For anyone else who wants to start/progress/finish writing a book in 2011

[artifarti]

As the title says really!

Me: After several years of dithering with short stories, I committed myself to Nanowrimo last month and managed to bash out a 50,000 first draft of an idea I've had for ages. There is some excrutiating crap in there but also the bare bones of a plot and some interesting characters. So I'd really like to spend 2011 trying to develop it into something better.

But I need some company so that we can mutually kick each other's arses when the temptation to watch Holby City is proving too great. Anyone else?

Thanks mk7! basically working hard til you get the job done then. 25 on 5 off sounds a good balance. agree too with not looking stuff up, looking stuff up is for the procrastinating before you start bit
am reading amusing book atm 'how I became a famous novelist' by steve hely. It's basically about a slacker who sets out to write novels - great send up of genres, inc a fake best seller list. excellent light relief!

Ninah, I read that book too and I laughed all the way through it. I just wish I could get some of the experimental drug he took . . .

DandyLioness, there are quite a few around -- I just googled "download pomodoro timer" and couldn't figure out which one it is I have but I'm sure it doesn't matter. Mine makes a ticking noise which I think now has a Pavlovian effect on me. Well, usually.

yy some really funny bits! glad you thought so too
sounds like a bomb mk, I think all that ticking would make me nervous!

New week begins. Want to complete (include edit) Chp 14 this week so:
2021 words today.

I've done a little today, ds has a spelling competition tomorrow so I'll be busy I'm not sure where the wood nymph in the novel has come from though, she seems useful.

How did DS's spelling competition go, belle?

I had a good writing session this morning - 1617 words. So around 1700 words to go until I finish Chp 14.

I love writing dialogue and today's session featured a very meaty argument between two characters so I had a great time and the time slipped by so fast writing it .

They came second. Ds is gutted (even though it was a team effort he blames himself)

Poor DS. Coming second is an achievement, but I remember coming second in things when I was a kid and it sucked - that "so close" feeling.

yeah I remember that feeling too! what a shame, belle. my ds would stand no chance in a spelling contest, his spelling is atrocious and i find it frustrating that he doesn't seem to care.
Glad to see you are both being so productive. I am on target (-ish). Planning to visit a landmark I'll be referring to a fair bit during half term. Had some positive feedback on the last mss from one of my unofficial readers, with some suggestions for revisions. It's interesting how different people react to the same material, and a good reminder to use your own judgement, as parts some readers love others are unsure about, and vice versa. I will certainly sharpen up the dialogue in places, but that's no hardship as, like you bb, I love doing dialogue!

1576 words today and Chp 14 is complete. I'll edit it tonight after DD is in bed then start on Chp 15 tomorrow.

About 630 words Monday, about 480 yesterday (bad day, led to rethinking of current scene), and today 1307 so far on a totally unrelated short story idea that has been nagging at the back of my mind for ages . . . and I finally had to ask myself why I was stopping myself from working on it.

I am very focused and sort of one-thing-at-a-time, so this is unknown territory for me and I don't know if it's a good thing or a dissipation of energy. Anyone else "cheat" on their major project with other writing?

At the beginning of a project I'll get loads of ideas for other things I should be doing instead. Once it's got a reasonable hold on me I can't think of anything else.

I'm only working on one thing, so it's not (yet) come up for me. I have ideas and notes for my next novel but so far I've been pretty good at prioritising the current one.

Hm. Well, my novel's main character has trouble knowing her own mind, let alone speaking it. This short story is told from the perspective of a woman who has considerably more self-awareness. Therefore, much less time trying to get into her head, much more just letting fly. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

"I have an emotional affair with my new piece but not a physical one" - I love that Dandy!!!!

Hm again. I know this is good advice. I will treat yesterday's blip as "note-taking" for the embryo book and go back to slogging on the difficult scene.

Today I doubt I'll be meeting my 1000-word target as I've become completely distracted by:

1. Research for current novel which will necessitate some re-writing of several scenes in the book right back to Chapter 1 (triggered by a very fruitful conversation about one of my characters with DH this morning)
2. A fast-moving, interesting AIBU thread on MN!

Okay, so 750 words today (exactly!) spread across chapters 3, 4, 13 & 15 in order to add in some extra/new information regarding a particular character. Plus some research to add more depth in successive chapters re this new info. Will do more tonight.

2267 words of Chp 15 completed today. I wanted to have completely finished Chp 15 this week (still another 3K to go) but that's unlikely to happen now. I keep telling myself that real life is neccessary to provide the juice for our writing so as it's intruded I can't really complain. See you after the Bank Holiday! Have a great weekend all.

I've been writing all day - school reports

Have done over 600 words, as near as I can work out due to other sentences / phrases having been rewritten but not tallied with the main chunk. Entire scene being re-tracked in order to earn its keep, I hope.

Good work, ladies. (That includes you Ninah - writing is writing )

Yes, just came back on here to say well done everyone!

Thanks mitten . I find this thread so motivating - just knowing I have to come on here and declare my day's work makes me open up my novel folder. I'm obviously highly motivated by shame .