura in the books.

Day 23 - got on a roll this morning and turned out 2-1/4 pages longhand. Two and a half is about 1000 words for me, so I got in a solid 800 for sure, plus change. I'll know when I type it all up.

I hope to have the assignment done and out by evening. The rest of the weekend, if weather permits--yard work!

April - my handwriting's pretty small and doesn't sprawl too much, so I can cram on a lot of words per line. (Without the lines, it would drift down- or upward. My pages would look like drawings of a mountain range.) I can generally read it the next day, unless I was writing really fast (called "scribbling" ) or tired. I have a bigger problem with the pens. As the ink runs low it starts to fade and skip spots, making it even harder to tell which letter I meant. Those pages are fun to type up weeks after the fact.

Why don't I just type all the time? Because the laptop has tempting games and now YouTube. Longhand guarantees I'll actually write when I sit down to do so.

Cindyt said:

Word Count 55

Taylor - That town’s museum is the utter pits. But, I may have found the building and there’s a current address. You be the judge.

Pterofan - WTG on the word count.

Keithy - Good luck!

April - Progress!

Layla - Congrats on those words! In the books, I don’t remember the wooden spoon doll. Carrie had a proper rag doll that her mother made. Ditto Laura in the books.

Click to expand...

I'm not surprised in the least. Most places don't get enough funding. I emailed the local library and they said they've got some pictures they will email me once they get them out of storage. At least I got my address! Thanks for helping out. You don't happen to know any trial lawyers who'd be willing to help a guy out with court scenes?

Keithy: Sounds like you needed a rest. I’ve been having watery issues too. Now I get nervous around pipes.

Layla: I’m very glad to hear that!

Taylor: Great job pushing on with the edits.

Cindyt: Yay for words!

Pterofan: That’s exactly why I’ve forced myself to go back to writing by hand. The internet is the worst—especially right now. It’s been so nice to spend most of my day away from the phone/laptop. Now whenever I go online I like to get on and off as quick as poss.

K, took me a while to get going today (had the usual three seconds’ sleep and needed to figure out some more character stuff) but I ended up with 2 1/2 pages—prob around 500 words. I’m beginning to think this book might not be a total disaster.

Good work, Taylor
Cindy, cograts on the 55, keep on keeping on! (it’s been so long since I read those books… but still I think of how simple things can be and still satisfy a child)
Ptero, that’s great work! (I write by hand. I can’t read what I’ve written 15 minutes later…)
April, congrats on those words




Day 23


WIP - up early, added words in the Summer Chair (would have seen the sunrise if the clouds weren’t there, but the sky was nice and pinky though)
R/SC - chores, grocery shopping, treated myself to some take-out
BP/$$ - re-arranging and tidying, making the space a bit more easy to use, etc.

Began Chp12. Wrote two pages and a fourth.

Layla: Words in Summer Chair sounds lovely. Need to get me one of those

Taylor: Excellent work! I hope you've batted away some of those doubts.

1 page for me. Better than a smack in the face, I suppose.

April: I hope the way through the blockage panned out! (and it looks like it did, huzzah! Hip hip hooray!) And 500 more words, another atta-boy for you. And another page! Another well done.

Ubriel: Hi! Congrats on the work and on the drafting and editing!

Layla: Good job on the things. You inspire me to walk more, thank you for that. Hey! More things! Well done. Oh! The summer chair returns. It sounds so charming and welcoming.

Cindy: Hope the late start means a rested brain.  And congrats on the 55 words.

Taylor—Chapter 10, and 11, and 12 is awesome! (I also want to throw out a chapter or two but I think they belong—in this case foreshadow something that comes late… think think think.)

Pterofan: Progress is awesome indeed. Those words add up. They wouldn’t happen if we didn’t make the effort! Woot 350! And then another 800, awesome. Longhand is fantastic. It feels like ideas flow better in longhand.

Keithy: Thank you for not giving up. I like your fish. I hope the water gets back where it belongs.

Since Thursday I had some other stuff to attend to but yesterday and today I waded into chapter 21 and 22 and they're both short (2955 altogether). I'm not ready to move on from them yet, but they are re-shaped a bit to the "true book" from the first draft messy state they'd been. Chap 22 is a great opportunity for us to forgive the love interest for messing up. He's in the doghouse and this is his chapter to shine--really show what a gem he is underneath it all. Probably means this chapter will accordion back and forth a lot while I try to hit the right sappy soppy but-not-too-much notes with him.

Still, I can say I edited 2955 words and I think tomorrow I'll run through them again and tuck in more of this and that before hitting chapter 23, which is longer--about 4000 words--and it may need some slicing downward.

Non-writing: Gardening, a little housecleaning, and so on.

Taylor, congratulations on the pages
April, congrats on that page Always better than nowt
nice work, bear




Day 24


WIP - added words
R/SC - to the woods, earliest time out so far
BP/$$ - back to the job week, 6.5 hours,


I am sooo tired

Thanks April and Wooly. Plenty of nutrition and a good night’s sleep has given me a better perspective. Interesting tidbit, my dad gave me a paperback copy of “A River Runs Through It.” Turns our that Norman McClean published that book through the University of Chicago Press, and simple word of mouth drove the sales. When I started writing this book my supervisor had mentioned the University of Arkansas Press (my book being of regional interest). I know I shouldn’t be thinking too much about publication, but it’s an option.