August 19th - Sunday check-in
A month left. Take a deep breath. You’re all doing amazingly well, so give yourselves a big round of applause! Before you head to the comments section to let everyone know what you’re facing these days, vote in our poll on the sidebar, and then head over to Jo Leigh’s blog for your weekly inspiration!
August 19th, 2007 at 12:48 am
Let’s see…
I got about 30 pages left to revise, and 200 pages’ worth of paper edit to move to the electronic file.
I’ve been very productive, and thank you for sponsoring the challenge!
August 19th, 2007 at 1:52 am
Still smokin’ the keyboard!
Total for the challenge: 80,505
Words written since Wednesday: 8,536
Average words per day since July 8: 1,872
Thank you again for this challenge. This has been the best thing I’ve ever done for myself as a writer, bar none!
August 19th, 2007 at 2:21 am
After two weeks or more of no successive writing, but doing some editing, I’m at 74k+ I’m going to try hitting the 80k mark by next Weds is something else.
I am sorry for not showing up these past check-ins. There were several frustrations, and who knows what else kicking in.
I like the idea of another challenge though.
On another front, I’ve got about seven Works in Progress that I’ll use to fuel the fires for another challenge…
August 19th, 2007 at 2:36 am
Well, I’ve had another sucky week this week, in fact Its been even suckier with just getting 5482 words written. However, I am still writing and writing every day (even though some days have only seen 2 or 3 hundred words written) so I’m not going to get too down on myself. My Sweat total is 44,598.
I am going to have to step it up though if I’m going to do this challenge justice. I’ve got to sweat and this week I’ve not sweated a literary drop.
I’m finding it alot harder to find time to write with my duaghter being off school for summer than I thought. I’m sleeping more because I’m doing more during a day so my getting up early and writing routine isn’t rally working as most days I’m waking up at the same time she is and by the end of th day my brain is mush -wrting is a no go at night.
I’m going to make the effort next week, Sven, I’m going to make you proud, baby!
Please feel free to leave messages for me on my myspace to poke me into writing -I need all the motivation I can get!
August 19th, 2007 at 2:45 am
I’m unashamed to say that I’ve not written this week. I’ve stepped away from the first draft of my WIP in order to let it ’set’… and in the meantime I’ve been catching up with my web design jobs, and allowing my mind to mull over story and book ideas in a kind of free fall way. But today, the editing starts, and the unveiling of the cover for this book means I have to give my hero a haircut!!!! He’s actually going to look rather like Mr Blue now… which pleases that gentleman immensely.
August 19th, 2007 at 2:48 am
I’ve done about 2K since Friday - I say about because it was mostly longhand so it’ll be a guesstimate until I can get it transferred onto the pc. Nearly finished the first draft which is good; but it’s for a short piece so that’s not so good. I’ll be using the second challenge to try and achieve the higher word count!
August 19th, 2007 at 4:19 am
Well i was a little disappointed in myself this week. To be honest i ddint write at all on wednesday or thursday because i was so stressed and worried about my results.
wednesday because it was the day before them and thursday because i failed a subject and didnt quite get the grades i needed for my course so i had to phone the uni, then i had to go up my finace’s uni too and by that time i was knackered.. ( I GOT IN btw =D!)
I also found out that being a non girly girl is detremental to a scene in which there is a girly girl conversation. I got soooo stuck, still am if im honest.
but yes, enough blathering on, total for the challenge is a measly 28,796, before starting today. I might still reach my 30k (even though i’m meant to be on 33k by now)
August 19th, 2007 at 5:15 am
I backed up a month ago. That’s right, four weeks of work would be gone if I hadn’t sent a copy off to a friend to read.
Still, Office is gone so I can’t open what I have and check for damage.
August 19th, 2007 at 8:26 am
Wow, worst week yet. I only did about 2,300 words since Wed. Lost power. Other things. I am a chapter behind, and am now planning how to catch up. If I can catch up today and tomorrow, I’ll be fine. It’s really hot in Mississippi and I’m struggling to get my plants alive. OMG!
