Sunday 25 November 2012

ROW80 Check-in 25th November 2012

Well my friends, it has been one hell of a week! In fact, did I check in last weekend? No I didn't. In that case it has been hell of a fortnight!

My goals were:
1) Read two books a week for 100+ reading challenge (or as much as I can!).
2) Write 1,667 words a day atleast for NaNoWriMo.


Goal One - This has completely slowed. I was reading a book I wasn't really enjoying so did something I never do and switched to another one halfway through. I am enjoying it but I have no time to read! The 100+ books in a year challenge is slipping away and I doubt I am going to make it!

Goal two - The goal that consumes every fibre of my being!!!! NaNo is always hard. NaNo is always tough but of the three I have done this has been the toughest. Before November I made a grid of the month and made notes of days I wouldn't be able to write. I was organised and I knew I would plan around it. What I hadn't expected was things to do with my upcoming move consuming so much time and energy so that days I thought were free to write had no time to write. There have been four days I haven't been able to write and some days I haven't made the daily amount we aim for. I could feel myself slipping further and further behind and at times I felt like giving up. But I didn't. I have no idea where the motivation came from. It is a challenge you chose to undertake. I don't have to do it. It isn't a job I am contracted to do. But I wanted to. I didn't want to declare I would do it and fail.

It also helped that some of my good ROW80 friends were doing NaNo and they were struggling as well. We admitted it to each other on twitter - "Sorry you are behind but I am glad I am not the only one!" Lauren even coined the hashtag #behindboatisbanging and newtowritinggirl, Lena and I all grabbed an oar and have been trying our hardest to catch up.

Here are my words for the fortnight (just so you can see the fall and the climb!):
Monday - 1,676 words written
Tuesday - No writing
Wednesday - No writing
Thursday - 1,006 words written
Friday - No writing
Saturday - 1,676 words written
Sunday - 738 words written

Monday - I started the week 8,215 words behind. I wrote 3,133 words
Tuesday - 3,460 words written
Wednesday - 1,734 words written
Thursday - 1,717 words written
Friday - No writing :(
Saturday - 3,238 words written
Sunday - 5,017 words written

So as of today I am back on track with a total word count of 41,757 words written and the end is in sight!!! I am tired, behind with everything else but I am getting there! I know I am out on Tuesday so I will aim to do double the word count tomorrow night and try and write a bit on Tuesday morning. Today I have had a 5k day and I don't think  have ever had one before! I was meant to be away but the awful weather meant I had a quiet weekend here with no guests which is the only reason I ahve managed to catch up. If I hadn't been here this weekend I would have struggled. Note to self - make less plans next November! I couldn't have done it without sprints and simply checking in with Lauren and newtowritinggirl. There is something about knowing others are going what you are going through that motivates you.

I am going to focus on reaching 50k by the time I go away on Friday and then I can focus properly on starting to pack to move. Hopefully next weeks check-in will see me announcing my win of NaNo! But one step at a time.

I hope you are all doing well and I am sorry I have been so out of the loop. Have wonderful weeks!



Sunday 11 November 2012

ROW80 Check-in 11th September 2012

So friends, things this end are going well! Well, writing things!!!

My goals were:
1) Read two books a week for 100+ reading challenge (or as much as I can!).
2) Write 1,667 words a day atleast for NaNoWriMo.

Goal One hasn't gone that well. I am not enjoying the book I am reading at the moment but that is probably because I am so caught up in writing (hooray!). The reading challenge slips further and further out of grasp but I will still try!

Now to goal Two. Word counts this week have been:
Monday - 1,744
Tuesday -  1,874
Wednesday - 1,490
Thursday - 1,680
Friday - 1,556
Saturday - 1,695
Sunday - 1,653

Total NaNo wordcount so far = 18,362!!

On Monday I managed to write before work but for the rest of the week I wasn't able to do this. I managed to be at three #ROW80 sprints which as always is huge motivation and I hope to make them this week. As with last week I am not writing until I have 1,667 words that day, I am just making sure I have reached where you should be that day e.g. today you 'should' be on 18,337 words. Some days I write a little extra to finish a scene etc. and really I was hoping to try for 5k today (have never done that!) but life gets in the way. You know that saying life imitates art? Well my MC is moving house and it turns out I might be too. Although I will only be moving to another flat in my building the contracts, viewings of my place etc are upping the stress levels so I hope to keep everything going but I need to be sensible and get things done today. And I am on track so that is ok!

I hope you are all doing brilliantly and here is to another great week for us all!!!

Sunday 4 November 2012

ROW80 Check-in 4th November 2012

Sometimes I guess it takes something big to get things moving and the 'big thing' going on with me is NaNoWriMo. The goals I set last week which kicked in on the 1st of November were:

1) Read two books a week for 100+ reading challenge (or as much as I can!).
2) Write 1,667 words a day atleast for NaNoWriMo.

Since November 1st things have gone well.

Goal 1 - I read two books in the last week, both crime and I am close to finishing a third. The book I am reading is number 73 of the year. 100 books seems like a very long shot especially with the time NaNo is going to take up but I am going to see what I can do!

Goal 2 - My word counts for the first four days of NaNo are:
Thursday - 1,704
Friday - 1,637
Saturday - 1,702
Sunday - 1,625

Total word count so far = 6,670!!

By the end of day four you should be aiming to be on 6,668 so I am two words ahead! The last few days have gone well and I have prioritised my writing so I have been getting it done in the morning but I haven't been at work so that makes a huge difference! I haven't been writing 1,667 words a day but have been making sure I make the overall word target each day. This week looks quite quiet apart from the whole going to work thing so I will have to see how I get on in the evenings and I hope to make the #ROW80 sprints as often as possible. Last November I squeezed 10 or 15 minutes in before work which was hard but meant I had a couple of hundred words at the start of my day so I am going to try this again and see how I go. I found this was good as my WIP mulled around in my head all day but I need to make sure I know what I am going to write when I sit down as I am not 100% alert in the morning!!

So onwards and upwards with the word count! The words have been flowing well to this point so let's hope they continue!! I hope you are all having a great week and see you next Sunday!!