Post your total words written since the 8th in the comments below! (The number of words, not the words themselves!!!)
And feel free to mention a big A-HA! moment you hit during the week, a problem you’ve had to work through, a tip you found for keeping focused and getting the pages done and keeping the muse happy!
UPDATE: As far as what I’ve written . . . nothing on the 8th because this challenge took off like a rocket and I had to pin it down, 850 words on the 9th, about the same on the 10th but I write by hand and it’s not yet typed up. I plan to write in the car on the 5 hour trip to Dallas – but as you can see, I’ve got catching up to do!
Sven Says: DON’T BE AN ALISON!!!!!
Pop Prize!
I’ll be randomly choosing one sweating challenger who weighs in to receive a copy of either The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Writing Erotic Romance or my 12/06 Brava release Beyond a Shadow, but it’ll be Sunday when I’m home again before I get to doing that!
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My report is I have nothing to report, well unless you consider the break in the weather that’s allowing me to breathe easier news. Actually it is because now I’ll be able to write and that’s my plan for today, so soon as I get my morning internet stuff done.
So I’ll have pages to report on Sunday.
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I’ve only done 1860. 908 on Sunday, none on Monday, 952 Tuesday. It doesn’t count today because I write at night after everyone has gone to sleep. So it will be higher tonight (that’s the power of positive thinking).
I got stuck on an erotic love scene. This is the first I’ve ever fully written and it wasn’t an easy thing for me. My aha moment was just writing it as I saw it in my head, and deciding to worry about the logistics during edits. I spent more time looking for a word for, er, well, never mind but I spent a long time looking for a word instead of just putting the word and moving on. So last night I just put the words and if one felt overused and I couldn’t think of another one I just put a bracket right beside it with (NW) for new word. Hopefully I will remember that when this is done! :-D
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Weighing in with 3095 words–that doesn’t include today, tonight is a write-in night for me. So far, so good, hitting goals daily!
The biggest aha I had is that it really doesn’t take that long to write 1000ish words if I focus and do it, but it is amazing how many little reasons I can find not to focus.
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Okay, I didn’t join until yesterday, and I already had @23,000 words done, so I have a little breathing room. However, S70 inspired me to write 863 words last night. I wrote through my husband’s monologue on basketball (“umm-hmm. yes, dear.”), my son’s chatter about summer school play time kickball team dynamics (“well, that wasn’t nice, was it?”), and making dinner three rooms away. (Chicken burned, but I salvaged the good parts and had barbeque chicken over rice. Nobody knew—they were all at the pool by then).
Point is— I wrote. Anyway. In spite of. Woke up proud of myself and ready to go again.
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Words written since Tuesday: 3,420. My a-ha moment: I actually feel a little better mentally after I write
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Words written since Sunday, July 8:
7,845 — yay, me! This has been the kick in the butt I’ve needed for months — thanks, Alison. :)
Major a-ha experience: what a joy it is to temporarily turn off my Inner Editor and just get those words the heck OUT. Inner Editor can have her fun after September 20, bwahahahaha!
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I started Saturday with a bit already done before I joined the challenge. Right now I have 6,853 words!
Of course, I decided to work on editing another completed book I have at the same time. Argh! What was I thinking?
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More time consuming no doubt, but between work, the kids summer activities, etc. it’s better than telling myself ‘I don’t have time right now’ and doing nothing at all.
Meagan – The handwriting does take extra time since there’s all that typing to do after the words are written. I find that’s when I do a whole lot of my editing and word nitpicking, tho, so I don’t mind too much!
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I’ve at least come to the realization that it’s OK to waaaaay overwrite descriptions of activity
Yes, Jenifer! Get the story down and go back to fix it later! Once you get further into the groove, you’ll see what’s working and what’s not, and then you can fix!
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I’d been averaging about 3-4 hours a night, and my brain was shutting down.
Jenny – I MUST have sleep. Serious sleep. I’ve done without, and the writing goes so much better with a fresh brain!
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I have about 3300 words so far.
My a-ha moment is a silly one, but I’ve realized that if it’s gonna get done, I have to be the one to do it.
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My middles are usually much better because by then I know who my characters are and what the story is about.
Gina – You can still write those beginnings but then just use them as a way to learn your characters’ backstories, etc!
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Hmmmm… I’d say about 9K, split between my three current WIPs.
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My aha moment was just writing it as I saw it in my head, and deciding to worry about the logistics during edits.
Exactly, Michelle!
