Week 4, Day 3, Day 4: 0 words

Yes, the whole week so far has resulted in no work done on this story. I am desperately behind this week. God only knows if I will catch up. This past weekend, as expected, was a writing wash. Chores, actual washing, running errands and a bit of fun all conspired to leave with no writing time. So neither this story, nor the science fiction short is any further along and the short is due on the 30th.  In my head it is done, but on paper (or rather my computer screen!) it remains unfinished.

I shall write tomorrow about how much I managed to do today. I need to type lots and very fast.

Week 4, Day 2: 168 words

I wrote 168 words today. But that is deceptive, because I also got rid of 165 words I wrote last time. So I am ahead by only 3 words. It was a scene where she got a new dress and I realized that not did I not care about the new dress, it wasn’t necessary and only kept me from getting to the good parts that much sooner. The only good thing that came out of was that I finally met her mother. So far, her mother is as non-existent as a character can be and still be deeply embedded in the MC’s mind and heart. Makes me wonder about her.

Just in case I am wrong about how necessary this scene is, I cut and pasted it into another file. I call this new file “Princess Trash.” Princess because that’s part of the working title; Trash because it will hold stuff I don’t need. I have found over the years that instead of deleting scenes I don’t like, I should save them in a different file. Sometimes these deleted scenes come in useful. Sometimes I find I wrote them too early, and really, they make a lot more sense later on. Sometimes, with a few changes, I can use them. But mostly they just sit there.

Week 4, Day 1: 0 words

Week 4 already. It’s hard to believe I’ve been doing this for so long. But no words today. I am going to see if I can’t at least get the beginning of the science fiction short done today. I need names for him, his car and his boss. Oh and a name for the story too.

Week 3, Day 7: 183 words

183 words. Below what I should have done for today. I don’t feel like doing anymore today, but I am over my weekly goal, so it’s all good. Weekly word count is 1610. It is not a good place to end a chapter, so I think I will just continue with chapter 3 tomorrow.

I haven’t really started the science fiction short yet. The little bit of snippet I wrote the other day helped me with voice, but I don’t think the character reflecting on himself is a good place to begin. I’ve a kernel of an idea, though, and I think I am going to start with him in the garage. The thing I am worried about is whether or not I will be done by the 30th. Even if I am, I likely will not have time to rewrite or submit it for critiques. So whatever I submit will probably be a first draft and all I’ll really have time for is check spelling and make sure there are no missing words.

On the other hand, even if the story is not done in time for contest, I can still finish it, edit, rewrite and submit to other magazines.

Week 3, Day 5: 0 words

No words today. So depressing. I found no time to write. The day just slipped past my fingers like water.

Week 3, Day 3:120 words

Today when I was spell checking yesterday’s work, I had written rouge, like the make up, and I did not want makeup. I wanted the other word, the one that meant something like rebel, wicked, bad boy, like that. I used word-web to find synonyms and I couldn’t.  For the life of me, I could not figure out how to spell the word I wanted. I could not even figure out what its synonyms were.  Then it hit me – I typed in scoundrel (thinking of various romance novels Scoundrel This, Rebel that and Devil the other). Finally, in word-web’s types tab, and lo and behold, I found rogue.  Thank you word-web! The only difference between rouge and rogue is that g and u are reversed.  But such a difference in meaning! Really, I can just picture someone reading rouge and laughing their ass off.

Wrote a mere 180 words today. I don’t understand why I am so slow. The words just aren’t coming. I think I was a bit frustrated today by how long it took me to figure out the proper spelling for rogue.

Week 2, Day 5: 0 words

No words. Sick. Fever, achy, sore throat. Stuck in bed. Going back to sleep now

Week 2, Day 3: 0 words

0 words, just like last Saturday. I felt ill yesterday and went to bed early and could not write in the evenings like usual. Couldn’t read, either, just sleep.

Week 2, Day 1: 0 words

No words! 😦 I am very bad! Very upset, too. I would be happier if I could have written at lease 50 words, if not the full 200. But, no, all I managed were two words: Chapter 2. Which doesn’t really count. And I still have no idea what I am going to call the stone.

I decided to use my spare time for researching our fall Orlando vacation rather than using that time to write. But she is going to see her father in the next scene and I got some ideas about that.

Week 1, Day 4: 0 words

Sunday and again, no words written. I hate weekends. I need to learn to get rid of distractions for a couple hours and just write. But, on the other hand, I did get a new wii today.