August 19th, 2007 at 8:40 am
Total for the challenge has been 13,200. I guess I better get going. Crazy there’s only a month left. I do have some time off for work the next two weeks, though, so I think I’m going to write like crazy in an effort to double or triple that word count!
August 19th, 2007 at 9:41 am
Nada. Zilch. Sigh.
This week’s goal is to hit the halfway point in my book. I’m crossing my fingers that I can do it.
August 19th, 2007 at 9:41 am
Still revising (sludged through 180 pages since Wednesday), and should be through the end of the month. How terrible is that? Like being stuck in traffic for WEEKS! I can’t wait for the next one, when I’ll actually be able to write…
August 19th, 2007 at 9:41 am
Yay! I had an awesome week. I’ve added roughly 8K to wings of Desire. I’ve also decided the plot is too complex for a book of 80K. I will be bumping up my total word count to about 90-95K
I’m at 48500 right now and will try to get to 50K today. I’m ready to sweat!
Yay!
Cindy
August 19th, 2007 at 9:54 am
I’m wrapping up my Blaze today, sending it off to my editor, so yay! Of course, I have another one due Oct 15, so no rest here. But the challenge has made a big difference. Thanks, everyone, for the support and camaraderie.
August 19th, 2007 at 10:05 am
This week has been terrible. I have no excuses other than I was extremely busy with my kids (school starts next week, YEAH!). I have been writing during my lunch hour, but I haven’t had time to type it. LOL LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 19th, 2007 at 10:09 am
32 pages this week so far. Not as great as other weeks, but hey, still plugging along even when other things get in the way (like needing to promote an impending new book release or two!). I need to finish this book and the writing challenge has really been a great kick.
Keep pushing everyone and don’t give up!
August 19th, 2007 at 10:23 am
Word count total so far: 20,730. Last week we are on vacation and I couldn’t type. Because the kids are back in school, I’m hoping to do much better.
August 19th, 2007 at 10:27 am
I took a week off of my WIP to read through, revise, rewrite (in some cases) and polish a finished ms to send out. Doing that again today, and sending the requested full out tomorrow, then it’s back to the wip.
I’m still loving this accountability, and am looking forward to the final month’s push!!!
August 19th, 2007 at 10:56 am
I’m at almost 52,000, which means I added almost ten thousand words in a week.
I’ve done something sneaky with myself this past week. I set the view size on Microsoft Word to 52%, which means that the words are so small I can no longer see them as I’m typing them. It means that I can’t reread and can’t edit. I take the last half hour of every night’s writing to spellcheck and make sure I haven’t inadvertently screwed up an entire paragraph by having my fingers on the wrong keys. But man, I can’t believe how much I got done. For the first time, I really felt like I trusted my own brain to do the writing.
August 19th, 2007 at 11:56 am
I broke 50% of my goal this week, my Sven word count total at 36K. I’m a little behind by days but hanging in there! My goal is to finish the current novella by 8/31.
August 19th, 2007 at 1:01 pm
Almost to 40k! I’m sitting at 38k of 65k. I did about 3500 since Wednesday. Maybe my muse is coming back since I am not tying her down with edits anymore.
August 19th, 2007 at 2:14 pm
Currently at 21,256, and completed 9,256 words for the week.
Not bad, but not as good as I’d like it. However, story is flowing fast and furious, so I’m liking that.
Great challenge, and good luck everyone!
August 19th, 2007 at 3:18 pm
Well, my word count hasn’t changed since the last time I posted. Planning a retirement party then going to DC for three days has really pushed me off my writing. I know, bad writer.
One positive thing I have done, is I put up a cork board that I can story board onto. So now I can actually see the story and all it’s progress. This is going to be interesting as I’ve never done this before. So, I’ve wasted enough time with the internet, I have my story open on the computer’s desktop and the notebook on the desk top I think I have all the tools necessary to write.
August 19th, 2007 at 4:00 pm
1,576 new words since Wednesday. Total for the challenge is 15,867. Back to writing!
August 19th, 2007 at 4:04 pm
Well, I’m back on track. Yay! I wrote nearly 5,000 words this week which is way higher than my weekly goal. So… woot!