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I’m starting from scratch with just a one sentence logline for a story. For the first time ever, I thought I’d actually attempt to create an outline before I start cranking out word count — so no word count yet. My A-ha! moment came when I decided to outline rather than jump into a manuscript with both feet like I usually do and then lose my momentum to write when I don’t have a plot and the thrill of the challenge and the sugar buzz from my most recent cupcake frenzy wears off. But I must add that I am EXTREMELY impressed by the word counts posted by all of the gonzo writers here thus far. You go!
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Y’all are doing great!!!
I’m at 8,625 so far… several actual pages of the manuscript, but about 3ish pages from both wips were plot outlines, etc. (I write just enough of a plot to give myself direction otherwise I write in circles…and never finish!) Overall I’m happy to have some solid work under my belt… :)
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I started yesterday and haven’t done today’s words yet. My word count thus far is 1144 words. My goal is one scene per day and my scenes average about 1250 words, so it fits nicely into this challenge.
My aha moment echoes Amelia’s: The biggest aha I had is that it really doesn’t take that long to write 1000ish words if I focus and do it, but it is amazing how many little reasons I can find not to focus.
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Well that didn’t work. No word meters here.
I’ve done 2940 words since monday. I had 13K in the manuscript already, and my goal is to get to 90K.
My aha? I know more about the 1906 Earthquake than a geologist at this point.
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I am currently at 4647 words. I started on 7/9 and got stuck yesterday at a portion that I was puzzled over. I bounced some ideas off of my hubby and he told me if it doesn’t feel right stop it and move on.
I was overanalyzing and trying to jam in to much nonconsequential stuff. So I am over that and moving forward I need to double up tonight but I think I can manage it.
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I’ve done 7500 words since the eigth on my novel.
My aha moment – I hated my hero’s name and so does he. Which is why I’ve had such a hard time writing him.
It helped that I bound and gagged my Evil Internal Editor (EIE) in the corner of my mind and locked him in one of those soundproof, escape proof mime boxes. Also, I’ve been writing out of order. When I get stalled, I just write a few key words of what/how I want the scene to go and be about and skip ahead.
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I’ve currently written 3921 words since signing up for the challenge. Most of it has been on Lisia’s Journey, but I did get a little in on Primal Encounter. I still have today’s writing to do.
My aha moment came the first day and is like Jennifers. The first day I realised I was editing what I’d written too much and needed to concentrate on getting the story out.
Now, I have to get to work on today’s goals.
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I am impressed with all the writing going on :)
Keep up the work everyone!
I have logged in about 8,500 words so far. But nothing today yet. :(
No aha moment either, just the deletion of an entire scene. Oh well. I’ll do better the second time around :)
Michelle
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I’ve managed to get 2077, not quite as many as I would have liked, but I’ve had a couple of days where I just could get hardly any words on the page. I’m hoping to do better. I am liking where this story is going so far though.
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3959K to date on the new story; also reviewing edits CP sent on the 1st story. Behind a day due to being out of town for business but will catchup over the weekend.
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3667 words so far. Still writing, though! And looking at OT tomorrow and Friday – MOAN!!!
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I have the same 6106 words that I had this morning, but the writing part of my day is only beginning.
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1300 words total since Sunday. Yes, that sucks. I got myself all bogged down in a scene that I was not prepared to write because I didn’t have the details to do it. So a script writer friend of mine this morning said, skip it, write around it. Ah ha! So I did. Now I hope to be back on track and make up the slack.
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Since Sunday I’ve written a total of 2,500 words. Bad, I know. Most of my writing was done on Monday. Yesterday I had a terrible headache and couldn’t concentrate at all. Promise to do better :)
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I’ve written 3575 since Sunday. I missed one day because of a visitor but I will catch up – overall I’m very very please – especially because it took MONTHS to write the first 6000 words of this wip.
I’m quite excited!!! Loving this challenge.
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I have 2350 words right now.
I got my quota on day 1 & 2, but yesterday I got stuck and realized I’d taken a left turn somewhere (must’ve been at Albuquerque). So I had to backtrack.
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Just sitting down to work and I’m at 5698 words, 24 pages so far. :)
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I only have 1,000 words so far on the manuscript I am slated to work on. But that is because I had to stop to do a bit of proposal editing, so my agent can start shopping around a new proposal for me as soon as she gets back from Nationals. So…I am writing, but probably won’t be back to serious work on the slated ms until Sunday night and then I am typing my fingers to stumps and will definitely catch up on the lacking words. :)
Woohoo to all with those rocking word counts!! Great progress!
