50+ words a day...no matter what!

[Maggie Ann]

Pretty good morning. 1,918. Just a tad short of my 2K goal so maybe I'll find a few minutes to add those 82 words to it.

[Lorri Moulton]

500 words so far! Hope to get more done this afternoon.

As for Star Wars, I watched three movies and there was an ending.

[Post-Crisis D]

So on Saturday, I wrote 685 words and today I wrote 1,130 words.

Searched through my book, Bad Fiction, and notes, looking for any confirmation of dates and ended up with a wider variety of possibilities.  LOL.  Wish I remembered the reference point the published book referred to.  I think I figured out a workaround that will leave it open to correction in a future book, should I remember or figure it all out.

I'm at around 109k words now.  Would a 200k word novel be too long? 

The length might make it "epic fantasy" at this point, but I don't know how "epic" it could be considering that the characters seem to talk a lot.  On the one hand, I seem to frequently worry my characters talk too much.  On the other hand, when a group of friends hang out together and go on trips or whatever, it seems pretty normal that they talk a lot, and argue about seemingly silly things.  I mean, I remember years ago I had a discussion/argument with my neighbor over who won the Civil War (American).  And it wasn't one of those philosophical debates over who really won something; it was a debate over who factually won.  (And, just so there is no question, I was the one who was right.)

Maybe I can rest easy on the possibility that TV sitcoms have conditioned readers to expect that characters will talk a lot and that talking moves storylines along further than standing around doing stuff.  Fingers crossed!

[Maggie Ann]

Darn, another 718 words and I only meant to write 82 so I could reach my 2K goal.

Nearly have the villain in my clutches.

[idontknowyet]

So on Saturday, I wrote 685 words and today I wrote 1,130 words.

Searched through my book, Bad Fiction, and notes, looking for any confirmation of dates and ended up with a wider variety of possibilities.  LOL.  Wish I remembered the reference point the published book referred to.  I think I figured out a workaround that will leave it open to correction in a future book, should I remember or figure it all out.

I'm at around 109k words now.  Would a 200k word novel be too long? 

The length might make it "epic fantasy" at this point, but I don't know how "epic" it could be considering that the characters seem to talk a lot.  On the one hand, I seem to frequently worry my characters talk too much.  On the other hand, when a group of friends hang out together and go on trips or whatever, it seems pretty normal that they talk a lot, and argue about seemingly silly things.  I mean, I remember years ago I had a discussion/argument with my neighbor over who won the Civil War (American).  And it wasn't one of those philosophical debates over who really won something; it was a debate over who factually won.  (And, just so there is no question, I was the one who was right.)

Maybe I can rest easy on the possibility that TV sitcoms have conditioned readers to expect that characters will talk a lot and that talking moves storylines along further than standing around doing stuff.  Fingers crossed!

I like mindless chatter sometimes, if it acts to drive the story or develop characters. Some people are just chatty people and you wouldn't expect them to have one word comments. Just watch out the topic doesn't become redundant. I would definitely have a few beta readers go through it.

[idontknowyet]

Yesterday I wrote 400+ words and today I'm already over 400. Hoping to hit over 2k but well see. I want to get some canning done and hopefully start the seeds for my spring garden which i'm already late doing.

[Lorri Moulton]

Changed a few details and now I'm back on track!  Another 200 words today after the changes. 

[Post-Crisis D]

I wrote 1,090 words today.

I would definitely have a few beta readers go through it.

I'll probably have to pretend I'm different people and be my own beta readers.  LOL.

[Maggie Ann]

Darn, my villain managed to talk his way out of a sticky situation, but he's not home free yet. 649 words tonight.

[Post-Crisis D]

I wrote 1,265 words today.  Finally got them out of a seemingly endless journey and just about to their first destination.  That is, I'm 111k words in and they're finally going to reach the place they headed out for about 82k words ago.

[Maggie Ann]

There will be no words tonight. I did my taxes and there's no brain or motivation left.   

[munboy]

1350 for me today.

Anybody else do weird things to keep motivated and moving forward? Besides using a daily habit app to track when I hit my daily goal of 1300 words, I also use a spreadsheet to track my book's progress.

I love seeing that circle meter go up at the end of the day when I update the word count. Total motivation for me.

