So, today, my friend Lindsey and I, both deciding we want to be the PRODUCTIVE sort of people, have decided to do a Write-A-Thon together. It’s basically exactly what it sounds like: we write. For a long period of time.
My goal is to add at least 5,000 words to my 2nd draft. I don’t have Lindsey’s crazy “I can write 8K a day” powers, but that will make it the most I’ve written in a day (term papers, etc excepted) since high school. I think we’re also going word war sporadically throughout the day? I am unsure. BUT we’ll each be live-blogging our efforts.
11 AM: Draft stands at 15,639 words. I have been awake for less than an hour and I have no caffeine at my disposal. This should be interesting.
AAAAAND BEGIN!
11:37: Wonder if I am using scabbard in proper context. Stomach rumbles. Realize I haven’t eaten breakfast. Pad into kitchen for a teeny bit of breakfast-like sustenance. 16,097 words.
12:19: Highlighting random words as I go that I’m not sure I’m using properly. Text message from friend: “How does your mom make rice that tastes like it’s from a restaurant?” Facebook message her. 16,451 words.
12:55: I highlight a passage to go over later with the note: “LOL THIS DESCRIPTION IS SO BAD.” Mom asks me to french braid her hair for her. I decide I require a break to apply make-up and make a caffeine run. Also, lunch. Contemplating Write or Die when I return to the computer. 16, 714 words.
2:05: I was foiled in my plans of procrastination (store and food run). Father’s friend showed up to watch football game with case of Diet Coke in hand and dad had just finished grilling. Got back to work at about 1:30 and hopped on Write or Die for 30 minutes. And wrote the beginnings of a scene that was not in my pseudo-outline or plans for the day. Hello mini-makeover/clean-up scene! 17,351 words.
2:55: Jake (aka the dog… aka I never realized the Adventure Time tie-in until now, but according to Lindsey, he looks like a direwolf, not like the other Jake the Dog) begins howling at my father, brother, and father’s friend due to a ridiculous round of celebratory football shouting. I seize the procrastination excuse after another round of Write or Die. Also the perils of writing this scene I didn’t expect in Write or Die means I didn’t have names for these random new characters and thus are listed as NAMEHERE and SOANDSO constantly. 18,072 words.
4:01: Between my allotted “you-did-so-well-at-that-Write-or-Die-session-here-have-some-Tumblr” break and the fact that my mom popped her head in to ask if I wanted to run to McDonald’s for a vanilla cone with her (answer: YES!), ZERO PROGRESS. Back to Write or Die! 18,072 words.
4:36: A wild SEAMSTRESS appears! Jen uses pseudonym MADAME DU PUMPERNICKEL on SEAMSTRESS! …I blame the Pokemon reference on Lindsey. Also, 18,697 words.
5:17: Endured obnoxious car horn honking as my Write or Die punishment while I quickly Googled to see if nail polish could have existed in my alternate world and time. It’s been around since 3000 B.C. Huzzah! Aaaand Rogue scene COMPLETE! I wonder if I’ll wind up keeping it when I make it back around in draft 3. But yes… almost to goal! Which is good. I have a conference call to round off my LitReactor class with Mandy Hubbard tonight and for a while there I was sort of concerned that I’d be working RIGHT up to it. Am Couch-to-5K-ing in about an hour, so… challenging myself to meet my goal before I go. 19,439 words.
5:29: SCRATCH aforementioned challenge. Mother would like to C25K NAO. Quick finish when I get back (may be working up to that 8 o’clock conference call after all…) 19,439 words.
7:00: Beginning of week 3 of couch to 5k=success. Came back panting and wrote some way overdramatic scene with bad setting descriptions. Setting descriptions are muy dificil para mi porque I overanalyze whether or not they are info-dumpy. Also I agonize over whether or not they are cliche or boring. (The answer is probably yes, but this is draft 1 of this particular scene so I am excusing myself on that until later.) 20,197 words. SO CLOSE.
7:31: AAAAAAND GOLLLLLL! Just in time for me to hop into the shower before aforementioned conference call and my evening television. I’m not sure yet if I’m done for the night, but with the day’s goal met, I’m done for at least a couple hours. 20,731 words. AKA (at least) 5,092 palabras hoy.
11:30: So, yes, after the conference call, Once Upon A Time, Revenge, and writing a book review, I have decided that 5K is damn good. And that I worked very hard today. I loved doing this write-a-thon. It was so nice to know that someone else was watching my progress and that someone else was working with the same goal at the same time that I was.
Also, exciting thing: I will be wrapping up Act 1 of Draft 2 tomorrow. YAY!
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