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Today I mostly wrote ... the word count thread.
message 1201:
by
Kath
(new)
Jun 11, 2017 01:47PM
Good-oh!
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Something clicked today, and I figured out the rest of a scene, and finished it - 2k+.It isn't perfect - there's a little logic flaw I'm still mulling. But that's after a week of practically no words, so it's a start.
I'm trying to copy Kath.
After almost 2 months of absence, I managed to get back to it today. Only 500 words or so, but where I was going is starting to come back to me now.
2816. The short story is standing at 7957. I envisaged it being around 10k so another session might do it for the first draft. Then the real works starts!
Kath wrote: "Onward and upward, David!"Not only that, if it wasn't for the hiatus, I'd have a new book out now as well.
Glad your short story is going so well.
Alicia wrote: "Something clicked today, and I figured out the rest of a scene, and finished it - 2k+.It isn't perfect - there's a little logic flaw I'm still mulling. But that's after a week of practically no w..."
Tricky little beggars, those logic flaws. MIne is within six pages of the end of editing. I intend to sleep on it tonight.
Elizabeth wrote: "Tricky little beggars, those logic flaws. MIne is within six pages of the end of editing. I intend to sleep on it tonight. ..."Your subconscious will gnaw on it all night, and produce the answer, toute suite, in the morning.
Good going everyone. Elizabeth, I hope your subconscious has sorted the logic flaw. :-) I don't know where last week went I was planning McMini's Birthday. Still haven't done the dreaded party. I've two newsletters to write this week and the parish magazine which no one else will do and which has gone quarterly because I'm not doing it every bloody month either. Phnark. Also have to write a talk on marketing for authors and two mailings. Might get to do a few bits here and there it depends, I'm also in the two week point in my menopausal monthly cycle when My fiction mojo goes on strike which is good timing seeing as I'm strapped for writing time so I can keep my hand in with the mag and the newsletters and get back to some real writing in July. :-)
2450 today. Story finished (at least, that's what I think!) at 10,407 - in four days. Mind you, last time I finished a short story in short order my editor persuaded me that things needed filling out and it ended up at 34k!
Kath wrote: "2450 today. Story finished (at least, that's what I think!) at 10,407 - in four days. Mind you, last time I finished a short story in short order my editor persuaded me that things needed filling..."
We should all have your problems.
Wading through two three day weeks they're short for the best possible reasons but I'm not likely to write much. Too much catch up being played. :-)
Decided my current 1st draft needs to go back to the drawing board, bit of a soggy middle.
David wrote: "Decided my current 1st draft needs to go back to the drawing board, bit of a soggy middle."Better than a soggy bottom!
Gingerlily - Mistress Lantern wrote: "David wrote: "Decided my current 1st draft needs to go back to the drawing board, bit of a soggy middle."Better than a soggy bottom!"
https://youtu.be/08e9k-c91E8
Awesome song and awesome movie :)
Gingerlily - Mistress Lantern wrote: "Awesome song and awesome movie :)"Can't remember much about the movie, enjoyed it though and yes, love the song!
I added 160 words in yesterday's edit and, having slept (rather badly - that blackbird wakes at 3:45!) I have now added another couple of hundred words. Still a short story, though. Actually it's a novelette, but if someone can come up with a less wet-sounding word for that, I'll be deeply obliged.
Woot go Kath. I have done a good chunk of the administriviatative shite that should allow me to do some writing tomorrow. Now I'm off out to lunch.
Gingerlily - Mistress Lantern wrote: "Awesome song and awesome movie :)"Indeed.
One of my favourite films.
M.T. wrote: "Woot go Kath. I have done a good chunk of the administriviatative shite that should allow me to do some writing tomorrow. Now I'm off out to lunch."I have to spend actual good time talking to insurance company people about meds; always good for a laugh and throwing something against the wall.
Alicia wrote: "M.T. wrote: "Woot go Kath. I have done a good chunk of the administriviatative shite that should allow me to do some writing tomorrow. Now I'm off out to lunch."I have to spend actual good time t..."
Ugh. Sympathy. I still have some to do tomorrow but not as much.
Kath wrote: "Actually it's a novelette, but if someone can come up with a less wet-sounding word for that, I'll be deeply obliged. "Kath, just another 6 500 word and the word should be Novella. How this sounds to you?
Sounds fine but I'm not going to pad what really is a short story, just to get the name :)
Call it a Kathella. Then its whatever number of words you end up writing!
Had a final look at the 13k short and sent it to my fabulous editor yesterday evening. Dead chuffed. Can't afford a cover though so I will have to draw one ... Yikes. Think my scanner is bust, too but it may just need a new lamp and if I can get hubby's wi fi printer working I might be able to use that ... Or my Mum's. Need to get the Kickstarter campaign tiers sorted for the eyebombing book, too.Also wrote a blog post.
https://mtmcguire.co.uk/2017/06/17/ey...
Alicia wrote: "Yay, Pam!"Thanks Alicia. I've parked the book I was editing as my MS has just come back from my editor - exciting times as this is the first one to be professionally edited. Now slowly going through her changes/comments.
