Thursday, January 10, 2013

Write Despite

I know I'm being a bad blogger this week and am posting more than I'm responding.  I have been battling a migraine and the effects of the migraine meds, which are about to wear off at any minute at which time I will be effectively blind.  The medicine puts me in hibernation mode.  Reading words on a computer screen makes the issue worse - I'll get caught up this weekend on reading your posts.

I did read this and want to share it.  It's a post from Women's Fiction Writers about a challenge called Write Despite.

The challenge is to commit yourself to write a minimum of twenty minutes a day every day in 2013 staring whenever you decide to start.  Even if you are puking, your kids are puking on you, or it just seems like one of those days where you can't possibly write, the idea is to write anyway.  Even if it's just one paragraph written with a pen on a chain on the back of a HIPAA statement in the emergency room.  Short of someone dying or another emergency at that level, the idea is to write anyway.  Just 20 minutes.  Even if it's one sentence.

It seems to be a personal challenge - no linky list or blog badge that I can see, although I asked for one because I'm sort of forgetful.  For me, I'm not counting blogging.  I'm only counting fiction because that's where I need to eliminate excuses.

Today I wasn't sure if I would write because of the migraine.  After reading the post (as much of it as my eyes could take), I decided to do it.  I worked on my WIP for 20 minutes.  And 20 minutes turned into 45.  And I finished a short chapter.  I feel fabulous. 

This is a challenge I'm definitely going to accept. 

My apologies if I have typos here - the migraine is taking over.  I'm going to hit submit and hope for the best.

27 comments:

  1. It's a good challenge. I'm doing the 100 days challenge, which is more up my alley (since I write all the time anyway).

    Lauren
    Lauren-ritz.blogspot.com

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    1. I haven't heard of that one (unless it's in this one - I admit to not reading the directions thoroughly).

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  2. 20 minutes a day sounds feasible even for me!
    Well, it would if I wasn't going to spend it procrastinating.
    Because procrastinating is a form of writing too.
    I think.

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    1. I guess if your pen is in your hands or your hands are on the keyboard for the full 20 minutes, you could maybe count it. :)

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  3. Does blogging count?
    I can do that. Don't even have to worry about puking kids.

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    1. I think it does if you want it to. I'm not counting it for me. I never regret the days I don't blog but I regret the days I don't write fiction.

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  4. Great challenge! Hope you can keep it up.

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  5. That's a great goal. One of the writers' group I used to belong to would do a similar thing for a set period of time. It really worked for the procrastinators among them.

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    1. My group used to do a ten minute fastwrite but it was always on a random topic or from a prompt. I want to make myself add at least 20 minutes of work to my story. I doubt I will stop at 20 once I get started.

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  6. I think it's great that you apologize for not responding as much as you should. I almost never respond. I want to, I appreciate comments so much, but I seldom respond at all. Regardless, I hope you fell better. I had a headache all say myself, and I mean ALL DAY. It's awful. And mine wasn't a migraine either, just a run of the mill headache.

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    1. I thought I was through my headache from yesterday, but it's still here this morning. I just got migraine meds, but had to pay $89 for 6 pills. Yikes, right? It's worth it, but I'm afraid to waste them. I'm trying motrin this morning first.

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  7. Yeah, I occasionally get those opthalmic migraines. Horrible things. I hope it eases for you and stays away!!
    I love your challenge! I might take it up myself!

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    1. The beauty part of it is there seem to be no rules or hoops to jump through. Just an occasional status post. I think I'll do mine at the end of the month and admit how many days I didn't do the 20 minutes.

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  8. Sounds like a practical challenge... realistic and attainable too...
    Hope you feel better soon!

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    1. If I don't think I can write a whole chapter in a sitting, I don't usually even try. Lately, I've been writing half-chapters. Historical fiction is proving to be a little bit of a slower go for me in terms of word count/hour. This will be good for me to just try for 20 minutes. Wish I had thought of it myself. :)

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  9. I don't think I could do it with a migraine. :(

    Twenty minutes a day sounds totally attainable. Go, Tonya!

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    1. I'm not sure I can today because of it. It was definitely worse after I wrote yesterday.

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  10. I'm so sorry about your migraine. I hope you are feeling better soon. I love this challenge though and may give it a shot. Thanks for sharing it.

    Take care!

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    1. The universe closed in on me yesterday, and I missed day two. It's all good though - I wrote a whole chapter today and just crossed over 40K words.

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  11. Migraines are the worst! I get them from time to time. Feel better!

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  12. I feel ya on the Migraines. I've had them for over 25 years and the last few have been horrendous. I hope you're feeling better today.

    Twenty minutes on fiction actually seems like a good way to stay in touch with our characters too. Great idea!

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    1. Now if I could just stick to 20 minutes of exercise too. :))

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  13. Great idea--I love challenges. Right now I'm participating in an exercise from the book, "The Artist's Way." Each day I write three short hand pages--about anything--just to open my mind and keep my creative juices flowing. I have to get up a little earlier to do it...but it's working!

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    1. I am a Natalie Goldberg follower. I tried doing fastwrites and morning pages for maybe three years. All I ended up with is a pile of notebooks with me whining about whatever. Once I read through them and saw the beginnings - I feel sad, I feel tired, I feel happy, etc. - I decided to ditch it and just write fiction.

      So I'm not counting that kind of writing - just if I'm writing short stories or working on my novels. I think it's all up to the individual writer...and I have no idea what the real rules are for the challenge.

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  14. "Write Despite" for 20 minutes sounds like a wonderfully manageable challenge. Clever title, too!

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