Artwork tonight from Bettina von Armin
I had a really good day today. I’m feeling GOOD, you guys. I feel focused. Determined. The “end” in sight, and then some time off to spend with loved ones.
The end of this first draft is now in sight, too. It took me a week and a couple missed writing days, but I’m back to where I was in the narrative when I realized I didn’t like what I’d written. That was 5 days ago, I think. Well, I’m back, and I *think* I’m really happy with what I’ve written. No, I *am* happy with what I’ve written. Hopefully I’m still happy with it on a read-through after the first draft is finished 😛
I’m at almost 7,000 words with it, about a page and a half shy of that, and I’m just about 70% through the story which is perfect. It’s supposed to be 10,000 words, and I think I’ll be right around that. Deadline for the Strange New Worlds contest is January 15th…having the first draft done on or around December 15th gives me four short weeks to read it and do a rewrite myself, have a few other peeps read it, and then do a final rewrite. Not much time, yo! Not much time indeed…but, hey. It’s my FIRST contest. It’s all about finding my routine.
The real power behind the idea of something like “10,000 hours” is really the process. I am finding my process. I found it with my first 1st draft of a novel. Next, I’m going to find what my rewriting process is. I’m finding my short story process, and my contest process with my first of each of those.
It actually makes me think of my editing work…how long it took me to figure out my process with that. I work best when I know what to expect from myself. When I know how much I can accomplish in a given time period. It took me two solid years with working from home to get a grasp on that. I’m sure it’s going to take me two or three novels from start to finish to get a handle on who I am as a writer and how I like to get it done.
And that’s totally okay with me because I actually LOVE WRITING. I know! It’s crazy. But I actually enjoy to activity. It is riddled with stress, but so is freaking baseball, you know? And I love that too. Hopefully some day soon, writing will be able to support me and my family. That’s the goal.
Anyway…after writing, it was a solid day of work. Narrations and editing. Boom.
I’m feeling to holiday spirit, too. I’m in a good place. Life is beautiful, guys. Life is beautiful.
ps- Liz has been belting random sections of “Gaston” from Beauty and the Beast all night. We’ve also been substituting Coco into the lyrics sometimes…and yes, “we”…it’s mostly her, but I also chime in now and then. It’s Christmas time, bitchessssss