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, February 25, 2014

716 words on a blog and a short story.  Non-novel, but productive, things happening.  Had to make a major decision or two about the novel, which took awhile, and I took a few notes about it.  But a corner was turned and I'll hit it hard tomorrow.

Did other work for other writings, including some research about a blog that will offer these (already published and the rights have reverted back to me) works for sale.  Also researched other promotional items, like bookmarks and such.  And I found out how I can get a lot of them for free--or, almost free.

Monday, February 24, 2014

Just under 1,000 words for a short story and a couple of other non-novel things.  Back to work to pay The Man and the writing was a little slow because I was a wee bit exhausted.  I didn't do much, but I did it.

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.

Saturday, November 30, 2013

Head still stuffed and woozy from cold / sinus infection.  Holiday entertaining over.

It's good to be back in the saddle again.  Not my fault, but it's been too long.

1,310 words of the novel.  Six pages.  Broke down a very long chapter of the previous draft.

(And 1,192 more words if you count the entries for three blogs I wrote today, for a total of 2,502 words.  Should those count?)

May we all write well, and often.

Resistance is the writer's real enemy.  (That's kind of a Catching Fire homage, there.  And a nod to Steven Pressfield.)

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.

Saturday, November 23, 2013

Struggling through an obviously-oncoming cold:

Chapter 20 of novel.

670 words.

Three finished pages.  Short chapter.

Not much, but not bad, through congesting sinuses and sinus pressure, especially behind my cheeks, my eyes and my forehead.  Hopefully I'm all right by Thanksgiving.

Feel free to leave your word count or page count below.

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.