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Torill

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Thanks for the advice, bettielee! Maybe starting with shorter periods and scheduled breaks is a good idea. I'll definitely bear that in mind if I continue to struggle with my 'getting distracted' problem.

But I suspect it is a question of getting back into habit. Once I get past those first days of reluctance and procrastiantion, and get the work going, see some progress - it does tend to get better. I just need to be a little strict with myself in the beginning, I think. (Hope...)
 

Izz

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Torill - I tell you what I do. I found 2hrs of BIC too big a chunk, even tho I intend every day to do 2 hours. I take my ipod, put it on the 1 hr sleep function, press play, and write like a crazy person for 1 hour. I don't look at clock or word count. When the ipod stops, I stop. I refill my coffee cup, I take of any of natures other calls.... snacking, you know... I may or may not reward myself with looking at my word count - it depends. Did I want a certain count, or to get to a certain place? and then I got back and do another hour. It's made me way more productive and able to focus.
I do something similar. There's a program i use called Freedom that will turn off internet for a specified amount of time, and the only way to get internet back is to reboot.

Usually i set the timer for an hour. It's amazing how much more i get done when there's no linky-click available.

After the hour i'll take a break for a 5-15 minutes. Drink, visit bathroom, have snack, stretch, stare out window, etc.

Then i'll get back to it again.
 
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bettielee

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I certainly find that to be the same, especially after any time away from writing - it takes a certain amount of discipline - and if you can make that discipline a "habit" rather than a sort of.. punishment to yourself, it gets easier.

Best of luck!
 

Siri Kirpal

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@ Siri Kirpal:
Good luck with the final two chapters!

Sat Nam! (literally "Truth Name"--a Sikh greeting)

Thanks, but I have to tell you, it means I still have 33 chapters (little ones) to go. Easier for me to do if I break the big sections into little parts.

Blessings,

Siri Kirpal
 

soapdish

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I suck. I set out to make all this progress today and everything just went sideways. Every time I sat down to do anything, something came up. :e2bummed: I wrote about 73 words and took away about 73 words. Total wash.

But, snow in the forecast means my work load is about 0 this week, so I should be able to make up for it later. Hopefully.
 

Izz

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I suck. I set out to make all this progress today and everything just went sideways. Every time I sat down to do anything, something came up. :e2bummed: I wrote about 73 words and took away about 73 words. Total wash.

But, snow in the forecast means my work load is about 0 this week, so I should be able to make up for it later. Hopefully.
Aww :Hug2: I'm sure you'll make it up later!
 

bettielee

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I suck. I set out to make all this progress today and everything just went sideways. Every time I sat down to do anything, something came up. :e2bummed: I wrote about 73 words and took away about 73 words. Total wash.

But, snow in the forecast means my work load is about 0 this week, so I should be able to make up for it later. Hopefully.

oh! you'll catch up! It's ok. We all have those days.

After an epic 6 k day, I can say that: The Vampire Baron 1st draft is complete... at a whopping 126k. That baby is getting a trim like you wouldn't believe.

Tomorrow, I go back to editing my Urban Fantasy. The road to queries and subs continues on...
 

JenniferB

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Checking in after being MIA for the last few weeks. No novel progress whatsoever, but I've started my 2012 W1S1 short story challenge. I've been keeping up with my daily freewriting, but just haven't done the BIC to get back into my novel writing.

This week I get back to the novel with the character interview for the blog chain. So far, the interviews have been very inspiring.
 

bettielee

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Nice one, bettie! :hooray:

Sat Nam! (literally "Truth Name"--a Sikh greeting)

Congrats, Bettie!

Blessings,

Siri Kirpal

Thank you, guys!

Jennifer - glad to see you back again - and I'll be doing my interview with mah sexy Baron for my blog! I am looking forward to it. I cleaned the kitchen and got the tea pot ready and everything. :)
 

Torill

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Thank you for your advice and encouragement, bettielee and Izz!

Spent most of my working session yesterday on the homepage of the Metropolitan Police, plus various articles on police work. (Don't want to take it from detective shows on TV, who knows how accurate or not they are!) I don't write a mystery/police novel (more fantasy/magical realism), but at this point the characters must interact with the police to keep that realistic feeling I'm going for. Which means I must get it right - or at least plausible. (Since I am stupid enough to write in English although my native language is Norwegian, finding the right, plausible words for the more 'special' situations is sometimes a problem.)

Don't get me wrong, research can be fun - but this is not a topic that interests me all that much. Today I must find a way to make the police interaction work smoothly within the story. Will try to make it short, may not even use anything of all the info I dug up yesterday - but at least I will feel more confident about what I write! (I hope)

Know it won't be all that motivating, but it needs to be done. And I did put in a good three hours work yesterday. :) So - being a little strict with myself may work fine!


@ Siri Kirpal:
Oh, 33 small chapters still to go! I thought you were nearly there... Sounds like you have the outline ready and know what you're doing, though. Good luck to you!

@ soapdish
:Hug2: Good luck with better days to come! Like bettielee said - we all have those days. Here's hoping for continuous snow storms where you are, if that will make your work easier!

