Checking in a day late

Although... I don't think I checked in last week, but that was when I was in excruciating pain. So, didn't do much writing this week except for in my head and if I remember to write it down it was long hand as I couldn't sit at the computer for any length of time without causing further pain. I did some more editing on my short Cowboy story, including some major rewrites because my heroine was not very likable. I'm about 5000 words into the edits, not sure how many more words as I'm rewriting the ending... isn't it fun when our muse pitches a hissy fit and demands changes?

My other short story that I did as a challenge from Mysti is sitting in an inbox waiting for a second set of edits so I can do those and move on to the painful process of editing and submitting. That one ended on a whopping 12,723 words. I know that some of it will be rewritten, add some here, subtract some there, but I'm really proud of this one, even if it is a first draft.

My Alpha story that started this whole enterprise didn't get as much work done, but I did get quite a bit ironed out in my head and really feel that I know these characters so well. Hopefully, that will translate into easier writing once I'm able to finally sit and focus more intently on it. Right now it's sitting at 4,490 words, and two of my characters are stuck in a compromising position... but they're not complaining so I guess they can wait.

That brings my March grand total word count to: 22,109 words. That's not including the first attempt at a synopsis and query. Not bad, even if it didn't meet my 1000 word a day goal. I only missed it by about 9,000 words. Hey, I still technically have two days, but not sure I'll be able to sit long enough to write that much. Still, a word count that I can be proud of.

It's been fun, and I hope we keep it up, but if not I greatly enjoyed getting to know everyone here. I even have another story idea that I'll be entering into a contest brought to my attention by a friend. Yes, I can do more than one story at a time, sometimes I have to or I get stuck. All in all, a pretty darned good month!

Checking In

I know, it's the middle of the week, but I AM here checking in. My first WIP which I only call Alpha right now didn't get as much work this week. I DID edit about four pages of Cowboy and am reworking the plot a bit.... so that's hopefully almost completely done soon.

My friend and blog/website partner Mysti Holiday challenged me to write another short story that is at least 7500 words and I only have two days to get it to her... but she's doing it too so she has to get her's to me at the same time. *sigh* I work quite a bit better under pressure. SO, my WIPs are as follows (the titles will be changed eventually):

Kealie's 'JaNoWriMo' Alpha


Kealie's Cowboy (2nd round editing)


Kealie's "Appearances"


So, all in all, the grand total is (drumroll please): 6,600 words! I think I have so far met my goal of writing at least 1000 words a day... and I'm a bit stunned by that. LOL I didn't think I'd been doing it that well since it's writing spread across three WIPs now. But I, AM getting it done. YAY....

~Kealie Shay

Write or Die

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lab.drwicked.com

I earned my gold stars with two visits to Dr. Wicked, one while on the treadmill, where I'm writing this though I think I'm about to make myself seasick because I sway from side to side when I walk (I'm not going to call it a waddle but that word comes to mind). Can't say much for the quality of anything but I wrote nearly 2,000 words today -- the first day I've almost achieved my word count goal this month. Kind of sad but overall I'm glad. Will keep going.

If you haven't tried "Write or Die," you might like it. You put in your word goal and your time goal then press "write." Anytime you pause the screen starts turning pink, then will get red, then will play obnoxious noises. Today's noise was a crying baby. You can also set it to kamikaze where it erases your words one by when while you pause, but I'm not that stupid. I've found it's a really good tool when I need to be forced to write.

Now, if only I could figure out how to get off this treadmill..... Burned 156 calories. There. It's off. That felt good and will continue to feel good unless I make the mistake of reading my work.

Looking forward to reading about everyone's success and strategies.

Would anyone like to do a Vanessa Grant Writing Romance book work group after JaNo? I like hanging out with y'all and would like to continue after January.

Anne AKA smellshorsey

Word Count, Day 3 + Collage part deux

I've decided to lump together the words from both stories into one nifty widget. I worked on both this morning, so my total word count for JaNo is:



To be on track, I should really have 4838 words today... but I can still catch up. I have high hopes that once DH is back at work on Monday, and DD is back doing school, and things are just basically back to normal, I will have more uninterrupted time to write.