[Post-Crisis D]

I wrote 1,485 words today.  Even in the future, people hate spam.

[Maggie Ann]

Struggled a bit tonight. Only 310 words, but I was determined to get something down.

[Cathleen]

You go, Dan, Maggie, and munboy!

I've kept up some words every day, even if it's just 150 or so. It didn't help that I realized that my selkie story has grown what will likely be a 15k novelette, which will be too long to anchor my collection. So now I'm starting over with two short stories, which is something I haven't tried before. Maybe the best story will win.

One has a taxi driver who's given a lucky coin by a woman he saves. The woman is actually a Fae, although I'm not going to be that explicit. The taxi driver just knows she's something extraordinary, and the coin's luck is going to be specific to settling debts.

The other has a selkie in witness protection, and she's going to have to break cover to end some sort of Faerie incursion into the mortal world, although I haven't figured out what kind yet. Major sea monster stuff? I dunno. It seems like a selkie should be particularly suited to the task at hand or having one as a character is simply an indulgence.

Still wandering around in world-building land which is not an area of strength for me. I'm far better at things like characterization and three-act pacing. Still, I'm keeping some words going. Sometimes I can figure things out as I write them, but other times they'll bring me to a screaming halt until I figure out the answer.

Who knows? With two stories, maybe I can finish one. :)

And then I can finish my selkie novelette. I'll figure out something to do with it. It was originally supposed to be a prequel for a novel trilogy, so maybe I'll go back to that plan.

[Cathleen]

64 words that I wrote today:

Nobody sends cards to a dragon,
It's just an unfortunate fact.
Do they think that we'll burn them to ashes or what?
I would never commit such an act.

If people sent cards to us dragons,
Valentines with good wishes galore,
Then I'd break out my chocolates and pass them around,
And we'd waltz on a golden dance floor.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

ETA: It occurred to me that this would be better with the picture. :)

[Post-Crisis D]

I wrote 3,270 words today.  Will this book ever end?

[Cathleen]

Dan, picture the older pilot chanting, "Stay on target," as they're coming up on the wombat-sized widget that they have to blow on the Death Star. Besides, 3k is pretty good. :)

[Jeff Tanyard]

Dan, picture the older pilot chanting, "Stay on target," as they're coming up on the wombat-sized widget that they have to blow on the Death Star. Besides, 3k is pretty good. :)

It's not impossible.  I used to bulls-eye womp rats in my T-16 back home.  They're not much more than two meters.

[idontknowyet]

Dan, picture the older pilot chanting, "Stay on target," as they're coming up on the wombat-sized widget that they have to blow on the Death Star. Besides, 3k is pretty good. :)

It's not impossible.  I used to bulls-eye womp rats in my T-16 back home.  They're not much more than two meters.

Important question since I'm avoiding writing today. What's bigger an ROUS or a womp rat?

Oh wait i wrote 100 words at the doctors today.

[Jeff Tanyard]

Important question since I'm avoiding writing today. What's bigger an ROUS or a womp rat?

Probably a womp rat, but I wouldn't want to mess with either species up close.   

[Maggie Ann]

Important question since I'm avoiding writing today. What's bigger an ROUS or a womp rat?

Probably a womp rat, but I wouldn't want to mess with either species up close.   

Pretty sure the womp rat is bigger. I checked IMDB and Westley is 1.8 meters. The ROUS was not quite as long as Westley was tall. It's close, though.

Maybe I should write some words.

[Post-Crisis D]

Dan, picture the older pilot chanting, "Stay on target," as they're coming up on the wombat-sized widget that they have to blow on the Death Star. Besides, 3k is pretty good. :)

LOL.  Actually, I have a character that keeps reminding the others to stay focused on their objective.  Meanwhile, the MC who started out all rearing to go has turned into a whiny baby.

[Post-Crisis D]

I only wrote 1,110 words today.  Close to the point where a character from a previous book is supposed to enter but I cannot seem to get my humor mojo back.  Feels like everything I try just falls flat.

[Lorri Moulton]

400 words yesterday and I hope to finish book 3 by tonight.  And by book...I mean part.  It's about 10k words.

So far, this has turned out to be a good way to advertise my pen name. And no pressure.  I have both parts free today and tomorrow to get people caught up. LOL

[Lorri Moulton]

I only wrote 1,110 words today.  Close to the point where a character from a previous book is supposed to enter but I cannot seem to get my humor mojo back.  Feels like everything I try just falls flat.

