I kind of like how Stephen King put it (and this can be applied to reading that book, writing that post, re-designing that blog, completing that illustration).
“When asked, "How do you write?" I invariably answer, "One word at a time," and the answer is invariably dismissed. But that is all it is. It sounds too simple to be true, but consider the Great Wall of China, if you will: one stone at a time, man. That's all. One stone at a time. ” Stephen King
Onward, I say! One stone at a time Wipsters, one stone at a time. Speaking of, how'd it go this week? I am managing at least two hours each day for blogging, reading, writing. AND-on the writing, I am doing it long hand. _Loving_ it.
Tomorrow's check-in is over at Jaye Robin Brown's blog HANGING ON TO WONDER. See y'all there and on twitter (#wipmadness). Still time to sign up on Denise Jaden's blog!
I hit just about 59 k this morning, 1k shy of my goal, but it was a lofty goal. However, I'm still very much on track to finish this puppy up in the next week or two. And that sort of blows me away.
ReplyDeleteMy feeling frozzy moment passed and I'm back to my regular 'can-do' self so that's super good. I also got to see a fantastic performance by some of our talented students last night at the opening of Footloose. My art kids painted the backdrop.
Looking forward to a writerly weekend and hitting 60k on the WIP!!!!!
Finishing a wip is the best feeling ever. Future congrats.
DeleteYES! Way to go on being within hitting range of your goal! I love watching school productions-congrats to your art kids on creating the backdrop.
DeleteHere is to a writerly 60k weekend for you!
Love "one word at a time." So true.
ReplyDeleteGo, JRo! You're in the home stretch! Motivating, isn't it?
I'm also finally in the home stretch for my novella, and I'm planning to push through now and finish the draft tomorrow. I spent about a week going back and revising the first 80% of the manuscript, but now that I've done that, it's soooo much easier to finish. So far, I've not managed to complete a draft without some revision. It's usually once I hit the climax that I decide I need to firm up what's gone on before being able to knock it out. But whatever works, right?
Happy Friday to all!
Kip
Right on on finishing the draft tomorrow. Exactly on whatever works. Some have to mad dash the first draft. Some revise as they go. Some as do a you. For me it's revise beginning, perfect ending and work out the muddle of the middle to get the two to match up. It's weird, but it works (in a couple of cases anyway).
DeleteCheering you on as you settle in for the homestretch!
I didn't get much writing done yesterday, but it was because I did all those blah but necessary things like the dishes so I can have the whole weekend free to write away. Yay for Friday!
ReplyDeleteBlah on dishes and dusting and laundry and and...but...
DeleteYay on doing them to make room for a writing weekend. Enjoy!
Feeling motivated today - main goal is to add 2k to story and deep edit 15 pages. Here's hoping. One word at a time - right?
ReplyDeleteHope you have a wonderful weekend!
Yes...one one at a time! Hope the edits and word adding is going well. Enjoy the rest of your Friday and the weekend (yay!).
DeleteWow! Longhand...I would be paralyzed by that thought now. I've become too dependent on the speed of the keyboard. I do, however, journal through my stories. It helps my thoughts "gel."
ReplyDeleteFinished the final synopsis yesterday and got a few more matters settled in the climax. Workshops for the day job will keep me busy today and the art festival tomorrow. So I shall look forward to an escape on Sunday perhaps. As my husband always says, "forward motion...that's all it takes." And one word at a time will have to do.
Write on, wipsters!
lol on the slowness of longhand! but a double yes on that. I wonder when I get back to full speed on the words flying out of me if the long hand will fall by the by.
DeleteYES and congrats on the final synopsis. I like the words of your husband.
Write on!
Yesterday started with some very disappointing news. I spent the day licking my writerly wounds and feeling more than a little midnight blue. When bad news happens I need a day to mourn, so I didn't work on the MG. Instead I finished up my second beta read of the month and did some research for a different WIP.
ReplyDeleteToday is a new day. A day with nothing planned except reading and revising. The skies are dark and the wind is howling which suits my stay-inside-and-work mood just fine.
So today I will write (revise) one word at a time. Battle on Wipsters! And have a great weekend. ^_^
Angelina, *hugs* I hope that things get better for you. You are an inspiration to me.
DeleteOne word at a time. That's the truth!
Yes! (((((((Big Hugs))))))) Angelina. :))
DeleteI'm so sorry about your disappointment. Man, this business is hard on the spirit, no? Hugs to you, and yay for carrying on, one word at a time. Hang in there, Angelina!
DeleteOh Angelina..very sorry about you hearing the bad news. I am like you--need that time to lick the wounds. Sometimes more than a day. Yay on starting off today as a new one-reading and revising a good place to be, they generate that feeling and passion that keeps us moving forward and creating new hope. Battle on indeed!
