Word Count Update
Okay. I eeked them out...all 1092 of them.
Man, today was painful. But I'm done.
Jeez...what day is this? Only day 4?????
God help me.
Word Count
Not much to report today except word count. Today's progress: 1695 words.
What progress did you make today, in writing or in life?
Talk, Talk, Talk & Updated Word Count
I'm going to have to find another place to write in the morning.
As most of you know, I typically go to McDonald's to write after I've dropped the girls at school. There are two McDonalds' near my house, the one I've gone to for the five years I've been writing, the one that houses the other regulars who have become like my second-family-slash-fan-club and the new one that's closer and much quieter.
Today I went to the original and one of the regulars started talking to me. And kept talking, and talking, and talking. He's a great guy. And I love people. Love to hear their tales and mine their personality quirks for use in future characters...but, dammit, I've got to get some stuff done!
He talked for forty minutes!
Another regular popped in and piggybacked onto the first regular's conversation and kept me distracted for another fifteen minutes. No sooner had he left than one of the gals who works there whom I absolutely adore came over to chat.
An hour later, I had nothing done. Nothing. Not even a paragraph of my morning pages (that's from The Artist's Way in case you're wondering).
In college I used to have a friend who had this strange ability to draw people to her. They would talk and talk and before you knew it, you knew more about this stranger than your own mother. I was always jealous of that. I wanted to be that kind of person.
Well, guess what...???
It's nice to be loved. It's nice to have others feel comfortable enough to confide and discuss and bitch and dream with you.
I just wish it didn't conflict with my writing time. :-#
Despite the distractions, I managed to hammer out 2218 words today. Imagine what I could get done if I made the newer McDonald's my new home. Only then...I might be lonely. :-D
Are you one of those people who gets their ear bent by strangers?
Read more...
Word Count Update
Okay, I'm at 1246 words for the day. Not sure if I'll write any more tonight, but I'm happy I met the goal for the day.
How about you? Did you meet any goals today?
Goals, huh?
My CP has pushed me a little further than I expected.
In a rare spurt of enthusiasm, I asked Elisabeth--always up for a challenge, not to mention that little competitive streak she harbors--if she wanted to set a writing goal.
I said: 1000 words a day.
My rationale was that 1000 words a day for 100 days would produce 100,000 words -- almost a complete book for me. (Mine run about 125,000k).
I thought, hey, a complete rough first draft in 3 months? How cool would that be? They usually take me twice as long.
E accepts. Then goes on to one-up me on the deal.
She says: 1000 words a day for **100 days**.
OMG.
Okay, well, my competitive streak isn't anywhere near as wide as E's, but I'm in a good place--kids are in school, my work schedule has quieted to a dull roar, my DH isn't off at any fires.
Sure...why not? Let's see what happens.
I popped out my first 705 words this morning at breakfast in about 1/2 an hour. Will finish up those lingering 295 later this afternoon or this evening while my kids are doing homework.
What about you? Wanna join us? Natasha? Edie? Linda? Elisa? Mary? Anyone? We can report in to each other via our blogs. It's like excercise--funner (my daughter insists that's not a word) when you're doing it together!
Read more...
Strange and Fascinating
Wowza, what a summer.
Kids went back to school today. Thank. God.
Of course school brings a whole different set of challenges to the table, but I'm ready for the change.
I'm also ready for a change in my writing. The new manuscript I'm working on is third person for hero, heroine and secondary characters, but first person for the villain.
Weird, huh?
When I'm trying to get into my character's head I often go through a little dialogue. Here's an example:
I’m Cruz. I’ve just failed an important mission. I’ve had a woman I wanted walk out on me and can’t stop thinking about her and don’t know where to find her. I just found out my father has been murdered. I come home to find the place in disrepair and needing a ton of work I don’t have time for which will keep me from my mission—possibly make me lose my mission. The vineyard brings back memories of my mother and watching her die, my father and watching him go crazy without her.
I do this whenever I get stuck on where my character will go next or what he will do next. Pretty ordinary, right?
Well, when I went into my villain's head, I was in a very different place. The psychosis was there, coloring the words, the outlook, the thoughts.
Weird. Very weird. But also riveting. Rather fascinating.
And that's when I decided...to do this strange thing with the POVs. Which is a great example of knowing the rules so you can break them. :-) Of course, I may start off that way and change it all back to third person, but it will be a fun experiment.
What strange but wonderful things have you done with your manuscripts, present or past?
Kids went back to school today. Thank. God.
Of course school brings a whole different set of challenges to the table, but I'm ready for the change.
I'm also ready for a change in my writing. The new manuscript I'm working on is third person for hero, heroine and secondary characters, but first person for the villain.
Weird, huh?
When I'm trying to get into my character's head I often go through a little dialogue. Here's an example:
I’m Cruz. I’ve just failed an important mission. I’ve had a woman I wanted walk out on me and can’t stop thinking about her and don’t know where to find her. I just found out my father has been murdered. I come home to find the place in disrepair and needing a ton of work I don’t have time for which will keep me from my mission—possibly make me lose my mission. The vineyard brings back memories of my mother and watching her die, my father and watching him go crazy without her.
I do this whenever I get stuck on where my character will go next or what he will do next. Pretty ordinary, right?
Well, when I went into my villain's head, I was in a very different place. The psychosis was there, coloring the words, the outlook, the thoughts.
Weird. Very weird. But also riveting. Rather fascinating.
And that's when I decided...to do this strange thing with the POVs. Which is a great example of knowing the rules so you can break them. :-) Of course, I may start off that way and change it all back to third person, but it will be a fun experiment.
What strange but wonderful things have you done with your manuscripts, present or past?
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