Week One - Kick In The Pants Check In
Believe it or not, it’s Sunday everyone! That means it’s check in time for all my kick in the pants friends to stand and be accounted for.
This week was a hard one for me. I managed to reach my goal though, so I’m super bouncy about that. I squeeked in at 5262 words of my 5000 word goal. My biggest challenges had to do with my time management, and actually having the energy to write when I did find the time.
But I have a plan…
Now every day on my lunch hour I walk to my local Tim Horton’s (Canadian coffee shop for those of you not in the know), order a medium steeped tea, and sit and write. Then I walk back to work. I find the fresh air clears my head so I can actually get some energy, the writing means I make progress on my story, the tea keeps me awake, AND I actually get a break during the day. I only started doing this on Thursday so we’ll see how I make out this week.
My goal for next week - 5000 more words.
How are the rest of you doing? If you haven’t made your goal this week, remember its okay. Take a minute to see what it was about the past week that prevented you from accomplishing your goal. Is it something you can adjust for this week? Was your goal reasonable? Too hard? Too easy? Let us know!
If you need advice on anything, plost your questions and I know you’ll get tons of responses from everyone.
So, who’s next?? How did you do and what is your goal for next week?
January 27th, 2008 at 10:56 am
Hey, good for you that you’re walking to Tim’s! I bet the crisp winter air helps clear your brain a bit, too.
Keep up the good writing work!
January 27th, 2008 at 11:42 am
Oh Susan, I’m freezing my buns off! But it’s actually good to bust me out of my office cubical mentality and get me ready to write. And any little bit of exercise I get will be worth it.
January 27th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
Ok here it is.
I started off your challenge with 743 words. I had a goal of writing 4,000 words by the end of this week. I exceeded that goal (which shocked the boohickies outta me) I am now sitting at 10,012 words. HOLY CRAP!! Which means that I wrote 9,269 words. HOLY MOLY!!
So I better up my goal a bit eh?
GOAL FOR THIS WEEK: I want to do this again, I want to write 10,000 words by next Sunday. I want to have 20,012 words written by next Sunday.
Challenges this week. Same as always, kids, EDJ, stuff like that. Also my eldest has been invited to a kids birthday party at my friends house sooooo that should sap some juices.
I want to do it though. Got to do it. Have to have 80k written by April 1, no ifs ands or buts.
January 27th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
OMG Amy! High Five girl!!! Yes, you can do it. You know this is a goal within your reach and I know you can surpass it!
This is also major motivation for me to haul ass LOL!
*does a snoopy dance just for Amy*
January 27th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
Awww shucks (blushing) I lurve the Snoopy dance.
January 27th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
Great job Christine! Congrats on making your goal!!!
And HELLO Amy! 9,269? So fabulous!!!
My goal was 5000 and completing edits… Got through 4252 words (all that it took to complete the story. Didn’t finish the edits though - in fact now that the story has gone off in a completely different direction, after I finish this round I need to do another first edit (round 2) I guess!
This weeks goal… finish these edits and second edits.
January 27th, 2008 at 2:27 pm
That is awesome Vicky! *jumps up and slams a high five*
Edits can be fun, especially if you’re fixing up the parts to make it all work together…at least it is for me…
January 27th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
Wow everyone is doing so great!! Congrats all!
I did not quite reach my goal of finishing the first three chapters but I am almost halfway into the third chapter so that’s okay, I’m pleased with my progress.
This week I had an attack of the plot. As in, “Geez Karen don’t you think you should actually, um, plot this book out?” So I’ve been reading craft books, I started working on my storyboard and actually wrote a 6 page synop. It’s a miracle, I’m actually plotting!
This week I hope to have my storyboard finished, I’d like to be through chapter 4. Obstacles are children as usual plus the planning of my daughter’s 5th birthday party. Sigh…
Good luck everyone!
January 27th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
Yea for Vicky and Karen for actually plotting!!! Better than I could. LOL!!!
January 27th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
That’s fantastic Karen! As once pantser to another, I admire the fact you’re plotting things out. Somedays I think my life would be so much easier if I could do that.
*does a snoopy dance for Karen*
January 27th, 2008 at 5:24 pm
I did nothing.
Where is the embarassed smiley? This week has been crap. Ugh. Not even ready to put down goals for this coming week. I’m not sure I have any writing in my head. It’s blank. Waaaahhhhh. Sorry, I’ll come back when I’m more positive.
January 27th, 2008 at 6:43 pm
Is it too late to join in? I just stumbled in here, after starting a new WIP. I think this is an awesome idea. My goal is to start/finish a 70K urban paranormal (probably not in six weeks), but perhaps half of that. About 5K a week. Just finished 3K today!
