Writer-Talk Wednesday: March 2012 Writing Update
If anyone’s been watching the word-count widget over in the right-hand column, you’ll have noticed that I haven’t made much progress since my last writing update post four weeks ago. (Fewer than 5,000 words written in February.) I stated last month that my goal was to have the first draft of Follow the Heart finished by mid-March. Obviously, that’s not going to happen. However, my goal is still to have the draft finished in time so that I have a couple of weeks for the rewrites/revisions/additions I know the first part of the draft needs.
So what does that mean?
Well, that means if I can write 1,000 words a day, I can reach that 80,000 to 90,000-word goal by April 16, which would give me two weeks for revisions/rewrites/additions/edits before I turn it in. That’s a pretty tight turnaround!
If I can write 1,200 words a day, I can be finished by April 8, which gives me a little more breathing room.
However, if I can write 1,500 words a day, I can be finished by April 1, which gives me a month to really work on crafting those additional scenes I need, rounding out the ones I have, revising the ones that feel forced or dry . . . and then still be able to go back for a final pass for editing before I turn it in on May 1.
In the 1k1hr challenges I did in January and February, I always wrote between 1,200 and 1,600 words. So that’s my goal. Do a 1k1hr challenge every day and try to average between 1,200 and 1,500 words a day so that I can get this first draft finished and get on to what I consider more fun—polishing everything and making it sing!
How have you done with your writing (novel, short stories, articles, devotionals, school papers, blogging) in the past month? Share your successes/challenges!
KayeDacus.com 
Didn’t get near as much editing done to an MS as I wanted in February. Two weeks of doing nothing really hurt that [but I’m all healing now, so it’s all good ;)]. I did get two Genesis entries in.
This month is Seekerville’s Speedbo and my goal is a 70K rough draft of a new MS. And to do some editing on that other one. I’m at about 12.5K right now. I’m getting ready to hit the Facebook 1K1HR group and try to get a couple in while my 2 kids who are home today are watching Soul Surfer…
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February was a good month. I edit a lot as I go so who knows how much I actually wrote, but I ended up with 20k acceptable-for-a-first-draft words. 🙂 Wishing you a productive March!
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And I’m the gimpy one this month. Nothing broken, just a strained and inflamed ligament in my foot, which I re-injured in a big way on Sunday. Means my hiking days are over for a while.
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Oh, Lori! Sorry to hear that.
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Well, I have a broken wrist so that is prohibiting my writing tremendously. My deadline in May 15th and my editor is being very gracious. Praying I’ll heal up enough to meet it. Putting a frustrating damper on things.
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I am so glad you wrote this post. I have felt like such a failure. Over the last year I have struggled through the grief of losing my parents. I have beaten myself up for not being the writer I want to be. Your blog today has encouraged me to keep on and to renew my goals. Thanks, Kaye.
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I’ve written almost everyday for an hour. But in my rebellious state of mind I don’t want to continue with the novel, but am enjoying and having fun writing short stories. Maybe it is my impatience. They don’t take as long to write. i can get them down, and move on to something else that interests me. No time to get bogged down and bored. There is so much out there to explore.
Is this telling me that my novel is boring? If it bores me, I am sure it will bore everybody else. But I’ll still keep my notes, just in case that interest revives.
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With everything going on here, I’m pretty pleased with my progress over the last month. I’m up to 19,000 and when I started in January I didn’t even have 3,000. Not a lot, in the grand scheme of things, but with Mama having a knee replacement next week and me running the house and working and doing all the shopping, like I said I’m pretty pleased.
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Well, my home is in upheaval due to a bathroom being renovated and my bed is in the living room…for the past 2 weeks. Likely another week of it due to incompetent workers who leave finger prints on my refrigerator door!!!!!!!
Also, my laptop is down and I have to share my husband’s laptop. Hopefully I will get my computer back by the end of the week.
I have written about 5000 words this month. Not all that great, but better than nothing. 🙂 Spring Break is next week and I hope to do some real writing! YAY!!!!
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I am new to your blog but not to writing. I haven’t made the 1K words per day goal, but I have made about half of this. Going to school full time, working part time and then doing film and video editing work on the side have been a challenge this year for me.
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Not a good month. Worked on two short stories. Managed to add a couple of scenes to the wip, but nothing near what I’d planned to do. As result, missed the Genesis contest (because I’m determined not to enter any contests until I finish the first draft) and about to miss another one. But I’m going to get my butt in gear this weekend.
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