DeleteHugs x 10, my friend. Mourning is fine, as long as it's not final. I have faith in you!!
DeleteThanks to all of you, it's been a very productive day! A little help from my from my friends. . .
DeleteSometimes I switch to long-hand if I'm really having trouble with a scene. It could be worth it, once I finish these edits and start writing something new, to take that approach again. Yay you!
ReplyDeleteAs for me, I managed to edit two and a half chapters last night. I'm in the middle of Chapter 20 now. I stalled on these chapters because a beta-reader pointed out that there wasn't enough to show that my main character was falling for her love interest, other than the fact that they'd been journeying together. Since he's desperately in search of their country's lost princess and my main character *is* that princess but has very valid reasons for not wanting to be found, I was bulking up the reasons why he's worth falling in love with, because the end of Chapter 20 she's going to admit to the reader that she's starting to feel something for him ... and he's going to tell her his ill opinion of the hypothetical princess if it turns out she *doesn't* want the throne.
That's me, cheerfully crushing my darlings. ;)
Also, today's Magical Words post is about the importance of rhythm in writing. Since the Friday author is also an English professor, he went on to challenge us to write a few lines in iambic pentameter. I had *fun* with that one!
Hope to get more done tonight. There'll be #fntwp happening as always, but DH and I will be engaging in our own pursuits - me writing, him playing Mass Effect 3.
When I get to the final stretch of a MS, I read the entire thing out loud to make sure the rhythm of every sentence is right.
DeleteThanks, Angelina. I've been doing that with a few parts already. Especially with the tense shift, I'm finding myself needing to tighten semtences or find alternate words to accomodate the extra (or sometimes fewer) syllables.
DeleteHey! Will be checking out that post. Thanks!
DeleteAnd oh my lololol on your poor darlings-my heart hurt for her when you said the hero was going to tell her exactly what he thought of her. Love those moments. Man-we really are mean, heh heh.
Good luck with your writing tonight. I'll be doing a little my ownself. That and reading. The hubs is off on a backpacking trip so it me and wee doggie. Big doggie went backpacking too.
One stone at a time -- I love that! And that quote reminds me I really should re-read Stephen King's ON WRITING. So much good stuff in there! :)
ReplyDeleteI've grown weary of the mulling and brainstorming and note-taking, but I haven't felt that I really had a good handle on what I needed to do in this WIP. Got a good kick in the pants at writing group last night, though, lol, and realized there comes a time to leap. Here I gooooooooooooooo!!! heh
I think I just heard the splash!
DeleteStand at the ready with a life preserver, won't you? kthx ;)
DeleteHave the PFD at hand and read! Goooo Shari!!!
DeleteI love long-hand, it's my preference, really. My hands have been in bad shape since September, which made long-hand unbearable. My fingers moving smoothly across the keyboard was much simpler. But since the surgery, the pain and numbness is subsiding. Every day it gets easier. Now that I'm getting back on track, I'll be able to go back to what comes naturally, long-hand first, then type.
ReplyDeleteI've done nothing but check in with bloggers all morning. It's been great, reaching out to others and offering support with the Insecure Writer's Support Group I also belong to.
For the rest of the day, I was going to work on a new book idea that's been trolling around in my brain, but I'd rather work on rewrites. Go figure!!
Have a fantastic Friday, wipsters. :-)
Hey Candy...very glad you are able to make your way back to long hand. It really does change how you process the story. Yes on checking in with bloggers and cheering them on...it's a great way to get out of our writer caves. I've heard of the Insecure Writer's Support Group-like what they do!
DeleteA fantastic Friday back your way.
I usually don't head on over to check in until I've gotten at least a little writing done, but this morning has taken off on me. I have a school visit soon, which I'm trying to gear up for, so here's to hoping I'll get some words in this afternoon.
ReplyDeleteActually- I'm just rethinking this. In light of your one step/one stone at a time analogy, maybe I'll throw myself at it for five minutes right now and put one stone in place. Why not, right?
Yes! Yay for one more stone. That's how it gets built....
DeleteOo, I love that...take five and put a stone in place! Hope the visit went well. So awesome when kids get to meet an author.
DeleteI used to write long-hand a long time ago. The transition to the computer was a bit "hard" but I soon as I got the hang of it, long-hand was history for me.
ReplyDeleteI've just signed up for the March Madness so today is for saying "Hi" and "I think you're doing pretty good."
Things should start happening this week-end though, at least with the reading. :)
Glad you joined us, Akoss! Happy reading this weekend. I've got a few books I need to get through as well, so will be reading along with you!