Maybe try writing something serious, dark and dangerous?  That's usually when I start thinking of something funny.  Always easier to write what you don't need at the moment. 

[Post-Crisis D]

I only wrote 1,110 words today.  Close to the point where a character from a previous book is supposed to enter but I cannot seem to get my humor mojo back.  Feels like everything I try just falls flat.

Maybe try writing something serious, dark and dangerous?  That's usually when I start thinking of something funny.  Always easier to write what you don't need at the moment. 

I did dark yesterday.  It stayed dark.   

[Maggie Ann]

I only wrote 1,110 words today.  Close to the point where a character from a previous book is supposed to enter but I cannot seem to get my humor mojo back.  Feels like everything I try just falls flat.

Maybe try writing something serious, dark and dangerous?  That's usually when I start thinking of something funny.  Always easier to write what you don't need at the moment. 

I did dark yesterday.  It stayed dark.   

Somebody needs a squirting flower in their lapel.

[Post-Crisis D]

I only wrote 1,110 words today.  Close to the point where a character from a previous book is supposed to enter but I cannot seem to get my humor mojo back.  Feels like everything I try just falls flat.

Maybe try writing something serious, dark and dangerous?  That's usually when I start thinking of something funny.  Always easier to write what you don't need at the moment. 

I did dark yesterday.  It stayed dark.   

Somebody needs a squirting flower in their lapel.

Somebody would probably drown from it.

[Cathleen]

Congrats, Lorri, on finishing book 3! Woot!

I'm continuing with my extreme story solution to writer's block. I'm working on three at once right now, something I've never tried before. In the past I always saw it as a way to never be able to focus. Right now, if I can't make progress on one story, I move to another. Today, I had a combined word count of about 450, which is actually closing in on my overall bare minimum goal of 500. Hey, it worked for Sir Terry Pratchett. :)

It's a weird solution (for me), but it's working, so I'm happy for it.

I also edited fifty pages of Bellerophon, but I didn't bother counting words. A lot more than I wrote, though.

And Dan, if Maggie's squirting flower doesn't work, there's always the tried-and-true whoopie cushion.

[Maggie Ann]

Another 466 last night. I thought I was closing in on the end, but Manfred told me he needed to speak his piece before being tossed in the dungeons. Okay, miserable worm that he is, I can give him that much.

[Lorri Moulton]

I wrote part of this earlier (for a teaser) but 2k words in book 4 so far! 

[Post-Crisis D]

I wrote 1,260 words today.  They took another detour.  They may never get where they are going.

[Maggie Ann]

Usual Sunday morning breakfast out and writing session. It was a good one at 2,374 words. Now I'll transfer them to my Word doc.

I think I'm with Dan on this one. I keep thinking I'm nearing the end but more words keep pouring out.

[Cathleen]

A little over five hundred words today between two stories, with 200+ yesterday. It feels like I'm plodding, but it also feels a lot better than being blocked.

Although I also got through another 50 pages of editing. I keep telling myself that I just have to tweak my habits until I find something I can sustain. 

[diisha392]

Although I also got through another 50 pages of editing. I keep telling myself that I just have to tweak my habits until I find something I can sustain. 

Great work!

[Post-Crisis D]

I wrote 3,000 words today.

You remember that scene in The Last Jedi where Jedi Master Luke Skywalker came in and used his vast Force powers to beat the First Order and emo Darth Vader to a bloody pulp?  Yeah, that never happened.  But I got to write that scene in my novel, sans Luke, the Force, the First Order and emo Vader of course.

[Cathleen]

The Last Jedi has mercifully faded from memory, but congrats on the 3k, Dan. That's cooking with gas. :)

[Post-Crisis D]

I only wrote 1,015 words today.  The characters are split up again.  Two are back together, but now they need to escape where they are and rejoin their other friend so they can resume their journey.  Then, after that, they need to formulate a plan to defeat the villain and we're already 122k words into this thing and that seems a long way off yet because they still haven't reached the certain milestones they need to reach before beating the villain.

I'm beginning to worry this one may end up being my 1,000,000 word novel.

