[Verla Kay Posts: 5,905 Status: Offline Invite Verla Kay to speak in your area WWW]

I actually wrote and rewrote and unwrote massive amounts (massive for ME, anyway) on my WWII POW "novel" draft last night. I went from about 600+ words on this newest version to over 2500 words. MAJOR accomplishment for me, even though I HATE what I'm writing. It's so very difficult for this stubborn, ornery, old woman to change a 5-year-old vision of this book from totally non-ficiton to FICTION. It's actually painful. It hurts so much I sometimes blur with the pain from it. But I know I HAVE to give it a try. I HAVE to do whatever I have to do to make this story publishable. No matter how difficult or painful it is. 

[thunderingelephants Posts: 1,309 Status: Offline]

 
I wish you luck, Verla.  I have returned home so any hope of progressing further with my W.I.P is lost since the beastie boys are here and this place is too small to go elsewhere.
Got about an hour's work done this morning, so I'll take it.

[Artemesia Posts: 4,527 Status: Offline WWW]

Oh, Verla! Chocolate and hugs!!   

Can you do both? Or even write a NF mag article, just to satisfy that vision so you can move on with the novel? It really sounds like the reason the novel is giving you trouble is because you had your heart (and mind) set on writing the NF, and are having a hard time letting go. You need to exorcise that demon!! 

I got a bunch done on my dummy over the weekend, hooray!! Gonna keep at it today. 

[ruecole Posts: 475 Status: Offline MG Writer WWW]

Verla, I admire your tenacity!

As for me, I'm counting down the days till my laptop arrives! Then I can write wherever and whenever I want (at least until the battery goes dead . . . ).

Rue

[Joanna Posts: 174 Status: Offline WWW]

Go Verla go!!

I opened my novel file this morning. Does that count as working on it?

[Jude Posts: 456 Status: Offline]

Wrote a brandie new chapter 7 today -- at 1887 words. Yay!

[Verla Kay Posts: 5,905 Status: Offline Invite Verla Kay to speak in your area WWW]

Yay, Jude!  Uh, Joanna, I'm not sure just opening the file counts....

As for me, I am now down to 1300+ words. They are better words, though, than the previous 2500 +/- words I had. I hope that counts.

[Marissa Doyle Posts: 3,731 Status: Offline Charles Bewitched: out now! WWW]

I know--it's weird to be getting stuff accomplished on a manuscript and watch the word count go down.  Still progress, though!

[thunderingelephants Posts: 1,309 Status: Offline]

I have a cold and sneezing my head off all night-the cat, who normally sleeps in my room, got up and left last night.  I must go to hospital for a small operation today so my writing has to take a back seat.   I am slightly irked, which you can probably gather.
I'll probably talk to you all later.  Ah, the luxury of a laptop.  I'll actually miss working with my cats. We were getting on  really well.  Keep up the good work.

[Joanna Posts: 174 Status: Offline WWW]

Uh, Joanna, I'm not sure just opening the file counts....

Aw darn. It was worth a shot!

[Emily G Posts: 68 Status: Offline]

  After a week of writing where I measured my progress in tens of words rather than hundreds, I've just written 1400 new words, all of which I feel are good (in content, not in style ) rather than deletable-filler. Woo, progress feels nice.

Yay for everyone else working on their WIPs, good luck and keep strong!!

(and I totally think opening up the file should count at least a bit, it shows good intentions right? )

[MaryWitzl]

I managed over a thousand words today, most of which I hope are keepers, but some of which are just standing in for better ones. Btw, I definitely think that opening a file is better than leaving it closed. It might not count as work, but it counts as mental preparation!

[ruecole Posts: 475 Status: Offline MG Writer WWW]

Well, I wrote a couple hundred words on a short story today. The kids were using writing prompts in Language Arts to kickstart some story ideas, so I thought I'd play along.  I haven't written to a prompt in YEARS and it was quite fun! I'll have to do it again!

Rue

[Joanna Posts: 174 Status: Offline WWW]

I'm on FIRE today! Wrote 1500ish brand new words, revised a whole scene, and finished a chapter! RAWR!

Congrats to everybody else! Sounds like some real progress is being made!!

[kiperoo Posts: 97 Status: Offline Poetry Editor, YARN WWW]

Wow, Joanna, that's incredible! Good for you!

And it sounds like everyone else is making great progress too.

I am finally back to moving my WIP forward after mixing some manuscript formatting messes (isn't that the worst??) and preparing the beginning for a contest submission.

But I revised another chapter today, adding almost 400 new words in the process. Up to 41,500 words now - getting there!

[Stephan]

I don't know if this helps anyone, but I always write in the morning. My spirit is free and clear of any stress the last day might have brought. Around 1400 or 1500 o clock I'm done writing, and everything I write after I feel I'm done sucks. I don't count the words, but I write about 3 pages a day in size 16.

