January Word Goal

Okay: I've reached my January word count goal: At the end of December I was at 70338 words; currently the count stands at **85552** words. So that's 15224 words gross in January.

Guess I'll have time to start editing after all.

To Edit Or...?

Well.

On the one hand I'm doing all right with my self-imposed monthly word count: I've written approximately 12200 words this month (not counting the 1400 still being considered), so I should reach my target with no excessive perspiration.

On the other hand there's a fairly big chunk at the beginning that I now realise needs some serious rewriting.

But the thing is, the 15000 per month is gross. Which means it has to be relative to the overall word count. So if I start to rewrite the beginning the stuff I write will be cancelled out by the stuff I erase. In other words, it won't make much of a dent on the word count. It might, in fact, decrease it! (oh horror! oh woe!)

Okay, I know it should be about quality, not quantity. But for the purpose of getting the story written in the first place quantity is the better yardstick for me.

So I guess the thing to do is wait until I've fulfilled this month's quota, then start the rewrite in a separate document so I can just copy-paste it once my word count is high enough to let me get away with it.

Sneaky.

Big, Fun, Scary Update (with Crash elements)

Okay, here goes:

1) on my goal of writing 15000 words per month: Not there yet. But I have written 8200, and there's another 1400 currently under consideration (a scene that I might/might not decide to use).

1a) on my non-stated goal of completing the first draft by April: I've managed to outline most of the remainder of the plot, and am making headway actually writing it. So definitely on track.

2) on my goal to have somebody actually read the d*mn thing: I have a buddy who likes to write as well (I've tried getting him to NaNo, but so far he's only done one year - however we have Great Plans for this year's Screnzy), and he's not only agreed to read the story, he's actually pestering me for it! So I'm guessing that'll help keep me on track.

3) finances: shambolic :-(

4) creativity: well, I'm maintaining my 365blog. That counts.

5) website: nothing yet.

6) friendcare: Absolutely. Have plans for get-together with Numero Uno Chick Friend for her birthday, and as stated will probably be doing Screnzy with Numero Uno Guy Friend.

Crash Update

Have set myself a firm goal for my novel: Will write a minimum of 15000 words per month, including this one, for Crash.
A less firm goal: Will (hopefully) have finished full first draft of Crash by April 1.

There. No weaselling out now, missy.

New Blog

Not abandoning this one, more than usual anyway:

But I've added a picture blog. It's an added goal on my Big, Fun, Scary list (see previous post).

Just telling y'all.

Big, Fun & Scary

So.
I'm still writing. Not in anywhere near as copious amounts as I did in November, but still going at it.

More importantly: It's time for the 2008 Big, Fun, Scary Adventure Challenge!

Essentially it's about deciding what you're going to accomplish in 2008. Kind of like New Year's resolutions... Whether it is to quit smoking, lose that ten pounds, or something along the lines of repaint the entire house, learn Spanish or line dancing, or visiting your beloved ol' grandma more often.

Here's my personal list:

1: Finish my 2007 novel - usually I write so much that I hit 50K only about two-thirds through the storyline, and then I never get it done.

2: Allow at least one person to read the finished novel - truly a big scary for me - usually nobody else ever sees what I write - but will face fear of criticism head-on in 2008. Furthermore, this will be someone I actually know and whose honest opinion I value, not a relative stranger.

3: Make a real and honest effort to get my financial situation straightened out - lower my outgoings, pay off debts, avoid creating new debts etc. It's well overdue.

4: Get more creative! Do the ScriptFrenzy again, do the NaNoWriMo again, maybe try my hand at sculpture or something - get my crazy ideas out into the real world instead of letting them gather dust and cobwebs in the attic. Even if the results suck badly.

5: Create my own website. I hope.

And finally 6: Take good care of my friends. I only have few true friends, and I don't want to lose them. So make more of an effort to stay in touch.

And of course I will become rich and famous and everyone will absolutely worship me ;-D

As posted on the NaNoWriMo site; so there's no weaselling out of it, I guess.

So; I guess that's it for now. Except to add that my word count is at **70338**, so that's some eight thousand words. Not much for a whole month's work, true. But like I already stated, it's a lot for me to be still working at all. So there.

And... Happy New Year to one and all. Even if you don't deserve it, what with never commenting... ;-)

Happy Hangover!

Tired, hung over... but happy.
I spent last night celebrating (by myself - I know, what a geek) the end of this year's NaNoWriMo, if not the end of 'Crash'. Wine, pizza and a drunken viewing of Dogma.
Now sobriety has returned, and with it the realisation that Christmas is sneaking up on me, and I haven't bought a single prezzie yet. D*mn.

'Crash' isn't dead. My NaNoWriMo word count is now frozen; at last update I was up to 62077 words. Never have I written this much, and this is my seventh year of doing it; usually I ended up spending the last three days of the month padding what I'd already written instead of advancing the plot (not counting the year I couldn't write at all). And I'm still nowhere nearly done.

I'll keep writing.
Maybe one day I'll have a copy printed at Lulu.com or a similar place. Just one, just for me.
Or maybe one day I'll have the guts to submit the script to an actual publisher. I'm not holding my breath for that one, though. Besides, for me writing was never about publishing; it was about writing. I do it because I like it, not because I think I can make money off it.
And I guess that's the reason I'll keep doing it.

Well, this is me then, signing off. At least for now.
I may check in from time to time. Just to update.
And if I sign up for next year's ScriptFrenzy (which I probably will) I'll most likely try blogging through that one too.
Otherwise I'll be back next November.

See ya.