Today was a productive writing day. What that means for me is over 2000 new words on the page that didn’t exist when I got out of bed this morning to turn off the 5am alarm.
It also means I stayed focused.
It means I sat here in this increasingly padded chair and kept clicking the keys when about 98% of me was sure we’d rather be in the kitchen baking something, or riding an extra five miles on the e-bike while I watch one more episode of something not really worth my while.
It means I didn’t go shopping, even though we could use another loaf of bread. And maybe some milk.
It means I didn’t answer the phone. But then, I almost never do.
It means I didn’t read all the blogs I wanted to read.
It means I have much to be thankful for, the work of today… that I’ll probably tear apart and rewrite tomorrow before I push on with the next scene. But what a blessing to have words on the page to play with come tomorrow morning.
The day started with:
Heaving in breath, heart going at a gallop, Jesse sprawled on the bank beside Tamsen Littlejohn while she coughed up what seemed half the mountain’s runoff.
And ended with:
“But it’ll be a great help to me,” he added with a crooked lift of his mouth, “if you don’t try crossing another rain-swelled creek—or take on any more bears—at least while I’m not around.”
What makes for a productive day for you? What makes you breathe a prayer of thankfulness for the work of the day?
Wow!! 2k new words?? Thats cool!! I am happy for you!! wish you have many such productive days!!
with warm regards
http://becomingprince.blogspot.com
Love this post, Lori, and how you begin with your open and closing scene. As always, makes me hungry for more. Beautiful work! Great pics, too. So glad you are having some great writing days!
Hi, Lori. 2K words would be a lot for me. I feel good if I get five or six hundred, and really productive would be a thousand or so.
Beth, 2000 is a lot for me too. Five hundred to a thousand is normal, usually closer to five hundred.
Laura, Hope you are also having great writing days. You're coming down the home stretch now, aren't you?
Thanks, Abhishek!
That is something to be thankful for. Can't wait to read the inbetween paragraphs as I'm sure they are equally beautiful. How wise of you to devote your day to writing despite the other things pulling at you. I suppose if we had 2000K days all of the time we'd burn out pretty fast. But then again, we are not Karen Kingsbury (I don't know how she writes so fast).
I have so many up and down days that I try not to judge each day, but instead measure by moments or projects that I made a satisfying stride in. I did not write at all last week, but I did manage to set some goals and create a production schedule for the months ahead to help keep me on track – with some realistic and flexible timelines. If I can outline my chapter by chapter synopsis for my wip proposal this week I will be happy. Though, I just may get that done over the next two or three days. Another thing is that I had a breakthrough with a character and plot problems because of some research last week. Getting that issue solved gave me success. If I can complete my goal of revising my first two chapters and writing the third by the end of the month I will be very happy.
Carla, I tend to make goals like you do, because I never know if a day is going to produce a few hundred words, or a couple thousand. A couple thousand is a rare day. I might have two or three of those a month. So I have a certain point in the WIP that I want to have reached by the end of this month, and with one or two really good writing days next week (and some regular ones!) I'll make it. But if not, I'll be close enough. Flexible, as you said, is da word!