@ bettielee
Whoohoo for the first draft of the Vampire Baron!!!! :hooray::banana::Trophy::partyguy:

@ JenniferB
Character interview - sounds interesting! Is it a set template used for your blog chain? Same as bettielee uses? Might check that out

@ alessahinlo
Yay for the 10,000 word mark! :snoopy:
 

Misa Buckley

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I have an odd problem - 30K is a nice, comfortable amount for me to write, but it's not a novel. I desperately want to write longer, but it just doesn't happen. Last time I asked someone about this (not on this board) they said "write more words". Well, duh, but that doesn't actually help.

Maybe I am a novella writer. Heck, there's nothing wrong with that, but still. The ability is write a novel tempts me while my inner editor goes "you can't do that, so don't even try". Ugh.

Anyway, I'm playing with a plot idea for something new. Hopefully I can get some words down today. That should make me feel better.
 

Torill

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@ Misa
Yeah - maybe some of us are more comfortable with one format than the other. My 'problem' seems to be the opposite of yours - I can't write short. Nothing wrong with that of course - unless you want to do it differently.

So - not sure I would believe that inner editor of yours! But I don't know if I have any good advice to put in, as long as I don't know anything about your story. (Write more words, huh? :rolleyes )

Maybe it's possible to flesh out your minor characters more? Look at how they relate to the main conflict of your story, and see if you could find ways to develop subplots for them, where they have conflicts of their own that will somehow tie in with the main plot/conflict? Or - maybe you could look at what the central theme of your story is, and see if you can develop more situations/conflicts that would mirror/contrast that theme in different ways.

Kind of vague, I know... :D
 

Misa Buckley

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I like that. My minor characters definitely need fleshing out as I tend to focus solely on my couples (being a romance writer) and sub-plots could also be a way to go.

Other than writing more words, LOL.
 

Sarah G

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@soapdish~ congrats on the 9k:)

@ bettielee~ :partyguy: That's awesome, congrats

@ alessahinlo~ good work and congrats on the 10k

As for me, I managed to write 2,114 words today:hooray: most I have wrote for a while. That takes me up to 8,772, getting there slowly.
 

Siri Kirpal

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Sat Nam! (Literally "Truth Name"--a Sikh greeting)

Misa, have you run your novella by a beta? Maybe one of those could suggest some subplots or things that need fleshing out. (How well have you described the environment(s), for example?)

Congrats, everyone, on work accomplished.

Sorry I wasn't more clear, Torill. I'm impressing you write in a foreign language. Not something I'm courageous (or learned) enough to try. Yes, I've got an outline. Haven't figured out how to write without one. But even so, chapters sometimes tap me on the shoulder and insist on being included. :)

Blessings,

Siri Kirpal
 

Torill

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Put in some good hours yesterday - for the first time since I started this again, I managed to stay with butt in chair and work the whole time I had planned - no distractions! Yay!

(It does help to know I will come here the next day to report on my progress, so thank you all for being here!!)

@ soapdish:
Yay for the 9k!! :snoopy:Knew you would pick up again!

@ Sarah G:
Yay for your 2,114 words, too :snoopy:- that's an awesome record for one day!!!

I'm impressing you write in a foreign language. Not something I'm courageous (or learned) enough to try.
Thank you. Question is - am I courageous or reckless? (Not to mention down right stupid.) Time will tell....
 

Hilldawg

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Okay, need a kick in the batootie. I'm being tempted by Dead Island and have spent the past three nights addicted to my xbox. Help...
 

Kitty27

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You and my son suffer from the same ailment,Hilldawg!
The only cure is to remove yourself from it,sit down and write. Or treat XBox time as a reward after you've finished a certain amount of writing.


Stats:

Horror and YA novel shining like brand new Daytons. Vamp novel went from 130,000(Yes,I know. I am working on word count control. Tis a cruel affliction.) to 105,000.

Query and synopsis done for both. Excuse me while I weep at the very mention of the damned things.

Next novels are Science Fiction and two Urban Fantasy. All three need heavy editing.
Query letters are in the basic stage but are slowly taking shape. Synopsis is a dirty word right now.
I have an old trunked novel about an incubus/angel in love with a psychic girl who knows she's going to die. Don't ask. My mind is a very odd place. I pulled it out and might consider querying it even though I know angels are as passe as acid washed jeans these days.

I tried something new and outlined a five book Epic fantasy series. It's very fun to set up plots,characters and I curse the writer on here who posted links to making fantasy maps. I have been having a good time,lol.

Plotted out two graphic novels and am currently researching the market.


Good luck and happy writing to y'all!
 

Aggy B.

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I have an odd problem - 30K is a nice, comfortable amount for me to write, but it's not a novel. I desperately want to write longer, but it just doesn't happen. Last time I asked someone about this (not on this board) they said "write more words". Well, duh, but that doesn't actually help.

For me, the difference between novella and novel is usually the amount of stuff "going wrong". Certain plots lend themselves to further complications before reaching resolution and those are usually the ones that turn novel length. Many times I don't know when I start a story whether it will be a short, a novella or a novel. The key is to keep writing 'til it's over and (if you're trying to reach a longer length) find a few more rocks to throw at your characters.

On a different note, still trying to get the next chapter finished. The past two nights I haven't written anything. Going to try and fix that problem today. :p