Got a novel/play/screenplay in your head? Get it on paper! Here is the page count thread for hopeful and actual writers.

[wilbur]

Are you a writer in need of some motivation? Post here each day or whenever you can with your page count. Or post your hopes for how many pages you want to write each day and then come back and see if you managed them. Even if they are rubbish, at least you will have them down on paper and can make them brilliant at a later date.

I will start. I am hoping to write a second full-length screenplay before August 2008. I have two days a week where I have time to write my own stuff and I am aiming to do 5 pages on each of those days.

Wilbur (wrote Wibler at first, made me laugh) glad back is getting better.

Hi all. Just crawling on here having written 18 pages of script today. Page count now at 58 with 4 and a half scenes to go which seeing how this is going to be offered as a one hour bbc drama is not too badly over.

It's been dreamy writing today. DH and DD2 away. I started at 7am. DD1 came down just after 8 and watched Oliver! very long...I basically worked until 11. And then from 3-6 when my mum came round (and did DD1s homework with her - bliss!) I surprised myself by introducing a crap indie band frontman test driving a theramin into the background of a scene in a weird junk shop. Added light relief to an emotional scene as he started being influenced by what was going on and improvising a song that went 'A woman's tears... she needs a bucket' and the woman who is comforting the other woman says 'Oi Jarvis Cocker, save it for Wembly. That all looks a bit surreal now I've written it down.
Deadline this Friday and will have to have a massive run through for character and for comedy. But after today's marathon I am on track.

Suebaroo not ignoring your link just that eyeballs feel like sandpaper, right now.

toots, after 18 pages, I'm not remotely surprised Well done you!

Fantastic toots - what a wonderful day you seem to have had, well done! And I love the theremin thing - did you ever see the documentary film about Leon Theremin - I think it was called "Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey" which was all about his life and the instrument. It's an amazing, astounding story, you sort of couldn't make it up - Soviet inventor, imprisoned by the KGB etc etc.

Toots-

You put us to shame.... well done

Yeah- theramins are very weird and one off.

I did the last four and a half scenes this morning. Dropped DD at school and went to be for an hour.

Have put it on a shelf and can't bear to look at it now. Will leave it to marinade in its own jus until tomorrow at least.

I want a theramin. If this gets bought by the beeb I'll buy one for each and every one of you, dagnabbit.

Go toots, go toots

I managed to write again this am too only for about 3/4 of an hour, in the Laundrette again would you believe! (I'm washing stuff for my work, so am doing 'real' work and writing at the same time!) hurrah!

think I wrote about 6 words tonight. ds fritzed until after 8 , got a phone call just as I was starting, then ds woke at 9 , wrote for a little bit then brain gave up the ghost and I spent the rest of the evening looking for accommodtion so we can have a weekend away. still, that's 6 more words than I did last week...

6 words is better than nothing, I need to find something to do this weekend I think we were going to try and go away, but not now....

sounds like you need another (thrilling) trip to the laundromatte, frizbe

how come your weekend away got scratched? we're aiming for the week after easter, fingers crossed!

at Toots - very impressive. (And, I have to admit a bit of as well!

I have not written for days, thanks to colds, running stalls at sales and general rubbish. But I am here, at my computer, I have three hours and I am starting now!

So, I went for it. Delivered it. Five months of work sent off in an e-mail. Have zero perspective on it, it just feels like 64 pages of mild embarrassment.

How's everyone else doing?

well done you

marvellous, Toots, really well done.

I'm getting a bit stumped on plotting, in that annoying place where I think I just need to sit and write and see where it goes, rather than stagnating in plot points.

Still, I am actually really in the mood for writing, it's like my confidence about it has returned.

Thanks everyone! Have been a right ratbag all day, thought I'd be walking on air but am just exhausted.

Go Suebaroo!

good luck suebaroo.

I am back in the writing chair tonight after, what? a fortnight off, or thereabouts. I got a billion things done today and ds went to bed at 7 so... here I am, aiming for my grand 1.5pp

can you give yourself the night off, toots? sounds like you deserve it!

Oh yes, champagne for toots!! I feel a personal interest, so you have to let us know how it fares.

Hope last night's writing went well,PHD, and well done to suebaroo, too, glad to hear you are feeling more positive.

Well done toots I think its like that when you get something finished, you just feel knackered eh? hopefully you'll be reaping the rewards soon though

Erm weekend away got scratched, as ss decided to stay down with us, which we don't mind, but trying to cram 5 of us into any hotel is no joke, and it costs so much more to get another room for the kids, and no one can gurantee ajoining rooms, and oh it just gets too much hassle! So we're home doing crafty things today, I'm working tomorrow am, then dh and I have two whole days off together, no doubt to be ill on or something, you know how these things go

Two pages of a second chapter done today. Really happy with some of the ideas that are fleshing out now I'm actually writing, rather than over-thinking. Having a good day today, except for the ruddy computer which keeps freezing every other minute.

Back again - been a bit busy with other work so don't think I've done too well

I've decided to put off actaully writing my story yet, need things very clear in my mind or I'll wander off and get bored of it, so instead I'm writing very detailed notes about each character, about places etc - so when I finally do start to 'write' I'll have the basics set and won't have to keep trying to clarify it. Have got up to 6000 words on the 'background stuff' so far so quite pleased with that

Right, I'm back, feeling better and determined to get a good amount of work done this week. I have even written myself a timetable for the week in order to keep my attention from wandering onto other things. Kids are off school, but au pair is back from Sweden this afternoon, so I will be making full use of her.

Sonic - that sounds like a good idea to do notes and really plan stuff. Look how quickly Toots got her first draft done after she spent plenty of time on the planning of her script.

Sounds good wilbur - I keep aiming to do an hour a night when dd is asleep but keep getting distracted by other stuff - need to be more disciplined!

Forgot to say well done Toots, brill! Definitely planning is the way to go for me too, its a bit of a shame most of these words won't actually be in the story, so seem sort of 'wasted' but I know without it I'll get tangled up in sorting the details out when I write and would probably give up so it's all worth it really.

Planning to get the entire background done by this Saturday so then I can start some real writing

Go to it Sonic and Wilbur. Of course the downside of finishing something is that you might give it to your mum to read, bite your nails all afternoon in trepidation, words like 'rapt', 'moving', 'hilarious', and 'masterpiece' forming in your head to find she might just accidentally utter these as her first words on your five months of work...

'Seems a bit long'.....Right. Thanks. Hope the production professionals who I'll be seeing a week on Thursday have a better understand of a writer's need for an instant and meaningful ego massage before delivering the nuts and bolts notes!

Toots! You need the old 'compliment sandwich' - ie "Thought it was hilarious, though it is a bit long, but that scene where .... made me cry buckets". Hope the pro's flatter you mercilessly before suggesting any 'tweaks'

anyone on here tonight with really big boots?