Category: Writing Challenges

Challenges found on the Internet, or elsewhere

Yesterday word count =0

Just when you really get going, and nothing could possibly go wrong, life comes up and gives you a slap.

No words yesterday. Shame on me. But I had a couple of excuses.

Firstly, I was supposed to be on holiday. Unfortunately, I actually had to work on two days of this, my official holiday, week. Eventually, hubby and I decided we needed to get away from home, if only to create the impression we have really had a holiday, after all. We went to London for the day, walked along in the Thames in the sunshine and visited the National Gallery. Lovely day. Happiness quotient = 10/10, words written yesterday = 0.

Secondly, while away, picked up answer phone messages and discovered my father been readmitted to hospital for the 3rd time in two weeks. Worry value = 8/10, words written so far today = 0

Oh, and today – when I should have been writing – I started reworking my NaNoWriMo sig, see below:

Keeping myself clean, new NaNoWriMo signature

Internal editor interfering again

Internal editor saying - this is rubbishMy internal editor kicked into action today. I rewrote many of the paragraphs on the last two pages, reworked the dialogue, added a few things to previous chapters, did some spelling checks and generally messed about.

Then I remembered. The point of NaNoWriMo is to write, write and write. You can’t get to 50,000 words if you keep criticising your early work and editing. And I am so close.

So, damn you, internal editor. Get thee behind me. (At least for the moment ….)

Exceeding expectations – but far too wordy!

Today I am writing easily and have no problem with the plot. Words are flowing. I have even managed to note down a rough outline of the next section of the novel – although not to the end. That is still, as yet, uncertain and I like it like that. This is the joy of NaNoWriMo writing. It is seat of the pants stuff.

50,000 words is not the problem.

My main concern now is this. There is NO WAY that I will finish this story by the 30th November.

I am currently reading Brian Aldiss, The Dark Light Years, a book of 159 pages. At roughly 1,000 words per 3 pages, I reckon his book is almost exactly 50,000 words long. If he can write about alien civilisations, invent a futuristic world, multiple characters, discuss the nature of intelligence and cover two deep space expeditions, all within 50,000 words, then I should be able to write about a couple of weeks in the life of an obsessional teenager with the same concise brevity.

Now, I have to resist the temptation to start back at the beginning and do some serious editing ….

Resist! I must resist!

40,000 words – and rolling

Didn’t start writing until 5pm today. Was putting it off. But then I got going and the words just started flowing; 2655 words so far. And there may be more to come later today.

Turning up the unexpected - the Joker in the packSomething unexpected happened in the plot. It wasn’t planned. It just happened. And it provides a nice linkage to what comes next in the storyline.

So, my word of the day is: serendipity, the propensity for making fortunate discoveries while looking for something unrelated.