October 2020 Challenge - Write Every Day!

April Swanson

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Second: Wow, great job. Enjoy the 1k club :) (FWIW I’ve heard really successful authors talk about comparisonitis so I don’t think it ever really goes away.)

Chase: Gotta love a spreadsheet :)

Layla: Yay for words and lovely bread :) Was it a fancy kind? I’m going to attempt making focaccia soon. I’m very excited.

Cindyt: Woop woop!

Got 2550. Most of those words were absolute crap, but I figured I should keep pushing on. Writing is HARD.
 

The Second Moon

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Day 22 - 395 words on The Pets of Jacksondale

I thought I made up the town name "Jacksondale" but it's not underlined in red as I'm typing this. I guess I have some internet searching to do. *quick internet search* I guess Jackson Dale can be a real name of a person, but Google automatically wanted to correct "Jacksondale" to "Jacksonville" like the place in Florida. No idea why Jacksondale's not underlined in red expect for when it has a ('s).

Thanks for all the replies on feeling bad about my cover!
 

Layla Nahar

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Cindy, congrats on the 142
April, it was two 'Ancienne Baguettes' - *very* good bread. People from France even say so. I get two loaves every two weeks and freeze em. I'm too busy to get one every week :(. Congrats on all those words - yah. Writing is hard.
Moon - congrats on the 395




Day 24


WIP - added words
R/SC - wee bit of ballet, chores, got stuff ready for an early morning
BP/$$ - 6 hours, bit o GIMP
 

Pterofan

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Day 23 - a bit over half a page of longhand. I'm going to call it only 150 words because I had to scribble out lines twice.
Day 24 - 90 words longhand (it wasn't much so I counted). Both days were a scene from the book so I declare victory

I was going to type up these last two bits but I found the 2013 remake of Carrie on TV, which of course sent me to YouTube to look up the prom scene from the 1976 original. Then I got watching the ending of the remake which isn't as stylish as the first one but is way bloodier. I won't be sleeping well tonight.

One more fun nature story: My neighborhood's on a two-lane main route through town. On the land side of the guardrail is a stretch of thick weeds. It's a mouse hangout, so this is where the local feral cats go to hunt. I get to see the drama through my bathroom window. This morning, right around dawn, a cat was out there, but he looked like he was giving up. Then he stopped, like he heard something. He stood there for a couple of minutes. All of a sudden he jumped straight up in the air and came down in the weeds. I waited, expecting him to come trotting out with a mouse in his mouth. After about thirty seconds he leaped out again, hit the ground and ran like hell. Whatever he jumped on in there must not have been a mouse. Maybe it was another cat. Or a feisty rat. Or a skunk. Poor kitty.
 

frimble3

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Might have been a snake, also out hunting mice. Not even a poisonous snake, just the startle effect of landing on the head (mouse sized) then realizing there's so much more behind the head!
 

Cindyt

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Day 24

Word Count - 342

Dress Her in Chameleon - Formatting.

A Deadly Spill of Scarlet - I combined chapters so that of the 30 I know have 14 and counting. Filled a hole. Edited a scene. Billy is still fixing to leave the bar. Haha.

April - Woop woop yourself with that 2550 word count!

Layla - Congrats on added words and good luck with Gimp. All I ever used it for was to convert dpi. Now I use lunapic to resize the image and a converter site to up the dpi specs.

Formating has been a journey. Don't know if all that typing and such did it, but my arm and shoulder tendonitis is acting up. I almost took a day off altogether, but pushed on with a little help from OTC anti-inflammatory pills.
 

The Second Moon

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Day 24 - 80 words on The Pets of Jacksondale. I did more creating side characters on it than I did writing on the actual MS, but it was much needed to solidify the side characters.

Cindyt - Formatting is hard! I feel you.

Ptero - I was worried for the poor cat the whole tale. You're a good story teller.

Layla - Thanks.
 

April Swanson

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Layla: Go words! And you cannae beat a baguette.

Pterofan: I like to think all the mice teamed up and presented a united front against the cat.