And, I did a collage for A Jewel for Geoff:



I love collages, but they are a serious time suck. Still... it's done. And it helps organize my thoughts. Yay.

2361 Words

Not as many words as yesterday, but no complaints. I didn't start writing until later this evening. At first it was like pulling teeth. I finally picked up steam around 11 pm. Thank goodness because I feared I might only have a couple hundred words because things were going so slow.



I'm really struggling to turn off my internal editor. I spoke on the telephone with my critique partner, Virginia Kantra, this morning, and she had a couple really good suggestions about intensifying the conflict. But instead of going back and making the changes in Chapter One as I normally would do, I wrote them on my notepad and continued forward with the story. I do not want to go back at all until I reach the end.

At least that's the plan. We'll see how well I execute it!

Goodnight!

Walking Not Running - Day Two

After much procrastination, I finally got cranked up and wrote what I'm guessing is Chapter 2 (with holes and much babbling). It's a little too edgy for my intended market but maybe that was lack of oxygen on my part. I wrote 1,562 words while walking 2.4 miles on the treadmill. I hoped to write more but looking at the screen and walking made me slightly seasick. This is a new thing for me. There's really no reason to look at the screen. I'll have to train myself to watch the scene in my head instead. Not sure how accurate this is, but I burned 265 calories, too.

And I got a gold star on my honesty calendars. I'm like a six-year-old. I'll do anything for a gold star. I have calendar for the treadmill, and one for writing. I intend to have a whole page of gold stars this month.

(Notice I don't have a quality calendar -- not measuring that this month.)

I hope the rest of you are hitting your goals and most of all, having fun.

Anne AKA smellshorsey

Day Two WC and a Collage

Managed to get 985 words done on Queen and Assassin this morning.



All very emotional stuff, which I love. I woke up a bit late (5 a.m.) and had to do my LASR stuff first (uploading today's new pages), so didn't actually start writing until six or so. Still, I like where the story is going and I really love my characters -- especially the deeply conflicted, wounded and tortured hero. Speaking of whom, I did take some time last night making a collage... no easy task for a fantasy novel. Here's what I've come up with, at least so far. As I write, and more things become symbolic in the story, I may add more:



I left it "clickable", so you should be able to enlarge it if you'd like.

I have high hopes on doing two things today: increasing my word count and creating a collage for "A Jewel for Geoff".

:::fingers crossed:::

1,674 and a collage too!

I admit it. I was totally scared to start writing. I have/had my reasons:

1. I'm so not ready. Seriously, prep work, nearly non-existent
2. It's been a long time, like two years, since I've worked on the first, first draft of a novel. I've been doing revisions and editing and polishing. Draft writing? What's that?
3. What if it was all a fluke?
4. Dude, you totally forgot how to write.

And. So. On. I decided (during morning exercise) that each book is different. I'd been "dream-storming" this one a lot (ala Robert Olen Butler). So, with this one, I'll continue to do character work, but I'll start writing it as well.

So I did. And got 1,674 words. Then I made a collage:

Dude, it doesn't get much better than that.

I Decided... to NOT Decide!

I'm working on two projects for JaNoWriMo simultaneously. I swear I feel the need to multi-task in all facets of my life.

The two (working titles) are:

A Jewel for Geoff -- wrote 354 words this a.m. and then got hung up on what my heroine and her sisters look like (see what happens when I don't collage??). So, current word count total:

JaNo goal for JfG:


Actual WC goal for aJfG:


Queen and Assassin -- just opened it to start writing and will report that tomorrow, but since this was my 2007 NaNoWriMo project, I have a starting word count of:

JaNo goal for Q&A:


Actual WC goal for Q&A:


I need 1700 words a day -- give or take a few. I think I can do it... if I can just finish the stupid lovely website overhaul for The Long and the Short of It. Why can't the silly thing update itself?? HUH???

So, how are YOU doing?