*****Random, waffling post ahead!*****
Well, not a lot more to add from yesterday’s post. In fact, nothing to add really. But I thought I’d just share some numbers from last week and from July, and for the year. As well as a couple of thoughts on my writing year to date.
Last week(from this time last Sunday) I wrote 1134 on the Sunday 30th, Monday 31st I wrote 835, on Tuesday the 1st I wrote 355, Tuesday was 259 and 802 in two sittings, Wednesday was 176. Thursday I wrote 236 and then 240 on a new project, and finally yesterday I wrote 1217 to wrap up the fan fiction piece. That gives me a total of 5254 words for the week.
This is the first week since I’ve been tracking weekly numbers that I’ve passed my goal of 5000 words a week since June, and that was when I had a week off from work. This is kind of strange because I have felt a little demoralised with writing this week. I got stuck and struggled to get over the hump initially, but those couple of 1000+ days really helped to push me over the edge. This has given me a boost, one I probably needed quite badly. The fan fiction piece has been hard work, and I’m not happy with it and want to go through and work on it and get it to a higher quality, but I want to get back to my own projects and get the zombie story straight so I can send it out to Beta readers and then (hopefully) into the publishing process.
As for last month, I wrote 16169 words for the whole month, which is 3831 words shy of the 20,000 a month I’m trying to aim for.
The year so far looks like this: January 19229, February 3027, March 0, April 11835, May 6195, June 14326, July 16169. That totals out to 70781 words for the year, not including any words from this month.
What I’ve got to do now is up my productivity but also get myself to a point where I’m more focused on the projects and know what tone I want them to have and where I want the stories to end.
I need to focus and not let myself get as distracted as I am prone to. I am also taking into consideration the fact that myself and my family have had quite a turbulent couple of years. It has made it a little harder and when something has had to give, it’s more often than not been writing. That is something I need to change though because when I am getting words written, and I’m happy with them, I’m happier in myself.
I’ve got a busy day ahead of me, all non-writing related, but I’ve got time to scribble some words onto paper around midday. There’s always time to write, its the will to write that makes finding the time possible. I’ve got to tell myself that more often.
Wow your word count is impressive! It sounds like you are on track with your aim. Just keep at it and remember to give yourself a break if it feels like you might be burning out. Good job!
Thank you 🙂 I’m trying to pay attention to when I’m getting stuck or burning out, but I don’t tend to realise till after the fact
It’s a challenge isn’t it?! On the days where I can’t seem to concentrate on my main story I make sure to at least try some other smaller projects to keep the creative juices flowing!
Yes, very much so. I’ve heard other writers saying that, and I did do something like it on Friday, which helped me break my fog on a fan fiction piece I was stuck on.
I must admit, I’ve elt myself get distracted when it comes to writing this last week. It probably doesn’t help that I amke things difficult when I do. Like alst night, I ran soem edits and rewrites on a chapter with the itnent of tidying ti up and making the fianl chapter easier to edit. The result was that it was tidier, but that the fianl chapter nwo needs a near compelte rewrite too. D’oh! I’ve had a couple foa tholgoy rejections too which have been disappointing.
I’ve done that as well, tried to tidy something up and made more work for myself
so I feel your pain, dude.
Heh. I’m sure it’ll all be worth it in the end mind you, but my word I wasn’t expecting to increase my workload like that.
I know that feeling! Lol. Do you have a schedule when you write, or as and when you can?
The kids being home means it’s as and when. Previously, it was around 10 until whenever I felt I needed to stop. New work hours in September may move me to as and when for a but longer though. Is your routine set in stone or as and when too?
For me it’s as and when, but I’d like to get into a routine of writing after work again. At the moment I seem to be doing a little before work, and a few hours on a Sunday but that’s it.