Cindyt: Formatting kills my hand because there's a lot more mouse work involved. Hope the pills help.

Second: Nice effort on both days. I find it hard to remind myself that the thinking stuff also counts.

I fiddled with Chapter 6 and made it a bit less terrible, but it still needs massive amounts of work. Now need to figure out one of the main threads, which kicks off in Chap 7. Hmmm ...
 

Pterofan

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No writing yet--I just got up and the tea/caffeine hasn't kicked in yet. I wanted to add to the kitty story.

frimble - I thought about snakes too. We do have them around here. I've only seen one once, and that was from a distance, but a former neighbor used to walk her dog early in the morning and she reported seeing snakes on an almost daily basis. Most likely it would be a black rat snake, which are a good size but non-poisonous. Still, formidable enough to scare off a cat.

April - or, even better, it may have been an opossum. They're common around here too. An opossum looks something like a cat-sized mouse. Imagine you're a cat and you jump on a "mouse" that's as big as you are. And bites. If that's what happened, Kitty is probably seriously rethinking his dietary options right now.

SM - thanks! Feel free to borrow this incident if you want to use it in your story. What will your cat land on, and how will he/she react?

Ah, there goes the tea. Time to do paid work. Will try to write later.
 

Keithy

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Another driveby here, covering the last few days.

A bit of thinking/wondering what to do next.

On the plus side, I'm catching up with household jobs. eg Our internet is now hard-wired so we don't have to worry about the router being 1mm out of place anymore.
 
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Woollybear

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Hi everyone--I think I've got planners' block. Like I don't want to look at my list of things that need attention, and I don't want to think about what needs attention.

I've been reading, and making notes, but not much progress over the past few days toward official goals, and I think I need to start checking back in here daily for the discipline of it.

So, goals. By the end of the month I'll (1) count up all the named/speaking characters (I think I have around 30) and (2) try to go through and increase the physical description of the main ones or all of them, or for whosever description is lacking. It's a real weakness of mine, character description, because I dislike simple descriptions (black eyes, red hair) even though plenty of authors do it this way, and so figuring out how to describe in a way I like has been a years' long process. Getting there.

That gives me a week for those two goals. I can do it. I plan to start checking in daily again.
 
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Layla Nahar

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Ptero - nice work
Cindy - congrats on the 342. That formatting sounds gruelling.
Moon - congrats on that 80
April - hey diddle diddle ;)
Ptero - I looked over a ledge once and saw a mountain of snakes - all different kinds. Never seen that before. I was so scared I jumped, and one of the snakes was so scared he (or she?) fell of the ledge and into the mud six feet down. (sorry snek)
Keithy - let it come to you :)
Hey woolly - keep on keeping on


Day 25


WIP - added words
R/SC - walk in the woods, some organizing
BP/$$ - Gimp


Early to bed today, I think
 

Keithy

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Another driveby

Ahh, it's still not coming right, all in bits and scraps. Even fanfics.

Perhaps the beta readers will bring some clarity.
 

aurora borealis

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Day 25

Long absence during the busyness that is midterm/term paper proposal season. But I am free now!

I wrote a small 155 words, but it's good to be back writing again. (And, of course, it's better than nothing.)
 

ChaseJxyz

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Layla: I got bread this weekend too :) Great minds think alike
Cindy: congrats on 142 + 342 words
April: Awesome job on 2550!
Second Moon: I remember writing on a Windows XP and Word didn't think "piercing" was a word. Jacksondale is a perfectly fine and belivable name for a town somewhere
Ptero: Congrats on words
Woolly: Oh yeah I have that same exact problem. I'm sure I have major characters that I've never described at all...
Aurora: Welcome back!

Weekend catch up: I wrote some many books in the future bird world stuff that's probably never going to be used, but I wanted to think about some character interactions and how that would go. I also crossed a bunch of stuff off my world building/stuff I need to figure out list. Map has been filled out, figured out who the other hunters are, how I'm going to share the story of birdnobyl in the text.