[Lorri Moulton]

I only wrote 1,015 words today.  The characters are split up again.  Two are back together, but now they need to escape where they are and rejoin their other friend so they can resume their journey.  Then, after that, they need to formulate a plan to defeat the villain and we're already 122k words into this thing and that seems a long way off yet because they still haven't reached the certain milestones they need to reach before beating the villain.

I'm beginning to worry this one may end up being my 1,000,000 word novel.

Serialize it? 

[Post-Crisis D]

Serialize it? 

I think that would tick people off because there aren't any natural cliffhangers for serialization because I hadn't planned on it.

They are so close to two of the three milestones right now.  So so close.  Will have to see how it goes.  I just need to get them out of their current mess, then they hit milestones one and two pretty close together.  Then milestone three won't take long.  After that they can try to take on the bad guy, unless I've forgotten something.  Then, well, beating the villain isn't so easy . . .

Maybe 150-200k words might be feasible.  I mean, there was a part where they were going to have to ally with the bad guy for a bit, but that's looking less likely to happen because he's gotten more villainous than originally intended.

[Maggie Ann]

I didn't have time to write anything during the hour before my dog and I sit to watch TV. Mikey usually sits in the recliner with me. He's a good companion because he doesn't try to hog the remote. After a while he gets tired of sitting with me and either goes to the sofa or lies down on the rug and falls asleep.

Ah-hah, I think. This is the time I can write. I sneak into the den, grab my AlphaSmart and start. I got 143 words done and he wakes up, dashes over to the recliner and jumps on me, right in the middle of a sentence. How in heck did he know?

 

[Post-Crisis D]

I wrote 2,100 words today.  I'm less than 400 words short of 125k.  Two of the characters are struggling to escape a marketplace.  Maybe tomorrow they'll get out.

[alejo palacio]

470 before leaving for work this morning. Someone's dead, someone's in custody, and lawyer just showed up knowing way more than he should. About a quarter of the way through this one 

[Post-Crisis D]

I wrote 1,535 words today, putting me over the 126k mark.  They got out of the marketplace, into the city and are in the midst of an encounter with a somewhat aggressive lady of the night (not the moon).

[Maggie Ann]

621 for a total of 77,789. I really, really think I'm getting near the end. Maybe.

[idontknowyet]

I wrote like 10 sentences today. Ugh 
Here and there since I've gotten this flu I've written but not much. I'm not even sure if of it's coherent.

[Post-Crisis D]

I wrote 1,860 words today, putting me within under 2k of 130k and that's when I had previously estimated to wrap things up between 100k-120k.  Long way to go, though I did work in some foreshadowing of things to come.

They finally (sort of) hit milestone #1.  As soon as they escape their current mess, they can hit milestone #2.  Maybe.  Hopefully.  Then it's on to milestone #3.  Then, they can take on the bad guy.  And then, well, it won't be over yet.  Did I say this might wrap up at 150k?  It's starting to look like it may be closer to 200k.

They still need to encounter a character that shows up in the future in a different book and it's this book they have to meet her in, so I still need to get that in yet too.  And, you know, make it a natural fit rather than shoehorn it in.  Oy.

And then I'll have to self-beta read and self-edit.  Fun times ahead!

[Kate Elizabeth]

I haven't posted here in forever, but I decided last month to write 500 - 1,000 words a day.  Except for traveling and illness, I've been doing it.  So, yesterday, over 600.  Today, 370 so far.  My current novella is almost done.

[idontknowyet]

I wrote 1,860 words today, putting me within under 2k of 130k and that's when I had previously estimated to wrap things up between 100k-120k.  Long way to go, though I did work in some foreshadowing of things to come.

They finally (sort of) hit milestone #1.  As soon as they escape their current mess, they can hit milestone #2.  Maybe.  Hopefully.  Then it's on to milestone #3.  Then, they can take on the bad guy.  And then, well, it won't be over yet.  Did I say this might wrap up at 150k?  It's starting to look like it may be closer to 200k.

They still need to encounter a character that shows up in the future in a different book and it's this book they have to meet her in, so I still need to get that in yet too.  And, you know, make it a natural fit rather than shoehorn it in.  Oy.

And then I'll have to self-beta read and self-edit.  Fun times ahead!

Sounds like you started a series and you just don't know it.  Maybe think about those milestones being a dividing point and make a trilogy.