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I’ve been bad. I’ve only gotten 529 words written since the 8th. I’m planning on doing more writing tonight and a bunch tomorrow. I’m hoping (and I know I can do it) catch up to the promised 900 words a day.
I really want to get this m/s written by September.
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As of Wednesday evening: 3014.
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I’m at 30 pages/~7500 words. My biggest “aha” moment–I’ve learned not to even think about the writing, but just to open up my WIP and start typing. If I dwell too much beforehand on how much I need to get done, I freeze or procrastinate.
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I’ve done 4,737 since the start which is amazing, since I’ve been totally in avoidance behavior and doing, like, zero per day.
Big AHA: Read/edit day’s work before I go to bed. Let subconscious perseverate. Get up and write 1st thing. For some reason, my subconsious does a way better job than me!
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*4,156*
3,156 words typed and what I estimate to be about 1,000 (give or take) by hand that haven’t been typed yet
Aha moment: moving, 6 year anniversary, and birthday celebrations for friends are not conducive to writing. Mostly the moving part as I have lots of packing that I’m trying to get done and cleaning the house before we move out (but it’s completely worth it since the new house has a library with gorgeous built-in bookshelves and a fireplace, I can’t wait to write in it).
I think I’m going to fall behind even more for the next 1 1/2-2 weeks. I have anniversary plans from tomorrow to Sunday, plus continuing the move, then I’ll be gone from the 18th-22nd for a wedding. I’m going to have some serious catching up to do after the 22nd.
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I’m at 10250 so far. I love the motivation I’m getting from this. :)
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3782.
My big Ah-ha moment this morning -”Ah-ha! Only 41 days until schools back in.”
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Here’s my word count report:
Sun: 1938
Mon: 1102
Tues: 1218
Working on Wednesday’s. So that’s 4258 new words. Not bad. My target wordcount is 1000 per day. So far, so good. Especially since I can only write at night after the day job and the requirement of being Mom’s Taxi Service is done. Feeling proud! ;D
TJ
http://www.tjmichaels.com
http://www.dynamicthree.com
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My count for Sun-Tues. is about 9000 words. I need to double check, add them up better, but I know I have added almost 2000 today, too. And still writing today. :D
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4000 words. Every one of them was pulled out of me with a pair of pliers. I’m a teacher and usually spend EVERYDAY at the pool with my sons. THis challenge is a great way for me to get in the habit of writing again.
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Daily goal: 1300 words (start date 7/9)
Word count so far: 7600
And that’s a bit padded; I had about 4500 words already. I have an excuse – my concentration was shattered with a rather unexpected rejection letter. New project, a sequel to an already published book, was shot down without even a ‘revise and resubmit’, so I’m a bit stunned. I was going to back out of this challenge and lick my wounds, but wallowing in self-pity does nothing but make the pity party larger, so this coming Sunday I’ll be back on track.
(Oh, and I’m in the Pacific Nortwest, it’s only 9 PM here, so I did post this in plenty of time! lol)
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1500! I’m enjoying this tons – mainly because the word count is not too stressful and I still have time to make sure it’s all going in the right direction.
AHA – After struggling over a paragraph of exposition, I realized that it would flow perfectly as dialogue. (I know – oldest trick ever) and I felt really dense for not realizing it sooner. :D
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So my total count by the end of the night is 6,041 whoohoo. I hope the words keep coming.
Congrats everyone on your success and keep it up.
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2065 words so far. Slow going, but it’s getting there.
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5,086 words
I’m fairly proud of myself. :)
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It’s good to know I’m not the only one faltering a little early on.
I’ve got only 2,749 words down towards my 90k. I’ve got 2,395 words to write to catch up, plus tomorrow’s quota to meet in order to really be up to speed and on pace.
No major hurdles as of yet, since I’ve been mentally sorting this story for a while prior to signing up for this challenge.
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I know I started writing in July but don’t know when during that first week. I haven’t broken it down by day. I write long hand then kick someone off the computer (usually son) to type things up.
So far, I’m at 4,547 words.
I knew the girl was going to be dating her brother’s best friend but they weren’t best friends anymore. My a-ah moment was when I finally came up with a way to make the brother a jerk instead of the best friend :)
My husband thinks I’m nuts for starting this just before vacation. For some reason my extended family don’t know what I write ;) I’ll write in the car after I finish HP but won’t be able to check in :(
ttfn
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I’ve been plotting and not writing, so last night I decided to just write. Well, now I have a little man that appeared for no apparent reason and I have to deal with the flower thief. So word count so far . . . 653 words. I’ve been bad send Sven over to my house.