It's starting to get cooler here, like it's actually not 100 degrees out every day anymore! A new park opened up next to the (eastern span of the) Bay Bridge and I wanted to check it out, but it takes an hour walk to get there...so instead I went up and down the marina. I was standing on a fishing pier in the middle of the water (as far as Google Maps could tell) and no water pokemon spawned, because it's spooky season so it's all ghosts, all the time. Let me catch fish!!! Saw a bunch of the year-round bird species, but nothing out of the ordinary. There was sooo many people walking around and fishing and just chilling since restrictions are easing up, so there wasn't anywhere for otters to hang out. No white-tailed kites, either, though I've seen them in that area quite a few times lately (that's the birb in my icon).
 

Cindyt

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Day 25

Word Count - 220

Dress Her in Chameleon - Formatting.

A Deadly Spill of Scarlet - Had a brainstorm about getting Billy out of the bar and into the DEADco machine. I wrote a portion of it and still tinkering.

Moon - I know, right. I just started over about 300 times without attempting a sub. That character creating is a must for a memorable story.

April - A new memory foam pillow would help, me thinks.

Layla - Grueling is an understatement, but at least I’m learning and have already applied it to Scarlet.

Ptero - I live in the deep South, got me some snake stories. My mother was stuck her arm into some wild salad bushes and some serpent nailed her. She had fang marks. We lived way out in the country without a phone to call Daddy home from work. So, she just cleaned it up and went about her business.

Chase - Good luck with developing the character reactions.

In other news: My sister’s mean rabbit-tail calico cat flew into a rage because I had the gall to stand near her hooman’s couch. In flew, I mean she flew at me, clawing and gouging and leaving pumped up bruises on the back of my left hand. Bloody and hysterical, I grabbed the throw to toss over her if I had to--should have anyway, duh--and slowly backed into the kitchen, around the table, and sat down, hoping she’d soon get over it. Not a chance. She was sneaking at me under the table when my sister got up and forced her into her bedroom.
 
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April Swanson

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Keithy: Sounds you’ve got a bit of the Block. It’s no fun, so here, have some rainbow-coloured creative vibes.

Woolly: You can do it!

Layla: I’m not scared of snakes but Snake Mountain sounds horrifying. Yay words!

aurora: Nice way to get back at it!

Chase: Hopefully those otters have got a hidden speakeasy somewhere.

Cindyt: Nice words, formatting and cat-evading!

Just some musing for me yesterday. Still really stuck on this one thread that I need to figure out asap. Can’t believe it’s the last week of October. I'm soooo not finishing this draft by the end of the month!
 

The Second Moon

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Day 25 - 1,182 words on The Pets of Jacksondale. That's my best word count in a while.

I had a cool dream last night. It was about an alien kid who was supposed to do the first contact/ landing on Earth with his family, but his family bailed, leaving the alien kid to do it by himself. I might turn that dream into something if it sticks with me.

Woolly - You can do it!

April - It's better to figure something out properly than rush it.

Cindy - Ouch! Also, I've never heard it called a "rabbit-tail" before. I've always called it a "bobtail". Interesting...

ChaseJxyz - I was wondering what the bird in your avatar was called.

Ptero - My coffee just kicked in, too.

Layla - A walk is always good.
 

Woollybear

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Layla: Awesome that you are still walking in the woods. Hope you are still enjoying the summer chair.

Keithy: If it was easy everyone would do it.

Cindy: Looks like good progress, congrats!

Chase: Have you taken any Corvid tests yet?

Aurora: Hello!

April: There's always November

Second Moon: Great word count!

Me:: OK, so I counted named characters and made a spreadsheet. Thirty-eight named characters. That's a bump up from the last book, and it feels like a lot to me, but about a half dozen or so are super trivial. Like a pair of young twins (only they are not twins) that are always together--They are named in the manuscript, technically, because not doing so was super weird at the supper scene, but I think the reader will pick up that those two kids can safely be ignored despite the fact that they are named and one even speaks at one point. I treat them as a pair anyway.

