11-10-08 Did You Write? . This note is a way to prompt myself, and others, into writing. The idea is to have a weekly goal to aim for, to try to write something sometime during the week. The hope is that one will know the note is coming, and the necessity to report one's activity, or inactivity and will get to work so you can say you wrote, even if it amounted to little. Also, hopefully, one will get into the habit of writing every week, even if it is not every day. Of course, I generally list many things that I consider writing. There may be things that you also consider writing that are not on the list. That is OK. I am mainly listing things to give you an idea of what is acceptable, that you might not think of normally. Any new writing, of course, is writing. Editing, even if it is someone else's work, is writing. So is Poetry. Article writing, blogging, writing assignments, are all writing. World building can be writing as long as something gets on paper. E-mails can be writing, as long as they pertain to writing and are wording. As said before, your definition can be different.
I expect that you noticed that society has decayed remarkably this past week. I am sorry to say that I am the cause. I did not get a chance to open any of my stories this week, and dragged society down by my being a worthless anchor. I have invented some excuses, though. One thing, I am going for surgery tomorrow, Tuesday the 11th, on my finger. I cut myself while carving back in July, and the tendons fused together so I cannot bend the last joint in the finger. They will clean the tendon and hopefully, I will get most of the movement back. I would rather go through the discomfort of this right now, and have most of the movement back in the finger for the rest of my life. Because of this, I am trying to get ahead on my story ideas. I should have idea thirteen posted tonight. I might be able to write idea fourteen tomorrow before I go to the hospital. I will be able to continue to write my story ideas, but it will be typing one handed, and they will be more truncated from my normal presentations. Another reason for my not writing was that things changed with my writing partner in her personal life, so we have been in contact at different times of the day, right in the middle of my story idea writing time. I stop for the contact with her, then have to finish up and post, rather than post while we were in contact. I have little free time to work on stories. Because of this, I have returned to being a worthless drag on society.
I visited some antique shops last week and while talking to one, I found that one was interested in woodworking stuff. It would fit his decor. I brought some of my stuff in this weekend and he accepted the stuff. I doubt anything will sell, but will see. Also, because of what we talked about, I am trying to make a wooden dinner table display for Christmas. I am interested in seeing if I can pull it off. I can use some of my existing items, but need a lot of new stuff. I am making a silverware set. The knives, forks, spoons are out of different woods. I will make a set of plates, a set of cups, saucers, goblets, and such. have a piece of wood that could make a passable, but small, turkey, but I have to work out the techniques for making it. I also have to figure out if the turkey will be purely decorative or have some use. I have no idea what I can accomplish, but it is a fun idea. It gives me a goal to work towards. If I can do it, it should be finished well before Christmas. My finger will slow me down, but not stop me on these projects.
So as to the question of the day, I must say No, I did not write.
Did you write?
I am adding after I had this ready to post, that I have raised the level of society just slightly. On a concept I discussed a few days ago with my writing partner, I learned I had some extra time so I wrote a new baby dragon concept. I am on Page 2, with 1231 words. I can now say I wrote. This is Waxy's flame. It is where a dream sequence helps her with a problem she has in her real life. I have to work on something while the juices flow and I have time, or I lose it. I can always set this to the side now and work on something else, returning to it later, since I have something to work from.
Posted by InarticulateBabbler (Member # 4849) on :
Yes, I did. As a matter of fact, I cleaned up some of my WIP, edited one flash fiction story and submitted 3 stories tonight.
[This message has been edited by InarticulateBabbler (edited November 10, 2008).]
Posted by gobi13x (Member # 6837) on :
Yep, I did. 95% of it was for my nano story. I wrote the most words that I ever had written in one week, so that was good.
Posted by aspirit (Member # 7974) on :
Way to go, IB and gobi!
I wrote about 3,500 words for a non-NaNo novel, less than 3,000 words for my NaNo story, and a page of notes for a new short story idea. I didn't break any personal records, unfortunately.
Posted by satate (Member # 8082) on :
I wrote. I finished up a chapter and made some notes about future WIP's.
Posted by Robert Nowall (Member # 2764) on :
I managed to get five hundred words a day, every day this week but Friday (where I was not only busy but repeatedly sick).
But it's second-draft work---retyping and rewriting something I've already written and printed out, rather than writing some original stuff. Work that has to be done, but not necessarily as satisfying as writing something brand new...
I hope to keep this pace up and finish this draft, then start the revising preliminary to sending it out to market (or wherever.) I still like the story, at least.
And I hope to finish that draft before December, where I hit the busy season at work, and might have to shut down in favor of working-for-a-living, alas...
Posted by tempest (Member # 8242) on :
yes i wrote.
in fact, i've written more this week than i have ever written in a short period of time. nano has really pushed me to just write and let it flow rather than rework and rethink till the idea is driven into the ground and i cant remember where i was going. its very exciting.
rstegman, i hope all goes well with your surgery today and that you heal quickly.
tempest
Posted by LAJD (Member # 8070) on :
Yep, I wrote. Add my names to the list of people who have written more this week than any other due to Nano.
I also edited a short for entry in the Nov. Ready for Market Challenge. I worked on world building for background for my Nano Novel and my WoTF entry.
Leslie
Posted by Broda (Member # 8280) on :
Yes, I wrote.
I worked on NaNo, edited a WIP, and critiqued quite a few friends' short stories. Very good week.
Posted by arriki (Member # 3079) on :
I had a brilliant insight into my current WOTF story and used it. It'll take a day or to to settle in before I can achieve the distance to properly evaluate the effect. Right now I'm all proud of it and think it was great. I'm so smart. That euphoric sort of attitude. Next week I may be cringing at the reality of how awful the changes made the story.
Posted by rstegman (Member # 3233) on :
No surgery. My spot was taken by an emergency, and it MIGHT have been midnite before he could do it. We will re-schedual.
I finished that baby dragon concept that night, ending on page four, because I got a telemarketer after I dozed off and could not get back to sleep for a while.
Posted by sjsampson (Member # 8075) on :
I am also on the list of those who have written more this week than any other thanks to Nano.
Posted by steffenwolf (Member # 8250) on :
Yes, but veeerrrryy slowly. Solidifying the next story is slogging along at probably less than half the usual speed.
Posted by micmcd (Member # 7977) on :
On Sunday, Win! Since Sunday... epic fail. Stupid job. I've been rereading some books on writing, though, which always gets me to feel more like writing.