August 19th, 2007 at 4:35 pm
I wrote about 12k this week! I also wrote “the end” on The Darkest Kiss. It’s a bit misleading though, because the revision process is monsterous for me. I’m a good month away from truly being done. The basic lump is there, though. Now it needs to be molded.
I have written about 55k since the challenge started.
I’ll still be writing toward the challenge, though! I have another WIP and another another book I need to start.
August 19th, 2007 at 6:14 pm
Took the week off from the WIP, but have not doubt I will finish it next week. So the big fat 0 words on that piece, but other things progressing and sanity maintained, which is always important. And I actually READ 2 books. Imagine that? A writer with time to read!
August 19th, 2007 at 6:14 pm
16 pages this week. The revision process this time has been SLOW. But that’s okay. I’m learning a ton!
August 19th, 2007 at 7:21 pm
Ok I’m still being bad, but I’ve added about 3k words.
About 6k or so behind I think…
August 19th, 2007 at 7:27 pm
I’ve been writing bits and pieces again since Wednesday, I’ve also been editing and typing up my finished piece which needs to be sent off before the end of next week. Writing came to a halt on Friday - today since we had a wedding (not mine one of my brothers) so everyones been busy at that. However I have now got loads of storyline ideas from it so there will be more work on the way!
In the end I wrote a total of 1600 since Wednesday, bringing my overall total to 19392
August 19th, 2007 at 7:27 pm
I finished up the first draft for The Bond That Heals Us! I’m sitting at a total word count of 66,698 words. I wrote a total of 5033 on Heals. In addition, I wrote 3020 words on another story that I’m cleaning up to send in for an agent request.
Total word count since last Sunday, 8053 words.
August 19th, 2007 at 8:07 pm
I missed the check-in on Wednesday because busy rushing around getting stuff my daughter needed before taking her back to college on Thursday. Another daughter goes back to school this Wednesday so that will free up some time for me. Also I canned tomatoes from our garden and did baking for a family member’s birthday.
I wrote 3,185 words for the week - not as much as I wanted but I have 165 pages completed so happy about that.
August 19th, 2007 at 8:18 pm
I didn’t add much since Wednesday. I am at 56,990. I started schooling my kids this week and new it would be tough. The first weeks always are, then my husband lost his job, which made it hard to do anything else, especially when we decided that he should go into business for himself, so I had to help get things going there. Then he found a job and started at the new place on Thursday, still gonna try for working for himself though.
I am also trying to wrap things up for Hellion’s Lord, just rewriting there, which makes things slow going. So I think I am going to work on one of the other pieces that I have going and try to get my 45k or so that I have left.
I still want to say thank you, it would be real easy to stop writing all together, but with this challenge I keep pushing through.
August 19th, 2007 at 8:24 pm
I did fifteen pages this week, one more than last week’s tally. I’m still out of town but will return home tomorrow. I intend ti do twenty-eight pages next week or die trying.
August 19th, 2007 at 8:33 pm
I’m glad I’m not the only one with a 0 word count this week.
But it’s not all bad. I’ve been writing in longhand and I did manage to type in a majority of the pages. And I started three new scenes.
This challenge is the best thing I’ve done in a long while.
Looking forward to the next one.
August 19th, 2007 at 8:56 pm
I’ve got about 40 pages left to go…
August 19th, 2007 at 8:57 pm
Total word count = 9,889
New words written = 1,116
While I’m way down on total word count, I’m pretty happy with what I managed to write since the last check-in.
Take care…………Wayne
August 19th, 2007 at 9:03 pm
Beautiful Girl @ 38K
The Missing @ 56K
August 19th, 2007 at 9:17 pm
Only hit 6k this week, which is disappointing. I’m going to try to push through and finish the book this week with another 10-12k. Then to edits!
(I’m soooo ready to be done.)
August 19th, 2007 at 9:39 pm
Dur. I can’t believe I forgot it was check-in day. I did 3282 since last check-in, 35096 for the challenge (goal:33000), and I’m up to 71809 for a total.
I sat down and thought about what’s left to go, and while thinking about it involved asking myself a lot of detail questions I’ve yet to answer, I can basically see my way from here to The End, which is completely cool. Also, looking over the individual bits I have left to write and looking at the approximate total word count I was shooting for, they seem to match up well. Yay!
