I thought it was time for another update on my May – You write your novel project. As I'm sure you know by now this is where participants write 80,000 words in 80 days. That's the only 'rule'. Luckily for me there isn't another rule that says you need to write 1,000 of those words per day .
Today is day 18 and my word count is – drum roll please – 12,812. Yes, you read that right. I've managed to fall over 5,000 words behind in less than three weeks. For the past few days, I've only managed a few hundred words a day, most of which I've deleted the next time I've sat down to write. I've finally admitted (temporary) defeat on the story I'm working on.
I've tried, but I'm not a 'pantser'. I don't need a detailed outline but I do need more than a couple of characters to be able to write a story. I've given myself until tomorrow to decide between two other ideas I have, and I'm going to start one of those instead. One is, I think, a really good idea but it might require some complicated plotting to make the story work as I want to tell it. The other is one that I keep promising my girls I will write as it's a subject dear to their hearts. I'm just not sure there's a full length novel in it. I'm still undecided but I have to make a choice soon as I have a lot of catching up to do!
I'm determined that I will have finished something by the end of this challenge, but to do that I really need to start again. I think I should stop calling myself a writer until I've actually managed to type 'The end' on something longer than a blog post.!
You may be 5,000 words behind, but you're still in front of me!
ReplyDeleteIt's such hard work trying to do this and hold down a full time job. I really need my full time job to be writer :)
Good luck with whichever you go with, but don't start counting again if you swap, you've still written the words!
I feel very guilty because I'm not working at the moment.(Am looking but for some reason people aren't rushing to snap up a middle aged mum!)so I should have loads of time to write. Ah well, it will come good in the end :)
ReplyDeleteYou and everyone else who holds down a full-time job and still manages to write something, however much or little, on a regular basis have my utmost admiration.
The important thing is that you're writing! Just keep moving forward!
ReplyDeleteYou're right of course - even uphill is forward :)
ReplyDeleteIt sounds to me as if you have plenty on your plate and are doing brilliantly to do any writing!
ReplyDeleteKeep going. You're progressing.
And if it's any consolation, I'm not following the rules. All I'm trying to do is add something to my novel, every day. I'll be honest, I've done nothing today so you're not alone.
xx
Rules, Pah! We only have to learn 'em to break 'em, right? :)
ReplyDeleteTalli is right. Just write. Let deadlines fall from your mind. Focus on the horizon of your novel's ending. You have a great blog. Roland
ReplyDeleteWelcome Roland, thank you for the advice and the compliment. You're right. I should make the most of this time with only self-imposed deadlines to worry about :)
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