[thunderingelephants Posts: 1,309 Status: Offline]

Waited three hours in hospital and told couldn't have operation and still dying with cold.  Badly need to write so any voodoo dolls towards hospitals and crumby hospitals appreciated.   
Hopefully tomorrow will be better, probably still have cold, unfortunately, but that won't put me off.

[Emily G Posts: 68 Status: Offline]

Well, I've added a fabulous total of 19 words to my WIP today. That still counts as progress, right?  MC is faced with a companion's blood-stained bandage + wound, and I'm too tired to conquer my squeamishness.  I happen to find the human skeleton fascinating, but everything between bones and skin ... eek ...

[Joanna Posts: 174 Status: Offline WWW]

I think 19 words DEFINITELY counts, Emily. Good luck conquering the squeamishness!! It always amazes me that I have the ability to write things that make me go "EWW." You can do it!

So far today I've revised a whole scene. This novel is totally gonna get finished after all!

[Stephan]

Great job Emily and Joanna. Putting SOMETHING on paper is better than nothing. Chances are, you'll be writing more tomorrow

[Emily G Posts: 68 Status: Offline]

Yay, go Joanna - revising a whole scene is awesome, well done.

I just added another 12 to my wordcount ... but hopefully (as you said, Stephan) tomorrow will bring more words than that.

[Stephan]

I carry that hope with me EVERY DAY Emily!!! But hey, I just throw stuff in there, of what I feel that might be great. It helps me edit it to something I like later on. 

[kiperoo Posts: 97 Status: Offline Poetry Editor, YARN WWW]

More cutting, more new stuff, more chapters revised. About 400 new words net today. Getting there ...

Note to self: next time, outline, outline, outline.

 

[Tinamarie]

Waited three hours in hospital and told couldn't have operation and still dying with cold.  Badly need to write so any voodoo dolls towards hospitals and crumby hospitals appreciated.   
Hopefully tomorrow will be better, probably still have cold, unfortunately, but that won't put me off.

Sorry to hear that, hope you feel better soon!

No work on WIP done last couple of days, will try to get something done later today if possible...

[Marissa Doyle Posts: 3,731 Status: Offline Charles Bewitched: out now! WWW]

Inspirational quote currently in the little note holder on my desk:  "I can fix anything except a blank page"  (that was Nora Roberts, btw).  So yes, 19 words counts.

Today's been an adding-a-scene-in day, as well as some rearranging.  It's very odd to be trying to reduce one's word count, not increase it.  And I'm still trying to figure out what my protagonist's unpleasant Aunt Isabel looks like. 

[Tinamarie]

Added 400 words to my current chapter, for some reason this one is pure drudgery - not sure what that says about me (or my life this week) or the chapter!  Gotta start making larger chunks of time to work on this so I can get psychologically more in the zone with this WIP.

But hey, I'm still happy for the additional 400 words.  Keep reminding myself that this is the "exploratory draft" (I find that concept very comforting)

Good luck to everybody!

- T

[Michelle DP Posts: 253 Status: Offline WWW]

I actually worked on my WIP today!!!

I haven't touched it for nearly a month. My kids are having an extremely rough transition to back to school this year, and I have attended a ton of meetings--all scheduled during the free time when I do my writing.  Plus, I suddenly needed to reread a manuscript I wrote three years ago so that I could talk knowledgeably about it. I will be setting aside my current WIP and plunging into revisions of this manuscript next week. However, today there were no phone calls, no appointments, and no preschooler--just two and a half lovely hours all to myself to work on my WIP before I slip it into a drawer for a while. It felt so good to be writing again. 

[thunderingelephants Posts: 1,309 Status: Offline]

Serious here.  Trips to hospital. Coffee shops closed due to water damage and two distracting beasty boys have scuppered any chance of me writing today.
I THOUGHT about my w.i.p today. 

Does that count?

[Verla Kay Posts: 5,905 Status: Offline Invite Verla Kay to speak in your area WWW]

In other words, you were "think-writing," thunderingelephants. And yeah, I think that counts, too. I hope it does, 'cause that's pretty much all I'm doing on my WIP right now as we get ready to move to Arizona for the winter months.

I feel like this right now. 

[Elisabeth Posts: 80 Status: Offline Regional Advisor, SCBWI Switzerland]

After months away from any writing projects, life has finally settled a bit and I was able to write almost 600 new words today. 

Plus I went from having only an opening scene, and no idea what was going to happen, to having a rough outline of the book. Yay! Now I have a road map. Maybe I can keep my momentum going this time.

It's nice to be back on the 'board and reading all the good news that everyone has had in the past few months.

Wishing everyone a productive day tomorrow.

EL