August 19th, 2007 at 9:49 pm
This was a struggle week. On the good side, unlike some struggle weeks, I did actually get a fair amount written (roughly 7000 words), once I clawed my way through a wall. On the not so good side, I can see where next week may be busy, and I might not get is as much writing as I’d like.
Still, I can see the goal, and I’ve got a plan again. That’s something.
Word count is up to 23,195.
August 19th, 2007 at 10:04 pm
I added about 6000 words so The Honey Trap is 37000. I’m not going to be able to check in on Wednesday since I’m having surgery.
August 19th, 2007 at 10:06 pm
I’m still in it to win it even though I know I’m not going to make 100k. I’m writing to the end. So my tally for the week is 10,041. A surprise because I was hoping with this being my first week back at school I’d might make 8,400. Yay for me.
This makes my total since the sweat started 49,714 and the total word count for my WIP 62,292. I’m going to shoot for another 15-20k more words for this WIP. Once I layer I’ll be at 90-100k where I wanted to be. 30 more days. I think I can do it.
Congrats to the rest of my fellow sweaters who’ve made it this far.
August 19th, 2007 at 10:26 pm
Dare I hope I’m finally picking up speed?
I’ve done another 3,160 words on Changeling since Wednesday, which gives me a grand total of 17,539. I’m still behind but I’m slowly catching up.
August 19th, 2007 at 10:34 pm
Thanks for the encouraging words Jo Leigh. Tomorrow summer is officially over and the kiddies are back in school *whew* I’m glad to get back on track and try some new things to help with my writing.
Now, let’s see. Only got a little bit of writing done this weekend since I went back and reworked some back story for one of my projects. Always rewriting *sigh* So I only upped the word count 1808…
Total= 24,818
I don’t know if I’ll reach at least 60K but I’m trying
August 19th, 2007 at 11:16 pm
Well, not so much done in the writing department, and that was cancelled out by the cutting department, but I’ve figured out where I need to go (I think) with the story. Now that summer is almost over I should be able to get back to work and do some serious writing. Total su far=26,519 (bleh).
August 19th, 2007 at 11:28 pm
A little better this week, but still not great. Total for the week - 2999. Total since I started the challenge - 25,882 which means I am down by 10K. I’ll keep plugging at it though. I have written much more consistently since I started this challenge!
August 19th, 2007 at 11:28 pm
Since Wednesday, I’ve written 3737, most of it on Primal Encounter. I’m up to 23836 on Primal Encounter and 20132 on Lisia’s Journey. I’ve been revising another story so I didn’t expect to do as much as I did.
August 19th, 2007 at 11:44 pm
*crawls in the front door and collapses* Yes, I made it. I only wrote about 1950 words or so since Wednesday, and I feel terrible about it. And… I’m too tired to add that to my challenge-long total tonight. :-/
August 20th, 2007 at 12:00 am
I had an awesome week. Accomplished 15,575 words. If I can do another 15,000 this next week, I should have this WIP to the end. Finally!
August 20th, 2007 at 12:15 am
Two thirds of the way through my proposal. Pace is picking back up again, and having the challenge is definitely helping. Checking in Wednesday and Sunday makes it a little more difficult to let things slide completely when I don’t have compelling reasons.
August 20th, 2007 at 2:03 am
Well, even though a new day has begun, I got up to 75k+…so I’m a little happier than I was when I first checked in.
August 20th, 2007 at 3:29 am
I’ve done 4597 since Wednesday. Didn’t write a word this weekend. My total for the challenge is 64,415 words on seven projects. If they were all on the same WIP, I’d have a manuscript. :sigh:
August 20th, 2007 at 3:31 am
10,729
I voted for November 1st. Need those extra days after Christmas!
August 20th, 2007 at 9:10 am
I had an okay week. Not as stellar as needed to catch up, but I’m getting there.
Got right around 5K this week. I’m at ~68K overall. Goal is 80K by the end of the month, and 100K by the end of the challenge.
Deadlines motivate me, so I’m starting to feel the pressure and ramp up my efforts. I remain optimistic.
