Ugh

I'm not saying ugh just because it's Monday because I actually like Mondays. It's an UGH day because I'm in what I think is about the last quarter of this book, and I'm having a lot of trouble. I spent way too much time this morning trying to make it work and it really didn't work. So now - after 482 words - (which is not nearly enough if I want to get a first draft done by the end of February...) I'm stopping. Fortunately, it's not raining, so I'm going to get some fresh air and walk down the hill to the post office.

I am hoping that my brain will continue to work while I walk and when I return, I'll have figured out some things about this manuscript.

Stay tuned.

Organization

Oops.

I made a big mistake this morning. I felt like some organization of the manuscript was needed. So I printed out (a first and usually a very exciting time to actually see the story on paper) about 70 pages starting at page 94. Then I spent most of the morning and all the way until 1:30 this afternoon trying to set up one of the secondary characters. The result is that I accomplished it but I don't feel particularly good about it. Even though I advanced the word count (42481) I didn't move the story ahead. And that's really - for me - the measure of a successful day. Because then you have more of a place to start the next time.

I think I'm avoiding some part of the plot. So that's the  place I need to start Monday morning. See you then.

Distractions

One of the most important things when writing is staying in the story. But sometimes there are distractions. These come in all shapes and sizes. For me it was the holidays, company and some travel. I finally tossed in the towel in mid-December knowing I wanted to make butter cookies more than I wanted to write.

In late January, I jumped back in, finally meeting my New Year's goal of 40,000 words last Friday. The 40,000 words was mostly psychological as I'm no longer worried about the number of words I have to write as I feel pretty confident that the story will take at least another 20,000 words to tell.

30,000 words

Today was one of the best days in awhile. I've been avoiding writing about the grandmother in my story (mostly because I don't know enough about the grandmother to start...), but prior to sitting down today, I had a great image in my head of the grandmother in the hospital bed unable to eat.  How would my main character and heroine, T, cope with this? How could this scene show what she was all about? So I jumped into the interchange, and before I knew it (and despite numerous interruptions which didn't seem to matter as the scene flowed delightfully wonderfully...) I had over 1,000 words.

Now I've crossed into the 30,000 range. And I will try to remember this: if you're stuck, one nearly sure-fire remedy is to write through it. Just write what you think you know and the rest will come. Your characters will start talking to you and show you the way.

Yippee!

The rain has stopped, and the mist is wisping through the distant mountains. I'm off for my walk to celebrate.

Whales and Goals

I took some time off, but now I'm back. Some of it I can blame on the humpbacks in the Narrows. They're never here at this time of the year. So who could resist watching them bubblenetting, their huge tails rising up from the water?

But back to goals. I've got some new ones, and I feel great about them.

Goal # 1 - 40,000 words by January 1, 2011
Goal # 2 - 60,000 words by April 2011
Goal # 3 - First draft by May 2011

I think they're do-able, and I feel good knowing that. I just have to keep my eye on the story and put in my time, right here, at the computer. Every morning, even weekends (?). The calendar idea really helps - putting down in each day box how many words I wrote, and how many I have total.

Here are the results for today: 773 words; 29,812 total. Yay! That means I have about six weeks to write the necessary 10,000 words for Goal # 1.

I think I'll go have a cookie to celebrate.

Wandering

Wandering. That's what I've been doing this week and last. I've also been avoiding. Avoiding writing about the grandmother in my book. I didn't know much about her, so I stayed away. Usually when I don't know something, I write through it, and then finally I figure it out. But I didn't do that this time. I continually detoured because I really had no idea what she was all about. I had also tried quite a few qualities on her, like new hats, and nothing fit.

Then finally I jumped in and got nowhere. But instead of swimming to the nearest shore for safety, I stayed there, floating around in the current trying to figure out who this character was.

It didn't work. At. All.

But because I had been trying, had been writing through it, my subconscious began stewing over it even when I wasn't. And that's what's magical.

Because, finally, at around 2 AM on Thursday, I knew. 

This is truly one reason to write.  That wonderful, incredible feeling when the character starts to talk and it's almost impossible to capture her conversation, so quickly and forcefully she speaks.

Progress

I had a hard time getting started this morning. I don't know whether it was the rain, the chilliness, or feeling sleepy, but I kept avoiding my computer. Oh, I'd sit down and write a little, but then I'd go off and do something that clearly could have waited. Then I'd return to the computer, check email, some blogs I like, Facebook - and so on -  I know you've all been there.

But the good news is that I stuck it out. I almost quit at 600 words. I was at the end of one scene and could have picked it up tomorrow. But I didn't. I stuck it out, sat there and thought and wrote and then thought some more.  And wrote some more. Finally, I was rewarded with a total of 987 words.

I am humbled, once again. The only way to write is to sit there and do it. And no one can do it but you.