Today’s word count:
2908
Cumulative Write-a-thon word count:
67761
Tonight was calmer, so I got some good writing done! I also did a third draft of my outline for just the ending portion of the story this morning, so I’m following that now. I’m pretty excited about this. :)
Still no favorite sentence today, since I’ve got to get this finished up so I can go back to the motel and sleep!
Today’s word count:
1283
Cumulative Write-a-thon word count:
64853
Today was rough just because we were getting slammed all night shift with core after core. Drilling was going fast. So I didn’t really get to sit and write for more than a few minutes at a time, and it really shows in what I did produce. Also, I’ve hit a plot issue where I need time to sit and think about what sequence things ought to happen in – logically – and I can’t really do that sort of thinking when I’m running back and forth. And tired. So tired. The tired doesn’t help. So I’m just going to give up on the writing for the day since I managed to do *something* and there’s less than an hour left in my shift. After which I’m going to go collapse into bed.
No best sentence today. It was a lot of fucking around with something I’d already written and then adding to it, and I’m not happy with the quality of what I came up with. Thankfully, it looks like we may get done with this hole sometime tomorrow night, so I might get part of my shift as writing time while we log it.
Today’s word count:
3422
Cumulative Write-a-thon word count:
63615
Got a good amount of writing done while we waited for the rig to move to the new site for drilling. And we’re still waiting but I think I’ve done enough for now. The next part, I’ll hopefully get to work on tomorrow. Preferably in my motel room, but beggars can’t be choosers.
Favorite sentence I’ve written today:
Mr. Green smiled like the warping of half-melted wax.
Today’s word count: 4149
Cumulative Write-a-thon word count: 60193
New single day word count record! I got to tick two points off my outline. I am pleased.
Favorite sentence I’ve written today: Because it was those little, silly similarities, so easily dismissed by someone who was overworked and focused on a different goal, that could be the difference between a living spy and a ‘We regret to inform you’ letter to one’s parents.
Today’s word count: 3725
Cumulative Write-a-thon word count: 56044
The time period for the write-a-thon is now half over, and I’m feeling reasonably certain that I’m going to meet my goal. I’m still adding ever more notes to my outline, but I think it’s not adding too much plot bloat and I seem to be on track. Also, the schedule for my field work got changed around in a kind of annoying way – but on the bright side, it means that I’ll have almost a week at home between two separate trips to Wyoming, and that ought to give me ample time to work on finishing up all of the points on my outline before the end of the write-a-thon. At least I hope so.
It’s been so long since I’ve written something of this length that I’d almost forgotten how much fun it is. I did a crazy amount of word count tonight. And I didn’t even actually hit all the plot I was hoping to finish up tonight, but I’m starting to feel kind of punchy now and I could tell the prose was really starting to suffer and I was kind of straining to keep going.
Had a fun discussion with my dad over dinner in Las Vegas about the technology on the planet. I’ve got a nice little MacGuffin that explains why the tech level has to stay low in certain regards, and my dad made an offhand comment about how silly something was in Road Warrior, where they were burning ridiculous amounts of gas just to get a little bit more gas. So then I realized that while I’ve got my beloved ZOMG MOTORCYCLES IN THE DESERT, it really made no sense to have them be gasoline-powered… and there are plenty of other options available for a place with a ridiculous abundance of solar energy. So yeah, that was kind of fun. I’ve also had to go back and leave myself notes in previous chapters to fix certain inconsistent technology things, such as GPS shouldn’t be able to work.
So that’s fun. Considering my other novel was pretty much fantasy and more fantasy, it’s been nifty to have to think hard about technology, and what makes sense and what doesn’t within the limitations of the world. (Not that you don’t do that with magic if you build a world with consistent rules, but it feels a lot different when you’re doing it with tech.)
Favorite sentence two sentences I’ve written today: Mag stared at the little square made by the cigarette case in the pocket of Hob’s coat. “Don’t know what could be givin’ his lungs fits,” she said, tone edged with sarcasm.
Todays word count: 3105
Cumulative word count: 52319
I have successfully stayed up through the night in preparation to getting on night shift for drilling. And wrote a lot in the process! Next hurdle: sleeping through the day when I get home.
At a hotel with ridiculously expensive internet access so I am posting from my phone. That means no fancy post format, and no favorite sentence since it’s too much of a pita to retype it.
Got an okay amount of writing done. Surprising really since I’m at TAM and I had to say no to drinking with friends to write. And because I was already tipsy. And sleepy.
Today’s word count: 2133
Cumulative word count: 46066
Almost a highly amusing number, considering one of my characters is named Old Nick and another is named Hob (though she isn’t old yet).
Today’s word count: 3396
Cumulative Write-a-thon word count: 43933
I did a second draft of my outline today, since I was starting to drift pretty badly. At which point my plot underwent a terrifying sort of mitosis; it would be almost impossible to fit so much plot into one book, I think, without it being an absolutely ridiculous length. So I think I may have two novels on my hands. We’ll see how it looks when I get to the first major endpoint, what length the thing is. I threw together a rough outline for what would happen in the second half of the plot, and it’s sort of horrifyingly long.
Favorite sentence 2 sentences I’ve written today: “Girl bit him when he was little. Never got over it.”
Today’s word count: 2352
Cumulative Write-a-thon word count: 40537
I feel very, very bad for one of my characters now. Enough said.
Favorite sentence I’ve written today: People ate chicken with dirty fingers, wiped dust from their faces with the corners of tablecloths.
Today’s word count: 2871
Cumulative Write-a-thon word count: 38185
Finished up a really long section that’s probably multiple chapters. This part, I’m very pleased with. I think the next set of things I need to write will be from the viewpoints of several different characters, which should be pretty cool. Not that I’m tired of writing for Hob, just the other people are going to be doing some interesting things. I hope.
Favorite sentence I’ve written today: “You smell like blood,” he whispered, his tone almost flirtatious.