DeleteWelcome to the Madness! Good to have you along. ^_^
DeleteGreat quote--I still want to read Stephen King's book On Writing!
ReplyDeleteI've been kicking booty on my goals, taking time to browse blogs and to write and edit! I love this check-in thing!! :)
Way to go on kicking some goal booty! On Writing is one of my favourite books on writing. Enjoy your weekend!
DeleteMeh to today. the writing is going well as I'm already at ~900 words for the day.
ReplyDeleteBUT.
I hurt my ankle at work January 4th and it's still hurting. I've seen a doctor and two physical therapists and no one knows what's going on. I'm seeing an orthopedic surgeon on the 13th and am fearing more and more I'll have to get surgery. Bah.
Anyway, here's to a fruitful day of writing for everyone!
Brandon, I totally hear you on the ankle! I hurt mine around the same time. My RMT gave me some tips on what to do, and she advised me to stretch, to dip it in ice water when needed, and to *not* baby it! Hope you can find a solution that doesn't involve the surgery.
DeleteOh man...bah on the surgery indeed. I too hope there is an alternate solution. Although--my husband had to have his ankle and leg bones re-operated on after they didn't heal properly and man oh man the relief after the second surgery was immense. He said his leg and ankle felt better even during the healing process.
DeleteNice on the wordage for today. Here is to some more!
Another day, another 50 pages revised. It is beginning to feel so good getting close to the end!
ReplyDeleteWow, wow, Deana. Way to go...cheering you on to the end, man!
DeleteYou're my inspiration!
DeleteNormally Friday is a big writing day for me but I had a work event and didn't get home until late. Instead, I spent some time reflecting and wrote a blog post on the things I've learned lately (some of them because of March Madness).
ReplyDeleteI'm feeling good about my one-word-at-a-time progress, because I know it's my best effort.
Oh, and I love Stephen King. Everyone should read or re-read On Writing. I have two copies because I was missing it while traveling so bought another :)
Love On Writing, too! Good luck with your weekend madness!
DeleteAdded another chapter to my revision. Hitting it hard this afternoon while son and husband are at the movie theater watching JOHN CARTER.
ReplyDeleteGooOooo Kim!
DeleteHello, all.
ReplyDeleteI'm quickly trying my luck here because I couldn't get online yesterday in time to check-in on Anne's blog.
Being sick has helped my writing. Oddly enough, my fuzzy brain has churned out a lot of ideas for three WIPs. I'm quite happy with that. (The fuzzy brain, stuffy nose, sore throat, etc., I can do without, thank you very much.)
When I redesigned my SanctROOMary/creative space, I bought these large whiteboard stickers that I could reposition on my wall to help with brainstorming. Since that has fallen to the bottom of people's to-do lists (it's definitely a two-person job just to keep the thing straight), I opted for a quick fix.
I've attacked my mirrored closet doors and I must say that I'm having a brilliant time doing checklists, character sketches, mind-mapping, and the like.
It's creative. non-problematic graffiti that's actually helped grease the cogs in my noggin.
I've maintained my writing goals and have accomplished extra here and there. Bliss!
Happy writing!
Tonette
Love this...one word at a time. That's powerful and SO true, I keep a post it on my laptop: Write Every Day. Keeps those hard-earned writery muscles in shape ;) Hope the words are FLOWING for you today!
ReplyDeleteThanks to March Madness, this has been one of my most productive weeks ever. Goal One was to start blogging again. Started designing a new blog on Thursday. By Saturday, it was up and running. As of today, I have 29 followers, 4 posts, and more comments than on all my other previous blog attempts combined. Plus, a kind follower volunteered to be a beta reader.
ReplyDeleteGoal Two is to finish my current WIP. Since last week, I have been consistent with either writing new scenes or revising ones that I already knew needed work. I think I can finish the first draft by month's end.
All I can say is, "Thank you, Ladies of March Madness!"
I'm exploring a new idea for my current WIP, which means more brain-storming and researching than writing, but the rewrite is looming large. I expect the tear-down begins Monday.
ReplyDeleteQuick hi from me and back to the trenches - I've got a deadline on the ghostwriting gig AND I just got new beta feedback that I'm itching to dive into. Have a great weekend, everyone!
ReplyDelete8,568 for the week. Still 1,500 short for the week, but, as I mentioned in other areas, I was forced to stop and write up an outline for the rest of book 2 so I knew where this thing was going to end. I wrote 2,174 today. If I can find time and can’t keep my hands from the work this weekend, I’ll try to get weekly goal. We’ll see, but it was difficult enough finding time last weekend. Just not a 7 days a week kinda guy, I guess.
ReplyDeleteMy final word count for the day: 2549. I have more in me but my brain is just mush. Good night, all!
ReplyDelete