Somehow it’s the middle of April already. I have progressed, and I’m happy with that progress, but it’s been a bit of a blur.
Did you know I’m doing a 10k stream on Saturday?
It’s on YOUTUBE from 10AM (Central US) until I hit 10K. If you’d like to be part of the stream, let me know.
I’m playing catchup in a different way this week, and I’m looking forward to the designated writing time.
I’ve been really busy the past few weeks, so I’m looking forward to the rest and a chance to get back to those projects I’m really excited about. Those would be the courses, short stories, and job hunting.
It can be easy to give up or reschedule your creative time when so much from the outside world is crowding in.
How do you protect your writing time?
I’ve rededicated Tuesday nights and Friday afternoons to my creative work. I want to do more and make more space to grow as an artist. When I can, I will dedicate the full day both days. It’s almost like a week off because the work is so much fun.
Speaking of which, the CREATIVE COLLECTIVE meets again this week. Contact me for the Zoom link.
CURRENT WORD COUNT: 11,246
ppsssssstt…..
Have you read my book?
If not, never fear, I have a PROMO for you. I’m selling my stock (that means order from me directly and pay me shipping) for a reduced price for the entire month of MAY. If you want a paper copy of GOODBYE or LUKE, signed or in bulk, you can purchase them from me for the price of the EBOOK.
That’s roughly 50% off
Let me know how many copies, if and how you want them signed, and where to send them by MAY 31st.
CAMP NANOWRIMO is a little more flexible on the goals front, and I started by saying I would edit my short story collection.
Since then, I’ve changed my mind and decided I need to write more. It’s been several months (last November) since I opened the floodgates and let whatever out. This time I am doing so in a controlled environment, i.e., the format of the stories and the time frame of Camp.
In other words, I’m writing whatever comes to mind as much and as often as possible for the next 30 days.
I do hope I come up with something good. Some of the short stories need to be fleshed out. I hope to add roughly 25k to the manuscript. It’s ok if I don’t make it; the point is to do the thing.
At this point, I’m just noodling on ideas, trying to get 1k words a day. I made it on Day 1 and had zero words Day 2. Day 3 I hit 1500 or so and Day 4 so far has a few hundred.
I’m doing things like coming up with last names, filling out the cast of characters and setting notes, and brainstorming plot points. Some of this may end up in the final manuscript as colorful extras, while most of it is probably destined for the trash heap.
I don’t let that discourage me.
It takes lots and lots of words to make a novel-length manuscript. Not all of them are going to make it.
If you want to write with me, check out my YOUTUBE streams on Tuesday evenings and Friday mornings.
I’m also doing a MUDDY MIDDLE stream on April 15th to write 10k in a day.
You may or may not be aware that this is my first post since JULYCAMP NANOWRIMO began, but I wanted to show y’all how I have set up and prepped the last few days of JUNE.Here’s a recap of where I am on the project as of the last post:
Hope*writers had a 14 day challenge I took up at the end of JUNE. There were 14 days left in the month, and I challenged myself to work on my second novel LUKE for 15 minutes each of those 14 days.
I succeeded.
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com
LET ME SAY THAT AGAIN: I totally won JUNE
Now a little about how I prepped for CAMP.
You may remember that CAMP NANOWRIMO is a little different in that you can set your own word count goal. I typically use the CAMPs (in APRIL and JULY) to rework novels I have started in NOVEMBER. This project (LUKE) is an exception to that rule. I started it as a new project last JULY and am trying to publish it out of the order in which it was written.
Why?
Because it’s a completed story: I know the beginning middle and end. I know all the major events, though some of the details are bound to change. That’s not true for all my fiction, plus LUKE is definitely more “written” than some of my other ideas.
Since I know all the major elements of the story and have gotten stuck typing them in order, I’VE COMMITTED TO WRITING THE THING BACKWARDS:
WHY?!?
Because it’s good for me. I’ve never done anything like it before, but as several of my students can tell you, I often tell them to write the parts they know.
Often that includes the ending.
Since I know the ending, I’m going to write it. Since I know the scene before that, I’m going to write that too, and the scene before that, and so on.
When we get to where I began before, I’ll deal with it.
I think my characters will look different this way (from back to front) and it will be easier to write some of them.
