Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Work-in-Progress Wednesday or Whatnot

As I stated last week, I'm serious about that accountability thing. Nothing like public shaming to motivate you to get it in gear.

I am ashamed to report that last week's word counts were abysmal. From last Wednesday until yesterday, I added a measly 2,452 words to FOUR. Which, if you recall, is only a little more than my daily word count goal.

Oh, the humiliation! 


However, over the weekend several more life-things cropped up (which I will talk about next week, hopefully) that are going to be very time-demanding soon (no, I'm not pregnant), so it re-energized me to finish this draft before all the hoopla begins. 

Monday I wrote 3,285 words and finally crossed the bridge to the climax of Act Two! I'm very excited for all the events that will soon be playing out, so I've been writing much more reliably than last week. 

Hubby and I are going to Maryland next week during my spring break to visit his brother. I'll be taking the netbook, but I doubt much writing will get done. Therefore, my goal is that by next Monday, March 14, my WIP word count will be at 72,000 words. 

If not, I will be one sad walrus. 


How's your writing coming? Feeling the end-of-winter drags, or is spring being right around the corner putting some jazz in your fingers?? 

27 comments:

ggray said...

You are way too hard on yourself! Many writers would be thrilled to reach the goals you do. But I can relate - to that poor seal in the photo. Real life gets in the way, and when it does I turn all shades of frustrated because I miss the endorphins of writing.
But real life also fuels our stories and allows our subconscious to work out the trickiest parts of our work, so from time to time, we're better off allowing the world to have its way, even when it takes us away from what we need to do. It's especially tough when entire chapters are in our heads waiting to be put on paper!

Hannah said...

Well I was planning on putting up my post about outlining and whatnot, as you know but instead I will be posting something else that just happened...that's extremely exciting. Can you guess? You'll have to wait and see!

D. U. Okonkwo said...

Spring sunshine definitely helps the writing along - but being from London I can't always depend on it!
Like you said, life-things can get in the way, and I've got a few of those on at the moment.

But writng over 3K words in a day is awesome, and depending on how you write, that can be a complete chapter.

Stina said...

Woo hoo! I know you can do it, Summer. I always find the words fly when I get near the end of the first draft.

I'm in editing mode right now, but I'm trying not to go too fast. I've already got one project out that I'm querying (I've only been querying it for two months). But that easier said than done. I love working on my new WIP.

Love the picture. Too cute!

Linda G. said...

Hey, cut yourself some slack -- you're doing great! :)

Matthew MacNish said...

I'm actually doing very well in the revisions so far this year. The new draft is up to 45,000 words. But I had my down times. I hardly wrote a word last November and December.

Erica Mitchell said...

I think your doing very well, what I wouldn't give to be at 70k right now. But then again I didn't write a word for 4 months so being at 21k in two months is a decent amount for me.

Sarah Ahiers said...

pshaa, a bad ass bitch like you can totes get it done!
I haven't written anything new, but i'm pretty much on my final edit of Glimpse before i jump into Querying (and i'm way more scared than i thought i would be...)

Sarah Ahiers said...

also @Hannah - I KNOW! I KNOW!

Samantha Sotto said...

Yay for wordage! You're doing great! My own WIP has come to a grinding halt this week. I'm dying of word-envy right now ;-)

Luna said...

You are a writing ninja! I know you'll get back on track. It's very frustrating when life stuff gets in the way.

Sounds like you're going to have a lot of fun with the upcoming writing. Enjoy!

Old Kitty said...

Oh it's a walrus!!! I was trying to make out what that creature was!! Awwwww poor walrus!!! :-)

Well I think you're doing just fine!! Good luck with your word counting writing!! Take care
x

Lola Sharp said...

No sad walrus. I like happy walrus.

Seriously, you've been kicking ass on this one... be a happy walrus.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

You'll do it! And you won't look like that walrus even if you don't.
My revisions are done, ready for my test readers, and I threw out some details in my post today.

Meredith said...

Aw, sad walrus! We all know that feeling. I'm feeling that way right now, actually--my revisions have not been going as well as they ought to. But just know that you'll get back to writing soon enough! Good luck!

Deniz Bevan said...

I love that walrus photo.
He's just too cute.
Okay, now let me go read your words...
Hey, you're still writing! That counts!

Sara {Rhapsody and Chaos} said...

You're going to be in MD? You'll be SO close (yet so far away) from me!!!

Also, any words written are good words, you know what I mean? At least until that first draft is done and you have to go back and rework them. But 2452 words (regardless of how they were spread out) are still 2452 words closer to getting to type "the end."

<3

Sommer Leigh said...

I'm not getting any writing done this week, but that's by choice. At work (I am a staff assistant at a hospital) I am editing a 300 page document with more than 300 attachments for a designation application and I'm starting to see cross-eyed. I can't come home and fix commas after fixing commas and words and bad writing all day long at work. My writing would look like this: "OMG LOL, I totally just stabbed that zombie in the face!" said Alex.

I'll be done with my part of editing the document next week. Then I will return to my own writing.

Abby Minard said...

It's okay, life happens! At least you got some writing done! I'm in the editing stages right now, so it's slow going, but I feel like I'm making my WIP so much better. Good luck with your goal for next week!

Carolina M. Valdez Schneider said...

Always a few downs with the ups! It'll just make you work harder this time around. But good luck with that word count! And have a fabulous time on your spring break! No sad walruses for you!

The Words Crafter said...

I, too, love accountability. But it seems you're doing really well! And you're waaaaaaaay ahead of me. I've had a breakthrough...but I haven't written it down *hiding from Alex* so don't beat yourself up!

ali cross said...

That picture, combined with your words, just cracked me up. :D

Way to take the bull by the horns though and crack down Summer! I bet you can totally meet your goal!

And can't wait to hear about the real-life stuff!

Tracy said...

Oh hey, you're coming to my neck of the woods!! Hopefully, it won't be quite so rainy when you get here.

It's good to hold yourself accountable, but don't be too hard on yourself for slow weeks. Sometimes it just goes like that. On the flip side, sometimes you stumble across a string of 4K word days that move your story forward several notches on the "almost finished" scale. Writing is such a crapshoot sometimes.

yokohamamama said...

Summer--i pray your sister-in-law is ok. As far as I know there is no power in Tokyo yet, though Yokohama does have power (that's why my husband was able to contact).
I'm still stuck here in San Diego--going to the airport to see if I can get any information about flights into tokyo.
It means so much that you though of my family and me.

Guinevere said...

My writing is slooowly coming along on the new(er) WIP... I'm aiming to make 500-1000 words a day 5 days a week so at least I keep making forward progess. Things should pick up once I'm done with grad school, I hope. Good luck with your goals! I love how you're putting it out there - it's a great idea.

Ashley said...

ha this picture is hilarious.... Im a writer too! I feel like we should be friends :) Good luck and your writing ventures girl!

Deniz Bevan said...

"My writing would look like this: "OMG LOL, I totally just stabbed that zombie in the face!" said Alex."
Ha ha! And yet, if the ideas are coming fast and furious, I find I do sneak away into the stairwells at work to jot scenes down... Then go back to fixing people's grammar...