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Wednesday's Word Count

Happy Wednesday! Was yesterday the first day of fall? I love fall! Here's my report for the week. The rewrite is looking like this...

Current word count: 17,517

Goal last week:
4,000

Accomplished:
3,488

Words 'til finish: 37,483/750 words a day until Nov 13th.

Goal this week: 5,000

Excuses / comments: As you can see above, I've adjusted my goals some. I asked Heather to give me a deadline and make me accountable, and this is what she came up with. Though, I'm really supposed to hit 1k a day since this takes wedding plans into account. I think it's perfect, and we've both agreed that I'll sit out of NaNo this year to make it work. If I've fallen behind by the time Nov 1st hits, I'll definitely use NaNo to spur me on, but I won't be doing a new project. Sort of a bummer in some ways, but it's a definite relief in others. It feels good to have a manageable goal again.

Now, how are your goals coming along? What have you got going on for the week? Any new or exciting fall plans?

19 comments:

Jim Bronyaur said...

Number 1. I enjoy your blog.
Number 2. My week consists of:
Write at least 1,000 words for my current novel each day. Write a chapter for my TextNovel novel (which I have been slipping on. . . don't tell anyone) each week. Write my #fridayflash story. Take notes for other stories, novels, ideas, etc. daily.
Then, hand write at least two pages a day for my current novel - yes, on top of typing 1,000 words daily. . . this lets me break up the novel and have some fun.

All in all, most weeks I try to pump out about 10,000 words. . . now, how much of that is good writing? I can't be the judge because I think it's great. :)

Jim

www.WritersnWriters.blogspot.com
www.JimWisneski.com

Jim Bronyaur said...

Oh, I forgot. . . DUH - NaNoWriMo. I will be having MUCH fun in that. . . but my hopes are to have my current novel finished by the end of October so I could put my focus into NaNoWriMo. . . then, while NaNoWriMo is happening, my wife will edit my novel. . . when NaNoWriMo is over, she will edit that novel and I will start writing again on the next one. . .

kathrynjankowski said...

I just envisioned three new chapters for my book, so the end seems further and further away! I have to keep reminding myself this is still just a draft and not to worry so much about perfect prose.

My output is generally around 500 words a day. Not huge, but slow and steady wins the race, right?

Fall plans include: writing, an online conference, writing, planting trees and a drought-tolerant lawn substitute, writing, a weekend trip to the Napa Valley with my sisters, writing, riding my new bike, writing, resuming my accordion practice, writing.

And meeting with former co-workers about possibly starting a writing or blogging workshop for upper elementary students.

But writing always comes first. ;-)

ClothDragon said...

My goal is to have an outline (or some general idea of what happens) and the main characters plotted out by nanwrimo. I actually finished my last edit ahead of time -- though agent response makes me think I'll have to go again once I've had a break from it.

So right now, gearing up for nano with plans and outlines. Then nano. Then finish that novel (perhaps in December, can I be so ambitious?) Then back to editing novel 1, then editing novel 2, since I'll have had a break from that one by then too.

Which leaves this my only downtime for months so I'd probably better fit in all the reading I might want to do and get through my TBR pile!

It's good to get it all down.

Heather Kelly said...

I'm not going to say what I'm doing this week, because it'll just make me more frustrated that my goals haven't moved forward in three weeks. I have made good breakthroughs, but it still feels like I'm in the same place.

So, instead, I'm just going to celebrate your success. Way to go Casey-- you're putting in serious mileage. And I love that you are having somebody hold you accountable. That is definitely the way to go.

Casey Something said...

Hey Jim. It sounds like you have an awesome system down for your writing. 10K a week is awesome. Keep at it! Have a great time with NaNo this year as well.

Great plans and goals Kathryn. 500 words a day is great! Writing everyday is wonderful for staying on track.

Hi ClothDragon! Congrats on finishing your edits (for now). Sounds like you have a good plan for your upcoming NaNo novel. Get that outline done ahead of time. It really helps. Enjoy your downtime!

Thanks Heather! Don't feel down about your progress. We've all been there. I was there a few weeks ago, remember? And I'm not exactly satisfied with what I've been doing lately either - but it's progress. I hope you make some more great break throughs! I'm always looking ahead, but we really have to take it one day at a time.

Kelsey (Dominique) Ridge said...

Congrats on setting new goals. :D

I'm a big fan of setting goals. My current goal is to get my whole WIP typed up (I wrote it long hand) by the end of the month. I haven't quite set up my goal plan for it yet, but I'm working on it.

Keri Mikulski said...

Congrats on 3000 + words. :)

Goals are rolling.. Chugging along and on pace to meet my deadline. :) Lots of writing this fall. :)

Happy Wednesday.

Christina said...

I've started doing a goal post (ha! goalpost!) on Mondays, similar to yours. Right now I'm torn between two ideas and writing a little bit on each of them each day.

I've been reading your blog for a few months and really enjoy it. I have a question: What draft are you on for your WIP? I'm just curious what the whole journey's been like for you. You may have covered it before, in which case I'm sorry for asking repetitive questions!

Tabitha said...

You had a great week! That's awesome!! :)

I think Heather has good sense, and you've set some very good goals for yourself. :)

I'm in revision land - revising one novel and waiting on notes from my agent for another. So I'm trying to figure out how to lay out effective goals. I'll probably have a better idea once I get those notes. But, until then, I've set a goal to have my current novel revised and ready to go by next month. So far, it's going well.

Heather Hansen said...

I adore how diplomatic you are with the "we decided" -- hahahaha. Like I didn't just take over. ROFL!

*wiping tears of laughter*

Okay... goals! I haven't focused on this in a while. Time to buckle down. This week I need to chug through 100 pgs, I think. I'm currently on pg 38 so... I want to be on 138.

*deep breath*

*crack whip!*

Jenna Wallace said...

I love fall too. I only have two more months to wait before we get to enjoy here in south Texas.

Goals: 1) Finish some freelance writing projects so we can pay some bills.
2) Read my 3rd draft out loud so I can pick up the bad stuff my eye skips over.
3) Get my synopsis and query letter in shape for the next step.

And well done, Casey, on your word count achievement. I, for one, worry way too much about word count. I always knew exactly how many words I'd written at any time. BUT, I had a rule: quality didn't matter at that stage. My motto is: It doesn't have to be good, it just has to be written.

Dana King said...

I'm closing in the the end of a first draft. When drafting, I try to write one single spaced page a day on workdays, two when I'm off. Family responsibilities sometimes get in the way, but my log shows I've written 24 pages so far in September, and today's the 23rd, so I'm keeping up.

Anonymous said...

To all of you can set goals and keep them, or at least strive toward them - you have my admiration. I wish I had the discipline.

storyqueen said...

Bad. Day. For. Writing.
Bad. Week. For. Writing.


shelley

Unknown said...

NaNoWriMoing two novels. And freaking out beforehand...but I've written a ton! :)

PJ Hoover said...

Great job, Casey! I've written little this week but done a ton of writing stuff!

Patience-please said...

Rewriting, rewriting, rewriting. But doing it.

sigh

rewriting, rewriting...

Simon Kewin said...

Hi,

Very impressed with your weekly update reports - I've just started doing something similar myself but nothing so comprehensive ...