Some of them are just going to be hard to write no matter what.
I started putting together my notebook. I blessed myself the day I found these things and remembered the hard work I have already put in:
Lots of notes on characters. What they do and who they are. I’m really excited I found this.
This is what I spent the 30th of JUNE doing:
KANBAN1
I decided to make a KANBAN board to help me with this month. I’ve done a very simple one here with only three categories. TO WRITE: The scenes I haven’t done yet. For the purpose of CAMP this year, I’ve decided to group all the scenes together and either rewrite or heavily edit those that I have already written.
IN PROGRESS: These are the scenes that I am currently working on and will be writing this month. When I decide to work on a scene, as soon as I have any words on it, I will move it to the IN PROGRESS board.
DONE: I’ll take each scene and move it down accordingly. I’m really excited to be able to see my progress throughout the month and to be able to share it with y’all.
KANBAN2
STAY TUNED FOR MORE CAMP UPDATES THIS MONTH AND HAPPY JULY TO ALL!
Final count was just over 30k words, which would have been a more reasonable goal for the month, but oh well. For Camp, you’re even allowed to change your goal, but I feel it’s cheating to change it on the last day.
So I lost…
…but I was only competing with myself.
I had a lot going on in April.
I tried really hard, and I got a lot of words in spite of not reaching my goal.
I’m told I’m being gracious to myself. I don’t feel that way, but I hope it’s true.
Also it’s May Day and we’re supposed to be flying streamers and dancing around maypoles. I doubt many people feel like doing that this year, but it’s a good reminder that life moves on with or without us.
I’m celebrating anyway. If nothing else that I’m done with Camp 🙂
I have a couple of thoughts, but I’m not sure what my May goal should be for the blog. Any ideas?
These past two weeks haven’t gone at all as planned. I’ve had a bunch of things going on and the writing has suffered, but I still have more words than I had at the beginning of the month, even if it’s a complicated setup.
CURRENT WORD COUNT: 20,043
I’ve been writing all over the place instead of being able to focus on a single thing. My novel has suffered since almost none of the words I’ve added have to do with the actual work in progress.
The same things happens every time I write, and every time I write, I have to remember it, but somehow it’s still surprising every time.
I tried to figure out a simple way to do a tedious thing…and thinking I should be able to travel as the crow flies…I had to accept the hard way for whatever reason. It sucked, but I finally did it and it wasn’t so bad.
Having a thing finished is also an accomplishment.
A week of good news and many wins, so it’s all right that life got in the way a bit. Camp Nanowrimo is only one of the important things in my life right now.
I’m going to have to find a new normal, like the rest of us. My routine is about to change again in the next week or two so you can look forward to hearing about that.
That’s really all I got this week. More of an update than an actual post, but I’m doing my best over here.
I don’t know how many of you needed to see this again, but I certainly did.
It’s the funniest thing I’ve seen in days.
So my first CAMP NANO update is officially: ONE O’CLOCK AND ALL’S WELL!
Things have been going pretty well, considering. I’ve had some ups and downs this week already…
I thought it had been a long week at 7am on Monday…
but I know everyone is going through their own versions of adjustment to this new world in which we now live.
I’m currently at 15,008 words and going strong. I’ve taken more time off than I anticipated this early in the process, but I also got a good strong start. I think sheltering is helping my writing more than hurting, which I know from Twitter means I’m one of the lucky ones.
I wanted to inject a little levity into our stay-at-home situation. I also wanted to remind everyone that Anxiety and Anticipation are the same emotion.
We’re all dealing with both right now through the virus crisis, but let’s not forget excitement is part of anticipation too. Whether you’re writing a novel or cleaning out your house, your reactions to all this are valid. It’s ok to be having some fun.
Try to look for the silver linings as much as possible.
I’ve made a lot of new friends online since everyone is on social media so much now. I also had to put myself out there to meet them. Don’t forget this can be a great opportunity for connection albeit different from what we’re used to.
Remember we have so many different ways of communicating in this day and age and we can take advantage of them. Facetime your parents. Send that text or email. Check on a coworker or a friend you haven’t heard from in a while. Just because we have to be socially distant doesn’t mean we have to be disconnected.
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