...and I think I need a new keyboard. Seriously. It's making funny noises when I press some keys, like something inside is off and the keys are rubbing against each other. I think I've had this thing for about eight years, so I'm fine with replacing it.
Because seriously, how awesome is it to be able to say I wrote so hard that I broke my keyboard?
So yes, the writing vacation is going well so far. You have no idea - no, wait, most anyone reading this will also be a writer, so you have a very good idea how glad I am to be able to say that. ^_^ I was, of course, nervous as hell when I first sat down on Saturday. And not just because I was writing in the morning, which I almost never do. Mostly because I get up for work early enough already and there's no way I'm rising at 4AM just to get in an early-morning writing session.
But as always, once I had my first sentence down, I knew what the next one was, and the next, and the next. And ever since then, things have flowed pretty smoothly. I'm pulling 2500+ words per session, and after ten sessions, I've hit 26584 words. I have no idea how long this thing is going to be, but I'm about two sessions away from starting Act II on the beat sheet. I have to admit, I wasn't sure if I'd get this far this week when I started.
Hell, considering how many times I've had a book crash and burn, I wasn't sure if I'd get this far at all when I started.
Since this is a first draft, of course, there are more than a few warts on the thing. I need to rewrite most of a character's early dialogue and expressions, since I realized about twenty pages in that I'd been writing her wrong. Character voice for both of the POV characters is going to need a lot of work, since I've never written as either of them before. I'm also dealing with exposition, how much to have characters reveal as they're considering the situation and the people around them versus how much will be revealed later.
I'm also thinking that one character is just plain not weird enough. But editing can fix anything, right?
It looks like I'll be able to finish this one, which is a relief. Whether or not I'll feel like ever working with it again once it's done, I don't know, but at least I'll be able to make that decision about a finished product. And if all goes well, I'll have the first draft done before the end of May.
The most interesting thing that's come out of this vacation so far is the sense of what it might be like to have writing as my full-time job. Doing two shifts a day, sticking to that and making sure I produce . . . it's a good feeling. Hopefully this will someday become a regular thing.
Next entry: IWSG, and a song most parents are probably sick of by now.
Won't get up at 4:00 just to write? Now I'm wondering about you Mason.
ReplyDeleteThen again, maybe it's just us moms who have to do that so we can get some quiet time. :P I'm counting the days until I have an empty nest so *I* can write all day. LOL
Good for you. That's some serious word count. :)
Yep, I'm single with no kids and I live by myself, so writing time is whenever I want it to be. :P But thank you. This vacation has turned out to be one of the best things I could have done for this book.
Delete2500 words a session is great. Hope you keep up the momentum and finish this by the month's end. Good luck to you.
ReplyDeleteThank you. ^_^ I figure if I can keep up this speed, I won't have time to worry (any more) about what could go wrong.
DeleteWore out the keyboard? That's definitely writer level 20.
ReplyDeleteI have let the magic smoke out of not one, but two computers (I'm extra special). What I found entertaining though was when a computer tech asked me how long I'd had my computer because he'd never seen a laptop with all the letters worn off the keys (there were two perfect hand prints polished into the plastic).
DING! :P
DeleteBut yes, looking at my keyboard, my comma and D keys are nearly worn off, and it's dirtier than I'd like to admit. Might be getting a new one tomorrow.
You wrote that much on your vacation? Whoa...
ReplyDeleteGive it some time after you finish and you'll be ready to dive back in. Congratulations.
Nope! I did that in slightly over half my vacation. :P Final word count for the full vacation is 48707.
DeleteAnd thanks. ^_^ I do plan to let the (eventual) finished book sit for quite a while before looking at it again. I'm really not sure how I feel about this one.
Whew! That's some serious wordage! Way to totally kick it. I love that you're totally conscious of the characters needs as you go. I usually make notes on things like that and set them aside until the first draft is done, then go back and implement them all.
ReplyDeleteI've never worn out a keyboard, but I have killed two Kindles. Does that count? ;)
Thank you. ^_^ And yeah, working with these characters has taken some getting used to. I've spent more time in their heads now, so I'm a little more comfortable there, but they still surprise me.
DeleteNot sure if that counts... :P