OK, so I think everyone else is doing their first check in today having skipped the first Saturday of the month which was just a few days after we started but I, being either over zealous or incompetent, did one last week. So this is my second attempt at a first check-in!!
Word count at the start of the month was 18,020
Current word count is : 24,431 I'm up to chapter 12 and feeling smug!
WIP issues this week?
I love writing and I have discovered that I love writing most in the middle of the day. This causes problems as it's the Summer holidays and my four year old no longer needs a midday nap, boo hoo! Luckily there have been a few occasions where he has been off for a play date just as the baby goes down for a sleep. Those are the times when I have hit the 2000 word mark. In the evenings, despite a free schedule (husband working till late a lot at the moment) I am only getting 500 words or so on the screen. I have been tempted to bang out some rubbish in the evenings just for the sake of word count but let's be honest that would make revisions of my first draft mighty painful!
What I learnt in Writing This Week?
I have been contemplating what I shall do when this marathon finishes and I have a completed first draft of my work in progress (Oh the optimism!). So imagine how pleased I was when the following blog post arrived via twitter. buff.ly/1cN8cKn It's an editor in America giving advice on the six drafts every writer should go through before they submit a manuscript.
Apart from the bit about paying for a good editor (probably a good idea but I don't have a fat enough wallet) I shall be following this advice. In fact I plan after my second draft to offer three lucky friends/relations a paper manuscript and four coloured pens. Green for bits they like. Red for bits that jar or feel wrong. Blue for continuity issues. Purple for spelling and grammar. If all goes to plan I should be able to synthesise said documents to look for things that are consistently good and bad across the three. Where they disagree I shall generously allow myself the final say. Now I just need to find three willing guinea pigs for my colourful plan!
What Distracted me this week whilst writing?
Jam making. I have a fridge full of gooseberry and cherry jam and have now vowed to stop foraging for summer fruits.
Bring on the next marathon week, I'm ready and writing.
This WIPmarathon was invented by Ifeoma Dennis. Check out her blog for rules and updates (http://ifeomadennis.wordpress.com/2013/07/31/wipmarathon-intro/) or follow us all on twitter via #wipmarathon
You can also meet all WIPmarathoners and read their check-ins via this linky tool http://www.inlinkz.com/wpview.php?id=304795
I love your idea with the pens!
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, it's better to write good words than words you'll delete after all.
Good luck!
"I have been tempted to bang out some rubbish in the evenings just for the sake of word count but let's be honest that would make revisions of my first draft mighty painful!" <--- Agreed! I've had the same thought/dilemma many time, but I think it's best to get a few good words rather than a pile of stuff that makes your stressed out later!
ReplyDeleteAnd jam making! That's an unusual (and delicious) distraction! I'm craving jam now. Hmmm.
Gooseberry jam! The pen idea is great!
ReplyDeleteI try not to write when I know I'm just going to end up with jibberish. I've read that you can really boost productivity by figuring out what time of the day your brain is most active. Looks like it's working for you!
Good luck with everything! :)
Thank you so much for sharing that link! Very helpful. I, too, like the four-pen idea. I've heard of doing something similar to your own draft, but I never thought of having others do that. Keep up the good work! :-)
ReplyDelete--Amanda Shayne