August 20th, 2007 at 9:38 am
i have to confess a second week in a row with zero word count tho i still haven’t missed a day of some kind of intense work with the story world. things have just been so intense here the last couple of weeks. a lot of out of town company here at my in-law’s small trailer house. here beause of my father-in-law’s surgery for a growth on his arm. big sigh of relief all around when it turned out benign.
in the past i’ve let events like this (like my Dad’s loosing his battle with cancer in 2005) stop me cold and then found it very difficult to re-engage. this time i have not let myself do that because…well, because of Sven. And it is not just about feeling acountable. It is more to do with feeling validated and supported just knowing i am not alone and that there are hundreds of you out there who do not think that what we are doing is frivolous.
i may not make the 70K goal but i have already accomplished something so profound just by sticking with it every single day for this long. every day since day five is a new record.
August 20th, 2007 at 9:47 am
I opened up the Sunday paper to find Sven staring up at me! But it wasn’t enough… had a very family-filled weekend and did not move ahead on iota. So, busy week ahead for me: typing, writing andresearch too!
August 20th, 2007 at 10:16 am
Sorry, no internet at home so no weekend updates. I’m at 47,029 for the novel, and I keep forgetting to add in the 6500 words of short story I wrote, making my sweat total 53,529. Yay! I’m around 5k behind where I want to be on the novel, but I’m okay with that.
August 20th, 2007 at 12:48 pm
I’m afraid I wrote only about 500 words this past week. The kids were all sick and between caring for them and ferrying them to the doc, I didn’t get to do much of anything.
I shall do better this week.
August 20th, 2007 at 1:12 pm
5,479 words.
August 20th, 2007 at 3:11 pm
I had a good last half of the week…and I just passed 65k total words! but I’m a little late checking in because of weather issues yesterday (sunday) and today (monday)…but I’m risking a lightning strike because it’s been bugging me that I couldn’t check in and see all the other totals!
August 20th, 2007 at 8:44 pm
Wrote two pages this weekend. More than the past two weeks put together. Sad, but true. I’m moved in officially now, thank God, so writing should get better now that I have a home.
August 20th, 2007 at 9:25 pm
I know I’m late for the check in, but if you were to go here, you can find my update/progress.
The Perfessor
August 21st, 2007 at 2:31 pm
Am I the only one who can’t open Jo Leigh’s blog? I have no problem with every one elses. Hmmm.
August 21st, 2007 at 3:14 pm
Christina - What browser and OS are you using? If you’re using XP or Vista and either Firefox or IE, you shouldn’t have a problem. Are you on an older system? Or a MAC?
August 21st, 2007 at 7:21 pm
pffft. only 8 pages last week. ugh. this week will be better. this week will be better. this week will be better. lol
August 21st, 2007 at 8:02 pm
Hi. This is late, but as Carol will tell you, I’ve had major obstacles. However, I am up to 12,750 on my main wip, with some dribblings on other projects.
August 21st, 2007 at 8:58 pm
Sorry, couldn’t post before now - my dd was in a car accident this last weekend and I spent much of my time in a hospital. TG she’s going to be alright but it’s taken years off my life! I’ve had my worst week yet - a measly 2,550 words for a total of 30,370 words since challenge beginning. I’m not giving up though; I’m going to grit it out!
Laurie
August 22nd, 2007 at 8:16 pm
What browser and OS are you using? If you’re using XP or Vista and either Firefox or IE, you shouldn’t have a problem. Are you on an older system? Or a MAC?
I am using XP and IE, everytime I click on Jo Leigh’s link it acts like it is going to load and then tells me IE can’t connect, but only with hers. No biggie, I was just disappointed that I couldn’t read her blog.
Thanks for trying to help.
August 22nd, 2007 at 8:19 pm
Laurie,
Hope all is better with your dd.
August 22nd, 2007 at 10:28 pm
Christina - I don’t know the answer! I’m sorry!
August 23rd, 2007 at 10:42 am
Thanks for trying.:)
November 30th, 2007 at 5:10 pm
Hi there…Thanks for the nice read, keep up the interesting posts about jp morgan retirement..what a nice Friday .