Monday, June 04, 2007

A vow

Hello, Blogreader. I'm glad you're here. Please...have a seat. I wanted to talk to you about something.

As you know, I left work a little over a month ago in order to concentrate full time on my writing for a little bit. I recall you being very supportive of this, and if I didn't thank you at the time for being so nice about everything, I do so now.

Truth is, though, that I've barely written more than I have cut in that time. I don't even bother to update the word count meter anymore. I wrote 4,000 new words one day a couple of weeks ago, and was sad to find I was still floating around the 20K mark.

It is less than a month until the first anniversary of my decision to write seriously. July 1st.

To make sure that I cross this line with a feeling like I have accomplished something, I am making an official vow to write 50,000 new words by that date. Essentially, this means I'm sort of doing NaNo all over again, but without any hope of a crappy, downloadable certificate.

The rules are: the 50,000 words must be written for one of the two novels on which I am working, or for a short story. Ideally, though, they should be for the main project, the one that taunts me from my own sidebar. They need not be brilliant words, just new ones which advance the plot as I have it planned, and get at least some version of the events which must take place on paper.

Completion of this task will require 2,000 words a day. This will also mean I'll probably end up writing more bitchy blogposts about writing. I apologize in advance for these. It also probably means I'll be blogging more often than normal, perhaps going back to a couple of times a day. I found that writing about something non-fictiony or funny or whatever was a great way for me to take a break during NaNo last year. So I hope when you stop by, you'll scroll down a bit and see if you've missed anything.

You guys have been wonderfully supportive of the snippets I've posted, and I'll probably end up throwing a few of those up throughout the month as well.

Whether this decision is merely leftover delirium from my fever, I cannot say. I do know that this is something I am capable of doing, even though it means I shall be something of a workaholic in the next few weeks.

So, uh, wish me luck! Here I go...

11 comments:

Reading the Signs said...

Just think, Mr. Moon - as well as achieving something you set out to do, it may also have the effect of inspiring people like me to have a go, get on with it and just do it. It's the only way. Good luck - I'll be cheering from the verge.

Unknown said...

Good Luck, here you go...
With you all the way. I'm aiming to finish a first draft over the holidays and given my output recently I'm now a little scared. So as reading the signs says, you will definitely keep me inspired.

Caroline said...

Good luck honey and yay! to writing.

x

Anonymous said...

Good luck with that. I'm sure you can do it.

I haven't quit anything, but my writing output still sucks. I have written roughly 2000 words on my novel in a month. I have had many great ideas, but few are making their way into my writing. I suck I guess.

Janejill said...

It sounds so very hard - how can you bear it? I am feeling anxious (just slightly) even thinking about the task you have set yourself ...I wish you the best

Pants said...

Oh Maht, please do trust yourself to do this. Just sit down every day and start where you left off the day before. It really does work.

xxx

Pants

Nikki Neurotic said...

Wow, a warning that you'd probably be blogging more than usual...that's a change! Usually when someone warns their blog readers, it's about a lack of posting. Then again, you've never been like everyone else.

Good luck with reaching your goal Maht. I hope that eventually you are able to complete the novel you are working on.

Mellifluous Dark said...

Best of luck.

I wish I could do what you are doing instead of talking about it for 15 years...

Unknown said...

It is that lovely phrase 'a writers discipline'. Without it we are free to find all those lovely displacement activities, lounge around the house eating chocolate and watching daytime TV. I think I like being 'cipline' - so why do I write? Oh yes, because I want to, and because I want to I squeeze every last drop out of a writing day - and you will too.

Pallav said...

Dude! that's some resolve! I hope god gives you all strength to write and may your muse shower you with all her love :)

You have thought it, means you can do it!! Good luck!

N

The Moon Topples said...

RTS: I appreciate the cheers, and if others chose to join me, that would be spectacular. Especially from writers like yourself.

V: Thanks for the well wishing. Hope your first draft comes swimmingly.

Caroline: Thanks. You're something of an inspiration to me, so I appreciate the support.

Struggles: We all have these periods of doubt and seeming suckiness. Taking a break sometimes helps, or just finding a way to keep moving forward. You've got stories to tell, and you'll get them out. Sometimes you just have to wait for them to arrive on their own schedule...

JaneJill: Lol. Not trying to weaken my resolve, one assumes? It is daunting, I agree, but it's what I should have been doing all along.

Pants: Thanks. That's pretty much the plan, and knowing all of you are watching should help keep me on track.

SilverN: Yes, I agree that a warning about additional blogging might seem a little weird. I just wanted people to know there might be another post lurking below the first one when they click in with their morning coffee.

As for novel completion: it's only a matter of time...

MelDark: There was plenty of talking before I finally got started. It is my understanding that this is almost always the case, unless one starts writing all the time very early.

Minx: Your three examples are all things I tend to do while I am writing. Perhaps I should look into this. And thanks much for the other comments, which are very inspiring.

Nothingman: I'm very grateful for your thoughts, especially the muse-shower.