Second the Yay Pam!I've done a long blog post, but it doesn't go live until 1.30 gmt
http://mtmcguire.co.uk/2017/06/25/thi...
cheers
MTM
M.T. wrote: "Second the Yay Pam!I've done a long blog post, but it doesn't go live until 1.30 gmt
http://mtmcguire.co.uk/2017/06/25/thi......"
Enjoyed your post MT. I am in the same boat really, but even worse because I have taken a lot of years to write most of my books and rewrite them. Anyway, getting nearer to publishing the first .... worked through the editor's changes on another 9 chapters today :-)
Piling up a back-list only helps if people notice them. I genuinely think the market is saturated I look at my own book buying habits and the comments of other people and suspect that there are just too many people swamping the same channels.
I agree with Jim: when I'm bombarded with books left and right, I tend to retreat to my comfort zone (partly why despite having hundreds of unread books on my Kindle [<== and there's your problem] so far this year I've *reread* a 16 book series from years ago)I'm just not buying new books - and definitely not at full price - to add to my massive unread list.
And then I wonder why no one buys mine, lol.
Yes, I picked up a C J Sansom book, one about his Tudor lawyer and detective Shardlake. I got if free from a book exchange at our village hall, enjoyed it immensely and discovered my daughter has the rest of them.So I'm reading them for no cost, but not only that, as they're about 600 pages each, I'll not be looking for anything else to read for some time
That's why I feel that the market is saturated, there are so many really excellent books out there which are effectively free
Yes, there are huge numbers of books, but that just widens our choice. It's just as well that I don't feel about new publications the way you chaps do or I wouldn't read yours!And why do you write them? The joy, the fun, the pleasure is in the writing. If I didn't write them, I'd only being doing something else like playing golf (shudder) or joining local good causes to get on the committee (double shudder). If I had no sales, I'd still write.
So buck yourselves up and get back to the keyboard!
I did about 3,600 yesterday, my most productive writing day for months. I've pretty much finished up my cyberpunk novella, and made a start on a space opera thing.I'm also trying to decide whether I'm mad enough to try and put together a lengthy fantasy short story for a potential anthology outing that's due by the end of June. Four days, 10,000 words, no outline... worth a go?
I have to eat some lunch and do the wages but after that I should bet a bit of writing time in. I think it will be the eyebombing book, today.
Andrew wrote: "I did about 3,600 yesterday, my most productive writing day for months. I've pretty much finished up my cyberpunk novella, and made a start on a space opera thing.I'm also trying to decide whethe..."
I recently wrote a 10.4 k short in 4 days - mind you, then I faffed with it and it's now 11k. But go for it!
my big problem is that some at least of the time I spend writing has to pay money into the family budget. But freelance journalism is dying slowly as well, so I might have to do more proper work
Kath wrote: "Yes, there are huge numbers of books, but that just widens our choice. It's just as well that I don't feel about new publications the way you chaps do or I wouldn't read yours!And why do you writ..."
Mwah hahahahrgh! Yes boss!
Well, I managed to chalk up 600 words or so of the fantasy thing over lunch, so with a couple of productive evenings this week, I suppose I could give it a go...
Spending my time for a week or so trying to learn Amazon ads - interesting stuff to go through, and a lot of sheer work. Not for the faint of heart; wondering if I'm going to find usable stuff, as I write in a different niche than most of the people putting out information.
Alicia wrote: "Spending my time for a week or so trying to learn Amazon ads - interesting stuff to go through, and a lot of sheer work. Not for the faint of heart; wondering if I'm going to find usable stuff, as ..."Just remember that you don't pay for the times your book appears in front of people. They say a person has to see an advert 7 times before they do anything, for that alone it might be worth it. I've been doing the same thing!
Cheers
MTM
One day I might get some free hours close enough together that I have some clue what I was doing. Meantime, every waking hour is spent on work that pays money. When the red numbers finally go away I'll be free to to write.
M.T. wrote: "Just remember that you don't pay for the times your book appears in front of people. ..."This is true - impressions are free; you only pay for clicks. But my conversion rate from clicks has been too low. I've revamped a lot of the data - keywords, categories, and the book description. I liked my old description - but it doesn't have the punch even literary novels from the big publishers have now - exciting words and punchy lines.
I'll see how the new one does.
Gah, feeling like I'll never write again. Another three day week coming up. Family trip, family wedding. It will be fun but I just wish I could have some time to unscramble my brain.
I didn't write today, but finished the final polish on the next chapter in the WIP, and sent it off to my beta reader (which is the way we do things), PLUS mastered Compile on Scrivener again and stopped myself from making a massive mistake in the process.Trying very hard to learn Amazon ads, because I think that's where I will find the strangers I need to advertise to. Spent a day analyzing the results from my first 7 ads - not making any money yet unless you count borrows, and even then, it's marginal, but as a scientist at least it gives me something to work with to improve the ads.
Found some HUGE possibilities where not knowing what I was doing when I started will turn into maybe better ads.
Can't wait to put it back in the background, though, and get back to writing.
Still can't get the new printer going. One issue is that I seem to have to stand in one room and hold one button, while simultaneously standing in another room holding a button on the router.Perhaps I will work out how to build an arm extension later.
Have put a lot of words down recently. And had an interesting conversation with a full time professional author I know about the best length for a sci fi novel.
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