Wednesday 14 December 2016

Tissues at the ready, it's my last blog post about word counts ... for this draft at least - plus some 2017 resolutions

Well I've only gone and finished the draft - and just in time for Christmas! I shall ramble in more detail after imparting my final *breaks down* word counts for this draft - but there will be more drafts in the future, mark my words - mwah ha ha...

Monday 5th December 2016
1,307 words. I think by having the weekend off writing, it recharges my brain and I find when I return to it (of course after my normal 5 minute panic that I'll be no good), I am better - the words seem to flow smoother and are well formed. I absolutely loved writing this morning and I felt like the work I produced was good.

Tuesday 6th December 2016
1,285 words. I had a great time this morning. This week I have definitely done some of my best work for this draft for a scene that I wasn't expecting to go as well as this - not that I thought it would be bad, I just hadn't given it much thought so went into it a little apprehensive. But as per, I shouldn't have worried and I had a ball.

Wednesday 7th December 2016
1,159 words. Another great morning. I'm over the moon with my writing this week. In only a few years with practice, I have noticed such a change - not only in the quality of my work, but the words I use. It's exciting to see so much progress but I hasten to add that I still have a L-O-N-G way to go.

Thursday 8th December 2016
1,003 words. This week has been absolutely fabulous. That is all I have to say.

Friday 9th December 2016
1,238 words. A fabulous hour of writing to finish off the writing week. One of the best I've ever had since I started the draft in June. Very happy.


Monday 12th December 2016
1,069 words. I'm definitely going to be finished by Wednesday which is crazy and the scene I was writing today was emotional to say the least. It's still going very well and OMG IT'S NEARLY OVER!

Tuesday 13th December 2016
1,306 words. Oh the drama. The emotional scene continued this morning and I felt completely drained afterwards. I wrote for about an hour and a half as I had to get to a place where I could leave it and do the scene justice.

Wednesday 14th December 2016
589 words. I FINISHED. I CRIED. THE END.


And so the draft I envisioned to be a mere 50,000 words turned into a 109,356 word heavy document. I am scared and excited in equal measure. Excited because I think it might be good, scared if it's not and in reality it's absolutely awful. For now, I shall put it aside for a few months then return to it at some point in 2017 and just hope for the best. No matter about that for the moment as the good news is that I can now FINALLY BUY HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD!! I promised myself that I wouldn't read/buy it until I had finished the draft and since it has come out (in JULY!!!) I have avoided anything to do with the damn book for fear I'd see something and ruin it for myself BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER ANY MORE AS I FINALLY GET TO READ IT!

I think this will be my last blog post of 2016 but as I normally try and write my new year's resolutions for the following year, I thought I'd just do it now instead ...

Last year I had a snappy one statement resolution for 2016: sort out my career. It didn't go exactly to plan (hey life drama!) but I think this ridiculous/insane/character-building year needed to happen to get me to the place I am now ... excuse? I haven't decided. Like most people, I'm very glad this year is nearly over but at least I can come away from it with the knowledge that I'm still standing, still fighting - and I think that is an achievement in itself that we all need to celebrate. For 2017, as I have realised pressure and me are not simpatico, my resolutions are more actions speaking louder than words - I'm going to work as hard as I can in the general direction of what I want and see where it takes me. It's what I'm doing now and I shall continue in that direction until I actually get somewhere.

Until next time.

Friday 2 December 2016

Some McNaught to break up the monotony ... along with some word counts, naturally


*An arty shot I took a while ago of some Judith McNaught
books resting on a red velvet sofa that I don't own.
YOLO.*
Another two weeks have passed and I come bearing gifts in the form of more word counts and the exciting news that I've been reading Judith McNaught again. I have had an urge to revisit one of her books for a while now and even though I should be branching out and reaching for something new to expand my literary knowledge, I have been so busy every day that the last thing I want to do is read something where I've got to think - and let's be real, I just want to read about some virile men (Judith's word, not mine - FABULOUS!). I picked up Whitney My Love the weekend before last, the first book of hers that I ever read, and I had completely forgotten what an epic love story it is. After that, I moved onto another one of hers, Until You, and had a whale of a time. I'm starting another today to kick start the weekend, Almost Heaven, which will be me later on AND I CAN'T WAIT! After all that excitement, let's bring this post down to earth with a thud and move onto my word counts for the last couple of weeks:

Monday 21st November 2016
1,101 words. Oh that was great. As is my way, I started off a little nervous that whatever I wrote would be a disaster but after about 5 minutes or so, I was into it again and very happy with what I produced. There is nothing more wonderful sometimes than the feeling of pure excitement you get from writing something you are passionate about.

Tuesday 22nd November 2016
1,146 words.

Wednesday 23rd November 2016
1,124 words. It was so damn dramatic this morning, I can't take it. Fabulous.

Thursday 24th November 2016
1,000 words. I was a little out of it this morning but I pushed myself to keep going and I'm happy I did.

Friday 25th November 2016
0 words. I really didn't feel like it. I had a big day yesterday personally and I think it all caught up with me this morning.

Monday 28th November 2016
1,260 words. Like always, if I leave writing for a few days I am left with the ridiculous fear that when I return to it again, it will be a catastrophe but as per, it was fine and I actually loved it. Regardless of that, I'm a little anxious for it to be done. This draft been going on for a long time now and I'd like to move on. I think I need a break from the routine before I start editing it in a few months time.

Tuesday 29th November 2016
1,223 words. I love when I stop writing at a place that I can't wait to return to the following day. Even though I am anxious to finish, that doesn't mean I'm not still loving it.

Wednesday 30th November 2016
1,247 words. For about twenty minutes I had only written about 150 words and assumed it was going to be a low word count day, which I was totally cool with, but suddenly, by the time my hour was up, I had written so much.

Thursday 1st December 2016
979 words. After feeling like I was writing constantly over the hour, I *only* wrote just under a thousand words. I know that is still very good and I'm happy with that, I just felt like it was going to be much higher than that ... I feel I should add in a sheepish manner that I *may* have had moments where I was pretty distracted (oh, hey Instagram!) so I don't know what I'm talking about, ignore everything I have just said.

Friday 2nd December 2016
1,024 words.

I thought I'd be finished by the end of November but here we are, December 2nd and the damn thing is still going strong and now over 100,000 words long (100,400 to be exact). I am speechless, excited, fearful of the editing process and many other wildly varied emotions but I truly hope I can turn it into something real - something to be proud of. More than anything I have ever done in my life, I want this to succeed, I believe it can .... one day, about a million years from now perhaps.

And remind me, what's book marketing?

Until next time.