Monday, June 18, 2012

The End is Here

This week I am going to write the last three chapters of my WIP.  I hand-wrote one of the chapters in green ink on printer paper while I was stretching on Saturday.  An idea came to me that was better than what I had previously intended to write. 

I wonder if I would have had the same idea if I had written the story the week before vacation.  I kind of doubt it - I was really rushed and was thinking about everything except my story.

I'm setting low expectations for myself this week - I have almost twenty hours to write.  That would normally translate into ten or maybe even fifteen chapters and five loads of laundry.  (Or involve a lot of staring at a blank page between loads of laundry.)  This is the first week I've had this much time to write. 

I just need to finish those last three chapters.  Anything more than that is just extra.  Extra time to edit, extra time to do research on my next story, extra time to...well...do laundry.

I might sit on my back porch in the morning sun with a cup of coffee and a pen and notebook.  I have a lot of threads to close in the story.  I kind of feel like sketching it out before I type it up.

I hope you all have productive weeks too.  Are you trying to do more writing over the summer or giving yourself a break?  Do you hesitate when you write those last few chapters?



20 comments:

  1. i am pondering those questions---good for you!!

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  2. You can do it!
    And I am writing as fast as I can at the moment. (Like a snail on acid.)

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    1. Is a snail on acid flat on his back? I pounded out two chapters. Apparently I was wrong about there being only three to go.

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  3. Wow -- I wish you a very productive week!

    My schedule is so erratic and filled that I barely get any time to write, and when I do, I'm so flummoxed that I feel like I'm just flailing at throwing any kind of words onto the page.

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    1. I don't even try unless I have a block of time to focus. I have several blocks this week and potentially nothing next week...and the next one after that.

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  4. Good luck with those three chapters -- and YES! I hesitate over writing endings! Sometimes it's because I don't want my time with these characters to end. Sometimes it's because my heart hurts at what I might have to do to my characters. And sometimes -- like with the current WIP -- it's because I'm afraid I don't have the skill to pull off the ending I have in mind.

    As a teacher, I look at summer as a time for me to get more writing done. But realistically, I rarely write any faster than I do during the teaching year. I need time to ponder between chapters, feel out where I'm going, and like you, I sometimes get ideas that are better than my usual ones when my writing time is spread out.

    The problem is, over the summer I don't have teaching to distract me while my subconscious works and I end up moaning and whining about why the ideas aren't coming more quickly, LOL!

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    1. I need time between chapters too. The most I seem to be able to do in one sitting is two. I think it would be very difficult to squeeze iin writing time after working a full day for sure.

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  5. I am working on editing and I swear it is plodding along like I'm swimming in mud. A lot of the beginning needs work so I try to hit 500 words of editing a day Monday through Friday. My ideal goal is 1,000 words a day. But I'm also looking for a job so my energy level is a bit low.

    Good for you to use your time well!

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    1. I never thought about setting a word count goal for editing. I just sit down and truly believe I can edit the whole thing in one sitting and only finish a chapter. :) Godd luck on the editing and the job.

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  6. Your productivity is quite inspiring. I'm going to try to get back into writing this week. I seem to have already wasted a Monday though :/

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    1. Ugh. I hate that feeling of a wasted day. I'm not going to be able to get as much done today, but I'm hoping to get in two hours. Maybe one.

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  7. Best to you, Tonja, on those last three. I know what you mean. The ending of my current WIP ... well, the whole middle plot, sort of veered a little left. A bit of a different direction than I originally intended. But that's OK. I like it better. I hope to be done with mine by end of next week. Not sure how many chapters my new ideas translate into. Maybe about 8. We'll see.

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    1. Good luck! It's exciting that so many of us are rolling up our sleeves and writing at the same time. I'm really excited about my ending - hopefully I'll feel the same in a few months.

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  8. Just taking a week away from the internet has helped me slow down so that I can focus and write the chapters I need to write. I think we sometimes get too frenzied in everyday life, and taking the time to stretch and relax helps the writing immensely.

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    1. I wonder if that's why taking a shower seems to bring a flood of ideas - just relaxing maybe is the key. I should stretch more. :) Good luck on your story.

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  9. I'm on the beach this week and had hoped to have something done by now. :(

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  10. Aaaah...sitting on the back porch sounds awesome. Sending you positive vibes for those last three chapters. Have a great week and send me some of those nice porch vibes. :-)

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  11. Keep on keepin' on; it'll be great to have that draft of your WiP completed. Throughout the school year, I work 2 jobs as a teacher and a writer -- so the summers are great with only 1 job to keep me busy every day.

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  12. You can do it! 3 chapters is a piece of cake!

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