So let's say 30 characters who need a descriptor or two or five. I wrote a few out for all of them. Now I'm going through to make sure each introduction comes with some physical detail, and that the second occurrence of the character (if there is a second occurrence) touches back to the existing description.

That means up to 76 tuck-ins of description (some of which is already done from drafting.) I did three this morning and about to dive into the next 73.

Glass of wine at the ready.

ETA: ... and 19 of 76 done, but the head is funny now, and there'll be hell to pay tomorrow for it.
 
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Layla Nahar

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Hello Keithy - keep on keeping on!
aurora! Hello & congrats on the 155 words :)
Chase, sounds like a productive mind day :). (That's been one of the hardest things since this whole business - there are so many people out there now in places where you used to be able to go for solitude...)
Cindy - congrats on the 220!
April - I'm not scared of them either (I'm Year of the Snake) but sooo many at once... - and of them was huge (the one that fell) - I've never seen a wild snake that big, it was almost 2" across in the middle). Enjoy the musings
Moon - w000t! 1K club for you!
woolly - It's the pitch black summer chair now. After my little barefoot romp in the woods I had to sit on the bridge and warm my tootsies in my hands before I could walk again. But after that I walked back to the car no problem at all. It was the running + the cold that does it, I think. I'll see how much longer I can go. (ps "Corvid test" loolll)


Day 25


WIP - added words
R/SC - got the car inspected, groceries, bank
BP/$$ - got the car repaired, one housemate phone call
 

Pterofan

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Day 24 - 3/4 page flash (longhand), let's say 250 words
Day 25 - guestimating about 100 words longhand, still on that one scene from the book

Layla - Yick. I like snakes, but not in huge numbers and not that close. I've never heard of a snake pile-up. Maybe it was an orgy. Or snake Woodstock. SnakeStock?

Cindy - Yikes! Was your mom okay? Venomous snakes don't always inject poison when they bite. Maybe your mom got lucky.
 

icedesperado

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OMG YOU GUYS THE BOOK IS DONE!!!!!

I actually finished it on Saturday and then was so thrilled that I completely forgot to post about it here lol. At 133,000 words, the first draft is done!

I'm gonna let it sit for a few weeks and then start digging into the rewrite. :)
 

April Swanson

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Second: Great job! Now you can relax in the 1k club :)

Woolly: I am so impressed by your attention to detail.

Layla: Yay the words!

Pterofan: Ha! Snakestock. Love it.

ice: :partyguy::snoopy::hooray:

I got, like, 37 words or something yesterday. It was mostly a musing day. I'm sloooowly figuring out the knots.
 

Cindyt

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Day 26

Added words

Dress Her in Chameleon - Formatting.

Moon - Her tail looks like a bunny tail’s been glued to her butt. Here’s an illustration.

bunny%20tail.webp


Woolly - Sounds like you got a lot done. WTG!

April - Good luck! I’m not going to get my novel on ebook by the end of the month either, because I’m trimming the word count and fine-tuning grammar. Me thinks I’ve got some straight commas and/or apostrophes mixed with curly. Drat! Did it was almost 120,000 words when I began the process?

Layla - Congrats on added words.

Ptero - Mom was fine, didn’t miss a beat. I susupect she continue to go down to the edge of the backyard to pick poke salad for the rabbits.

Ice - :snoopy:
 

The Second Moon

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Day 26 - 580 words on The Pets of Jacksondale. I left off with Holly and Leif running into the main bad guy while trying to rescue their friends.

My goal was to at least reach 500 and I did that with a little extra!

Cindyt - Ah! That's what I was thinking, but I've just always called it a bobtail.

April - Musing is good

Ptero - Good job!

Layla -What happened to your car??? (Not that I'll understand the mechanics of it...)

Woolly - Speaking of twins as one...My little sister's call smooshed me and my twin's names together like this NameName. No pause in between. I hated it when when I was younger but now it makes me feel nostalgic like I'll always be her older sister.

ice -Yes!!!! That's amazing!