Sunday, March 1, 2009

Setting the Goal Posts

I'm definitely swept up in reading manuscripts for ROR, having left it ridiculously late. Also it's a nice distraction from the painful slowness of Book 2, which stands as of yesterday at 5,000 words.

My original plan was to spend the first 3 months of this year, when I had so many other commitments, keeping this book 2 ticking along with 500 words a day. I can write 500 words a day without thinking (too much). It's a third of what I did daily during Nanowrimo. I could totally do that while editing French Vanilla, reading RoR manuscripts, preparing my daughter for her first year of school, getting my driving license, and gestating a baby. Totally.

Well, um yes. Except I didn't start any of this year's projects until halfway through January, and it turned out Little Kick demanded three hour naps a day until the iron tablets kicked in, and it's actually kind of HARD to write 500 words a day on a book that doesn't have any momentum yet. Yes, even pro writers have to relearn their limitations with every single book...

So I didn't manage it for January or February, but March is a new month. And really ALL I have to do this month is prepare for ROR, write some reviews, (do the mum thing, gestate the baby) and get a good chunk of this book written. As of April I'm really going to have to kick into gear, upping my monthly wordcount to at least 20,000 words if not more.

I can totally take 15K.

So my plan is to write 500 words a day in March. Rain or shine. Like a mini Nanowrimo. I need to get this sucker momented. [Yes, momented is a word.] Now.

1 comment:

Rowena Cory Daniells said...

Sometimes the book is slow coming because you are starting in the wrong spot, or from the wrong PV.

Sometimes you need to write some back story, just to get the feel of it and the characters, so you can plunge into the action. Although, since this is book two that shouldn't be a problem.

Sometimes, it's hard because you get so many interruptions, you can't engage with the characters and the book and you need some alone time, just to plunge in.

Hope you hit your stride soon, Tansy.