How I did on last week's goals: My wordcount goal was 3,500. I managed to write 5,200! This was also the week I hit 20K! *happy dance*
My goals for this week: Upping my word count goal to 4,000. I did some math and realized if I average 4K a week, I could have a 60K draft by the end of RSW. Which I would LOVE. Here's to trying!
But I'm also going to try and remember it's okay if I slip up one day and don't write. I'm guilt-motivated and feel crazy guilty if I don't write when I told myself I would. Gotta let myself off the hook a little!
A favorite line from my story:
Lately my life feels like Carla’s car the time she got it stuck on the wet lawn at a house party senior year, wheels spinning and spitting mud everywhere but never moving. A guy from stage crew had chains in his car and had to tow us onto the driveway. We wound up at the self-service carwash at two A.M., blasting mud off the car so her parents wouldn’t find out we’d been at a party.
Biggest challenge this week: I sat down on Saturday to write, and I just COULD. NOT. FOCUS. I had zero desire to dive into my story, no clue where I was going with it. Naturally I panicked, convinced it was all over for me. (I tend to be a bit dramatic at times.) So I walked away, read AMY AND ROGER'S EPIC DETOUR (Can I just say...AMAZING book!), and took the pressure off myself. Then around 10 that evening, I sat down and wrote through the block.
That's why one of my goals for the week is to not put insane pressure on myself to write every day. If I need to take a day off once in a while, it's okay.
Something I love about my WiP: The anticipation of where the story is going. I wrote a scene yesterday that sets up (what I hope is) a big scene between the two best friends who've grown apart. I don't have the scene planned out or have any clue how it'll go, so I'm excited to see what these ladies do!
How did you all do this week? I'm cheering for everyone! :)
Love that excerpt! And awesome job on the word count last week! Good luck beating it again this week ;)
ReplyDeleteThanks Crystal! I keep getting tougher and tougher on myself with the word counts, so here's hoping! :)
DeleteA finished draft - that's a great goal! :) Pressure and guilt destroy my focus, too, so I'm working on not being so hard on myself. Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteGood to know I'm not alone in the pressure/guilt boat, Emma! I hope you try and let yourself off the hook sometimes, too. :)
DeleteIsn't it great how reading awesome books (I ♥ Amy & Roger!) can be just the inspiration needed to dive into your WiP? I often find it works that way with me. Good job powering through it! You did so well on your word count too. Good luck this week, Kaitlin! :D
ReplyDeleteThanks Jaime! And I'm definitely joining the Amy & Roger fan club...one of the best books I've read in a while! :)
DeleteYou nailed your goal this week- way to go! I feel guilty when I don't write too, but time off is necessary or we'll just burn out. Good luck on your goals this week!
ReplyDeleteThanks Melanie! I think as writers, we all put so much pressure on ourselves, so it's important to cut ourselves some slack once in a while. Happy writing to you too!
DeleteI'm trying to let myself off the hook more, too. I didn't get much of anything done last week because I was just SO EXHAUSTED from work that all I wanted to do was come home and watch Netflix. And that is okay.
ReplyDeleteI loved Amy & Roger so much, too. I could probably reread it a million times and never get sick of it.
Good luck on your goals this week!
Good for you taking a break, Stephanie! Sounds like it's just what you needed at the moment. :) And wooo, Amy & Roger! Now I finally know what the hype is about, can't believe it took me so long to pick it up!
DeleteGood descriptive excerpt for your character's emotional state. Yours, fortunately, sounds a lot better (at least now that you've gotten yourself past the writer's block). Keep up the good spirits, Kaitlin. As you say, by the end of the summer you could be there.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much! And it's so hard to believe right now that I could have a decent length manuscript by the end of RSW...but maybe, just maybe I could do it. Thanks for the encouragement! :)
DeleteWow, you did brilliantly last week! And I love the motivation that you can have a complete draft by the end of RSW, that sounds actually very inspiring. I'm starting to become convinced that Saturdays are just cursed sometimes, they have this knack of devouring inspiration, don't they? Glad you fought back though. :)
ReplyDeleteI love that excerpt! Good luck with this week. :)
Thanks Pax! You're right, there's something about Saturdays that make me want to sit on the couch and just watch TV!
DeleteNow I know which story you went with for your WIP, and I am sooooo excited!! :) I already can't wait to read (more of) it!
ReplyDelete