Friday, October 12, 2007

Writing Progress

I admit, I've been sort of lazy with my blog posts lately. Paradoxically, I'm really busy, and yet nothing of interest seems to be happening to me. I'd love to run into a kooky character or two, but mostly my time is my own, and I spend it working around the house, shopping (for necessities, of course), and writing.

The writing is actually going pretty well--or seems to be. I think I'm kind of on a roll now and am really going to try to start working with actual mini-goals. My long-term goal is to finish (or nearly finish) by Christmas (or by the end of the year), but I think smaller, more compartmentalized goals will keep me motivated. Today for instance, I told myself I couldn't eat lunch until I finished the chapter I was working on. Normally I'd just get up when my stomach growling got too disruptive to the writing, but today I stayed in the chair and finished it up. And then I came back from lunch and started up on the next chapter. Woo-hoo!

I'm going to go on record here and say that I'd like to have this next chapter tied up my Monday night. (This one needs a little more work, and with all the boys home for the weekend, my concentration is pretty iffy). So I will report back on Monday.

One interesting note about my critique partner... I keep sending her chapters, and she keeps making notes that my heroine shouldn't do this or that, because it's not believable. I find this rather curious given that a lot of my character quirks are my own. So basically...I act like this...believe it. She and I laugh about it--well, as much as you can laugh together via email--but she still tries to tone down the unrelatable behavior. When this book finally comes out (either traditionally or via my own press), I may have to post a Truth or Fiction Test for my blogging buddies. How well do you know me??

Have a great weekend!

7 comments:

Kate Diamond said...

I seem to be very busy, but none of it involves writing! Tonight I was too exhausted to write. So I cleaned my desk of the piles of crud that have been gathering (and distracting) me. Tomorrow I'll get up and celebrate my whole clean-slate feeling by writing.

Unknown said...

Compartmentalized goals are usually best. I'm speaking from tried-and-true laziness here! :) Are you watching this season's DWTS?!

Sara Hantz said...

You know what they say about truth being stranger than fiction..... I've sometimes had my characters do things I would do and it not seem believable to others!

Rhian said...

i think the entire blogging world has taken a mini hiatus, which make me feel a whole lot better about being a bad blogger caught in real-world dramas.
good luck with the writing!

Alyssa Goodnight said...

Kate, a clean desk is veerrry motivating.

Virginia, I watched the first episode (and loved it) and then my husband stopped recording them for me, but tomorrow, I vow to have it on!

Unknown said...

Great news on the writing... :-)

Steve Malley said...

Re: Your crit partner:

My beta reader (the Tiny Dynamo) sometimes complains about 'unrealistic' actions. They're *always* the stuff I stole from the news!

Run it past another set of eyes. Tied score goes to you, but if both agree the action is unrealistic, you may need to edit...