Tag Archives: writer’s life

Ready. Set. WRITE! {Week 7 Update}

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Howdy! ThRSWCoffeeis is a post about my progress towards goals I am making in a summer writing initiative hosted by lovely writers Alison, Erin, Jaime, and Katy. We’re posting our goals publicly, cheering each other on, and reporting back via link party to let everyone know how we’re doing. Why not join us?

 

1.  How I did on last week’s goals

In a word? Abysmally.

In a GIF?

 2.  My goal(s) for this week

Write Monday through Thursday night, without fail. Without excuse.

And that is all.

3.  A favorite line (well … two paragraphs … ahem) from my story OR one word/phrase that sums up what I wrote/revised

 She slid down to the ground and fingered the dirt. Funny, how it was only deep enough to hold the roots of the small trees and vegetation surrounding the school. All the appearances of normal life, without any of the reality.

She was starting to feel like her whole world was like that.

4.  The biggest challenge I faced this week

A messy house. Other weeks I let it slide and wrote during naptime. This week, I just couldn’t let it slide any more.

5.  Something I love about my WiP

I’m finally getting a feel for the plot! I did not do a lot of writing, but I did a lot of thinking this week (and that counts, in my book!) and with the last two scenes I’ve written, it is falling into place at last.

 

 

Ready. Set. WRITE! {Week 5 Update}

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Hello! ThRSWCoffeeis is a post about my progress towards goals I am making in a summer writing initiative hosted by lovely writers Alison, Erin, Jaime, and Katy. We’re posting our goals publicly, cheering each other on, and reporting back via link party to let everyone know how we’re doing. Why not join us?

 

*** UPDATE: I made a last-minute decision to do Camp NaNoWriMo as part of my goal-reaching. Anyone want to join me in a private cabin? ***

1.  How I did on last week’s goals

Word Count –  Back to 2,500 words again. AT LAST! I DID IT!

Excuse me while I celebrate a bit.

While it took me until noon today to finish, I made it. (And hey, since I wrote it before publishing this blog post, I’m counting it!)

Start an outline – It will be REALLY rough, but I need to start somewhere. YEP! 

And yes, it is VERY rough.

Raise the stakes DONE!

I wrote a couple more version of my practice query to get there, but I am excited about the ideas that it generated.

Print out my Rip Current draft – I think I’m ready to begin edits now.

Printed and ready to go for my new goal for it this week.

2.  My goal(s) for this week
  • Write for at least 3 days this week.
  • Develop the major plot points through the middle section.
  • Focus on the antagonist
  • Cut and paste Rip Current

(No really. I’m cutting actual paper with scissors. I wrote the first draft of this story out of order. Now I need to get it in chronological order so I can edit it.)

3.  A favorite line from my story OR one word/phrase that sums up what I wrote/revised

Transitions.

4.  The biggest challenge I faced this week

Plot. Always plot.

Also, fireworks disturbing my dog and my baby over the weekend.

5.  Something I love about my WiP

One of my favorite scenes right now feels like a high school version of a Leverage episode!

 

Summer Motivation – Ready. Set. WRITE!

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ready set write

I am a writer, but I’m first and foremost the stay-at-home mom of a five-month-old boy. We’re heading into a new phase of babyhood and parenthood at this juncture: one strewn about with flashing toys (that I swore I’d never buy, but then ate my words when those toys made my son laugh with glee), giant plastic activity center monstrosities (more big grins), schedule changes, and a magically overnight rolling and scooting little man who loves nothing better than to MOVE! It’s like a break dance show, sometimes. PAR-TAY in the CRIB, y’all!

For the past six months, my work-in-progress (WIP) has been lingering in my mind, but I wasn’t able to do much with it. As soon as the chaos of having a newborn settled into a comfortable (if ever-changing) new rhythm of life, though, I began to feel the urge to finish the book idea that had taken hold of me before I was pregnant. I longed for my old uninterrupted mornings of writing, accompanied by an endless supply of coffee. I don’t regret that those days are no more (how could I? I have the most adorable little boy in my life now!), but I have been in a quandary as to how to keep writing, without sacrificing family time with my son and husband. Or sleep. I love sleep. I will never take sleep for granted again. I swear, in some alternate universe somewhere, there probably is a world in which the currency is sleep, it is that precious. That’ll be two hours and twenty-eight minutes for the burger and fries, please.

I’ve come to terms with the fact that writing, for now, will only be done in small chunks of concentrated time. But I have this crazy goal: I want to finish my first draft by September. And I’m not sure how I’ll keep working toward that goal, even with the the occasional coffeehouse writing sessions my wonderful husband occasionally shushes me out of the house to enjoy.

Enter, Ready. Set. WRITE! I just discovered it through a tweet by author Erin Bowman. Four writers, Alison Miller, Katy Upperman, Erin Funk, and Jaime Morrow are hosting this summer intensive to help fellow writers meet their goals by staying accountable and cheering each other on. I’ve decided that this is the push I need to commit to my goal. I’m supposed to check in weekly to list my goals and how I’ve done. So here are my first goals, a couple days late:

WEEK 1 GOALS:

  • Write at least 200 words per day (about what I can sneak in during a nap) for five days
  • Figure out the BIG BAD ENDING to my new YA Sci-Fi WIP (Code Name: The Echelon Project)
  • Plot the grand scheme out, so I can fill in the particulars later.

Alrighty then! Let’s do this! Let me know if you jump on board the Ready. Set. WRITE! train, too. I’m looking forward to cheering my fellow writers on as the summer progresses. Thanks, Alison, Katy, Erin, and Jaime for hosting this, and Erin Bowman for bringing it to my attention.

See you Monday, for my first progress report!