Category: Writing

Today’s word count: 2,065
Total word count: 43,208
Daily average: 2,400
Projected total: 72,013

I hate this chapter. I should be done with it tomorrow, though, so that’s good. I’m not sure the “finish the novel before Thanksgiving” plan is going to work out. Two chapters, plus almost half a third, in only a week? Not these days. On the other hand, I’m slightly more confident about getting the whole thing wrapped up before the 30th. I just wish I could be that confident about…oh, anything else in my life these days.

Today’s word count: 1,893
Total word count: 41,143
Daily average: 2,420
Projected total: 72,605

Part of the way through Chapter 7, but it’s a Jenn chapter. Those always take me forever to write, and I never feel I’ve done her justice. She’s just so…different. She’s confident, athletic, devout, and a born leader. In other words, exactly like me in no way at all. Eight years writing this series hasn’t changed that one bit. If anything, I feel I’ve become even less like her.

Today’s word count: 2,469
Total word count: 37,127
Daily average: 2,475
Projected total: 74,254

Almost done with Chapter 6, but…major plot! That was basically the whole purpose of today. It also had the effect of leaving me on a cliffhanger. Always fun.

So this is the halfway point of the month, but I’m almost 2/3 of the way through the novel. I’m slightly more confident that I’ll hit 50K before the end, still not sure I’ll finish. Time will tell.

Today’s word count: 2,078
Total word count: 34,658
Daily average: 2,475
Projected total: 74,267

Okay, that didn’t go as planned. We were supposed to do some kind of family thing today, and I scheduled my writing around that. When the plan fell through, I was already committed. Well, I’m still on pace, so who cares? Call it about 20K left to go, and tomorrow’s the halfway mark for the month.

Today’s word count: 1,477
Total word count: 30,026
Daily average: 2,502
Projected total: 75,065

I stopped early, and I make no apologies for that. This one scene took a lot out of me, because it was another one of those “Michael putting into his characters’ mouths the words he wants to say” deals. Write what you know, right? And I know a lot about apologizing to the woman I love.

The hard part, if you must know, is doing that when the character I’m writing for is also a woman.

Today’s word count: 2,231
Total word count: 28,549
Daily average: 2,595
Projected total: 77,860

Almost halfway done with Chapter 5, and I’m going to call this the midpoint of the story. The later chapters probably don’t have to be quite as long. For this one, I didn’t have a lot of ideas about where to go, so I just put some of my own words into the mouths of my characters. That usually works. The things I wish I’d said become the things they are saying, and that’s…cathartic, if nothing else.

Today’s word count: 2,307
Total word count: 26,318
Daily average: 2,613
Projected total: 78,954

Another chapter down. That makes 4 out of 9, and it doesn’t take a math genius to tell you that’s ahead of pace for the 1/3 mark of the month. But this math genius is telling you it doesn’t matter. I still have 20 days to go, and anything could happen between now and then. Remember: the goal is 50K. The stretch goal is finishing the story, and that’s the one I’m aiming for.

Today’s word count: 2,397
Total word count: 24,011
Daily average: 2,667
Projected total: 80,036

More writing, but I can’t say I had less work. I hit a groove, though, so that’s good. I’m most of the way through Chapter 4 now, and almost to the halfway point of the 50K already. Utterly amazing, if you ask me.

I still haven’t found myself. I’ve started to wonder if I ever will. But I feel like I’m starting to find the writing spirit again, and that is one of the parts I least wanted to lose.

Today’s word count: 1,805
Total word count: 21,614
Daily average: 2,701
Projected total: 81,052

Monday means back to work, and a correspondingly low output on the writing front. Chapter 4 was going to be a little shorter anyway, so I’m not too worried. Besides, I still did more than an “average” November day, right?

I also had to explain the character of Joel to my boss today, who told a story during today’s meeting that almost nailed my perception of Adventures in the Otherworld’s major guest. This is happening increasingly often.