Monday, August 31, 2015

Word Count (the beginning)

Nap time turned out to be a short writing attempt, as evidenced by my first posted word count. My toddler decided naps are for wimps. For the record, I could use being a wimp most days!

Night time worked much better though. I love working at night, when the house is quiet and my muse seems to be chugging her first mega-cup of coffee. Check it out :).



It feels great to get my next chapter rolling (finally), but please remind me of this feeling when my infant is up in 40 minutes....and again in 3 hours.

Speaking of mega-sized coffee, I'd better get the beans ready for my 5 am wake-up. I'm going to need them!

1-2-3 Write!

I need an accountability partner. It's been too long since I've posted on my blog, too long since I've been able to write with any serious pride. I've managed to scratch out a chapter or two in the last few months, but it's not enough to get the next book done.

I've had a good excuse, of course. New baby + toddler does not = writing time. It doesn't help that my newbie's medical needs meant setting up doctors and game plans, which are time-consuming on their own. But all that is set; nap times are lining up and I'm craving some quality conversations with my Ærenden family.

The problem is that I've been on permanent mombie mode for too long. I'm suffering from internet overdose and jonesing for a Netflix binge-watching fix when I should be worshiping my keyboard. Writing is kind of like running, really. If you stop doing it for too long, your drive turns into a Sunday meander, your stamina sputters, and your muscles resemble a Jell-O pudding snack.

I'm out of shape in more ways than I care to admit. But with writing, much like running, getting back into the routine, one stiff step after another, turns pudding into a gorgeous, lofty chocolate souffle (hey, I'm not giving up my chocolate here; I'm just turning it into something more worthy).

I've struggled with rebuilding that routine under constant sleep deprivation, but a recent post by another author (Eri Nelson, for those of you who like paranormal fiction) gave me an idea. That's where the accountability partner comes in. It's you. Eri posted a screenshot from a writing app that I'll be using going forward (Writeometer, for the curious). I'll be doing the same on my blog, so count with me...1 word at a time, 750 words a day...until the first draft is done. And if you see me miss any days, email me, ping me on Facebook or better yet, call me out publicly on Twitter. I need the kick in the pants.

What do you say? Are you in?

Word count today (so far)