February 2016

I haven't had too much time to write in this blog, but for a great reason: I've been writing, instead! I finished two short stories in the past few weeks, and I've worked consistently. Because of that, I haven't wanted to stop my mojo and post here.

Which brings me to a conundrum: I initially started this blog so that I would write more consistently, the whole point being that I had to write every day so that I could post the number of words written every day.

But now I'm way beyond that. I don't need this blog anymore to get my writing done. And as it hasn't been a stop for other writers to post their word count, I'm wondering if it serves a purpose at all anymore.

Maybe I'll post here once a month, or once every few weeks, instead. Or maybe I'll just delete the blog altogether. We'll see.

At any rate:

The word count for those two short stories, plus my WIP, for the last few weeks:

Approximately 20K-25K, at a guess. Not bad for me, for the past five weeks or so.

Week Ending Sunday, April 26, 2015

Chapter 53.

949 words.

More to come today, but it's 2:41 a.m., so I should probably sleep.

...Okay, did that.

Chapter 54.

2,105 words.

So over 3,000 for this day so far.

I hope to finish Chapter 55 tonight.

So exhausted I'm making silly mistakes and the words aren't coming like they do.  I even made some saving errors, which is really bad.  But...


For the week (drumroll, please):


Chapter 49 = 689 words.

Chapter 50 = 372 words.

Chapter 51 = 3,002 words.

Chapter 52 = 803 words.

Query letters = 224 words.

Chapter 53 = 949 words.

Chapter 54 = 2,105 words.

Chapter 55 = 396 words.

Chapter 56 = 509 words.

Chapter 57 = 79 words.


9,128 words!  YES!!!  I can't tell you how great this feels.  And it even felt great doing it.


And now vacation ends.  I really, really hope I can produce even half this much during a workweek.

Week Ending Sunday, April 12, 2015

Work this week had to mostly intrude...

With the words from earlier this week, and the last couple of days, I'll estimate at about 2,500 words, same as last week.

But the work is good and the end of my novel-in-progress is in sight.

And I go on vacation this Friday evening.

The goal is to finish this novel manuscript by the end of this upcoming vacation.

I believe I can do it.

Tuesday March 24, 2015

Spent most of the afternoon and night writing and sending out query letters to different publications.  I had a backlog of pieces to send out, so I had a business day of research and writing.  Very stressful.

Approximately one thousand (1,000) words.

But at least it's done.

Now, back to the actual writing...

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Okay, now that the shoveling is done and I'm trying to get everything back to normal, here we go.  I've missed being away, and don't think that I've been idle.  I haven't been writing as much, or as often, as I'd like, but I haven't been standing still, either.

Six handwritten pages, about 1,000 or so words, of another novel.  Straight out of the blue, tying up some loose ends and paving all of the disparate things over.

Felt wonderful and exhilarating.

I'm back.  ::crosses fingers::

Hangin' In There

It might not seem like it, but I'm hangin' in there, with writing, with life, with everything.  Though it's taken a little bit out of me lately, I'm still plugging away.  Not thousands of words per day, or even a thousand words per day; nor, sometimes, a large enough accumulation of words to comment about here, but I'm putting one foot in front of the other.

Since last post, I've worked on:

--a review

--a short story

--a chapter for a different novel

--a memoir

--other assorted pieces

--other blogs.

So if you've logged in and thought: "Well, that was a good idea that hasn't gone well," have no fear.  I've been sluggin' through.  I've got a vacation coming up soon, so I should be here more often.  The goal, every day.

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Well, again, it's been a little while.  Tough time of the year to write consistently.  Still not feeling great, and job situation now hopefully resolved.

Am I expecting the impossible, or shouldn't I be able to write consistently every day?  I feel very guilty and almost ashamed when I don't.  Which doesn't help when I try to sit down and write next time...

When I finally sit down and get going, there's rarely a problem.

2,412 words. 

9 pages. 

Chapter 23 is done.

Not Forgotten and Catching Fire

Last few days I've been sick, behind on work, preparing for guests, traveling everywhere on Thanksgiving Day and Night, and amidst company from out-of-state.  Temporarily off-track, but the good news is that I'm antsy about it.  I'll write more later today and I'll edit this soon.

Catching Fire was very good.  Review to come on main blog.

Sunday November 24, 2013

Chapter 21 of the current novel-in-progress.

Two pages.  (My chapters lately are short.)

454 words.  (Not bad as I fight through this head cold.)

Not too many words the last few days, but I'm writing each day.

Even just two completed pages per day gets a 300-page manuscript done in 150 days--or five months.

I'll take that.

May we all write well, and often.

Introduction and Explanation

Hello, my name is Steve Belanger.  I have a job I like that is a huge part of me, and that pays The Man.  I'm very fortunate to have a job I like.  I know many people are not so blessed.

I'm also a writer.  I've had short stories and poems published (and paid for) in magazines and in books.  But I struggle to produce every day, as I'm sure many writers do.  The day gets away from you.  Stresses from work or home get into your psyche and you can't produce.  You know you have to anyway, but you can't.

Lately I've been in a rut.  I wrote and finished a short story in two days recently, but overall my production has been inconsistent and low.  And I have so much to do: one novel-in-progress, about one third done.  A few more waiting impatiently in the wings.  A memoir.  A nonfiction work.  Some short stories.

These things don't write themselves.  And I haven't been writing them consistently, either.

So what I've decided to do is very simple.  I figure it'll impel me to write everyday--even a little bit is better than nothing, right?--and I figure that it may even benefit other inconsistently-producing writers as well.

The premise is very simple.  Starting today, or tomorrow, I'll simply publish my word count.  I may mention a page count.  I might mention I've just finished a short story, or a novel chapter.  I probably won't mention any titles because I don't want to take the chance and slip, so that someone would consider that writing "published."

And I want you to join in.  Just post a comment that lists your word count, or page count, or summary of work done, like "finished chapter three" or "completed six-page short story."  You get the idea.  Maybe this will compel you to write every day as well.  If not, if it's just me, that's okay, too.  After all, if I may be so bold, I initially thought of this for me, anyway. 

If this works, I'll keep it going.  If it doesn't, I won't.  But I think it's worth a try.  Join in if you agree.