January 27th, 2008 at 7:01 pm
My goal for last week was 4,000 words, and I clock in so far at 6,453 words! Woohoo!
GOAL FOR THE WEEK: I’m going to up my word count this week to 5,000.
STUMBLING BLOCKS: Sons who want to be driven all over the place, a mother and sister who are driving me nuts as they phone me multiple times per day for hours per day (*sigh*I’ve stopped answering the phone because I’ve been having nightmares about them and not sleeping as a result, and now I’m having an attack of the guilts, but they’re too much.) And I’ll get no writing done on Tuesday as I’m in a full day course at Trent University about the Canadian Publishing Industry - and I do mean full-day, 9 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.). But writing has become my private little haven I’ve been burying myself in.
I’ll quit whining now and get back to my ms.
January 27th, 2008 at 7:14 pm
Oh, and Way To Go Amy! That’s incredible. (I’m still trying to figure out what a boohickie is - love it!)
January 27th, 2008 at 7:39 pm
I came pretty close to reaching my goal, but not quite. Just so much going on.
I hope to make my goal for next Sunday, which is to finish up second-round revisions of my second POV character and to complete second-round revisions to my third POV character. The third POV character doesn’t have as many chapters as the first and second do, so my weekly goal ought to be doable if I don’t get pulled in nine-million different directions.
Good luck to everybody!
January 27th, 2008 at 8:56 pm
Michelle: HUGS!! I’m convinced it’s because it’s winter. Take the week and just relax. Don’t think about writing until you have a chance to recharge. It sounds like you need to let that creative well fill a bit.
Ciar: Hello!! Of course you can join us.
We’re more about group help and support and doing what works best for us. And WOOT on the 3k! Man I need to get my butt in gear.
Leah: HIGH FIVE!! You creamed that goal, sweetie! Yes, aim higher if you think you can do it. And those calls can be so tough. HUGS!
Thomma Lyn: The fact that you got close rocks! You’ll be able to reach that goal this week. Maybe readjust based on your schedule. You can do it!!
January 27th, 2008 at 11:30 pm
I gotta find me a Tim Horton’s it seems to make people smarter and more creative
January 27th, 2008 at 11:44 pm
It’s addictive, Sparky. The crack cocaine of coffee. Not good for you, probably better stuff out there…but damn you just can’t get enough!
January 28th, 2008 at 12:41 am
Christine you’re such a wonderful cheer(leader)!!!
Thank you!!!
Big hugs!
January 28th, 2008 at 5:46 am
Wow, everyone is doing well! Keep up the great work.
Thanks to Christine’s challenge I’ve worked much harder this week. I did 13,000 words and hope to finish my project this week, all going well. Today has been a holiday here in NZ so the wordcount is down a bit, but I hope to pick up the pace again tomorrow.
January 28th, 2008 at 9:20 am
Woohoo Shelley!! Man I wish I’d been that productive last week. But I have a feeling I’m going to be doing a lot better this week.
I’m all tingly…
January 28th, 2008 at 9:47 am
Does writing limericks count?
There once was a girl who tried
But her brain was seriously fried
Hormones were raging
Kids needed engaging
Alas, her writing goals were denied
January 28th, 2008 at 10:13 am
I have to confess I didn’t reach my goal at all. Sigh. I dabbled at a whole bunch of WIP’s and made real progress in none. But looking at how well you are all doing is so inspiring. I really need to get my enlargening behind into gear, LOL! CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL BOOT CAMPERS WHO ARE DOING GREAT!!!
January 28th, 2008 at 10:24 am
Last week was a bit of a bust page count wise but I finally fixed the issue with the scene I had been struggling with. So this week I am back on track and pushing to make 50 pgs editted to make up some time.
January 28th, 2008 at 11:44 am
Wylie - LOL!!!
January 28th, 2008 at 9:35 pm
Can I borrow Wylie’s limerick?
January 28th, 2008 at 10:17 pm
Julia - be my guest
January 29th, 2008 at 11:58 am
Okay last week I wanted to finish my 15K MS and move on to finish my 70-75K MS for the Shreveport conference. Unfortunately I reached my 15 but the story isn’t finished and yesterday I wrote 4060 on the current MS so now I’m concerned about my targets.
What’s better? Set the target for the finished work or write it and then expand or cut based on publisher interest? My two appointments March 1st vary in their word count requirements. :-{}
GOAL FOR THIS WEEK:I want to write a minimum 12,000 which will put me 12000 from MS completion at the end of this week.
Challenges this week. Work, husband’s needs with his business, my up and down productivity, long distance errands.
By end of February I have to be finished with rough draft, have submittable first three chapters, get my web site up and learn my pitch for Mar1. Now I’m panicking.
January 29th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
Well, I forgot to mention that I only wrote 7500 of my 10K last week.