3-day 2007: Day 3

Last Update: 5:58pm

Seven People, a Dog, and a Child who May or May Not be God

27,407 / 27,407 (100.0%)

5:58pm (27407 words; done)

I'm done. I did it. I ended up finishing somewhere extremely satisfying. It might seem a little cheesy, but a the end of 72-hours of intense writing, cheesy doesn't seem too bad. They made it. I'm so proud of them.

Also amazing is the fact that Susan and I finished at nearly the exact same time. Dude.

No, it's not 30,000, but that was just a rough goal anyway. I'm close enough. Who knows, maybe some paragraphs will be added tonight when I edit. I haven't really re-read any of it yet, so some kind of editing is a must. I had only about 1000 words more than this last year.

I can't believe I have to go to school tomorrow...

I finished, and I'm satisfied. Right now I'm in a kind of eurphoric place where I'm thrilled to be done, and determined that this year's novel is the best one I've done so far. I'm pretty happy with it. Sigh. Completion.

4:22pm (25399 words; 84.7%)

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Okay. I think I'm ready to do this. Write the ending that is. I wrote a scene, and while "uplifting" isn't exactly the word I'd choose for it, it was about healing and moving on. They're ready now. My characters have learned all that they were supposed to on their little life boat. It's time for me to take them off of it.

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2:28pm (24200 words; 80.7%)

It is still very sad. The end is in sight. They will be saved and move on, but I would really like to put in something light hearted first. That might be kind of hard, considering. If I move right into the end bits now... well for one thing it would be a little short (I suspect the end will take me about 3000 words), and for another, it would end pretty sad. I don't want that.

I stopped for macaroni and cheese. I am now very full. I think I might have a shower and try to figure out a way to evoke smiles again. There might be a Bonnie Tyler moment.

1:17pm

I'm lying in bed. I'm listening to the greatest hits of No Doubt waiting for it to get better. I've been lying there for almost an hour. I wrap the blankets tighter aroundmyself.

"Okay," I think. "It's time to start writing again." It's been nearly an hour.

So now, after my brieft but deep depression over the death of my character, I will move on. There is light. It will be okay.

12:22pm (22980 words; 76.6%):

Sigh. I did it. I killed my character. I teared up, but I didn't actually cry. I rocked back and forth for a while though. I almost couldn't do it. I kept stopping at the end of paragraph and barely bringing the strength to go on because I knew he was going to die.

At least I gave it something of a purpose. I added a deeper theme here that I had not originally meant. It gives it some more meaning. But he's dead. And now I have to figure out how to write 7000 words without him.

There are no longer seven people, a dog, and a child who may or may not be god on the boat.

I got a late start today (damn sleep) but churned out some words. Blared evanescence. Now I have to decide what to do next.

Day 3 -- Anarchist [3 day]

5:46

Anarchist

26,000 / 26,000 (100.0%)

5:43--done.

I'm not fooling around with the exact number there, it just kinda happened.
So sad.
To much to say, and my fingers hurt too much to say it. Maybe tonight I'll run through and check my mistakes--I caught some pretty nasty ones this morning when I did a look through, so it's probably a good idea. I'm hungry... I've only eaten the one bun and a seasame ball today. I had to finish.

I don't feel bad, at all, for not having achieved 30 000, because, mostly, the story would have suffered under the weight of it. I'm satisfied with where it is. Sure, it could use some polish, and overall there are probably a lot of scene expansions. But I am done. My foot is down, and my fingers ache.

4:23

I've come to the conclusion that I'll only be writing about 26 000 words for this story, which is just fiiiiine with me. It means the actual writing is almost done, thank god. I just need to make Caleb happen. He may have a small role, but it's important.

This is what my word meter should actually be looking like, sans the optimism.

24,448 / 26,000 (94.0%)

Of course, this actually makes more sense on the whole. I would rather send something in that is working for me, than that has a lot of filler. Right? Exactly.

Writing this is making me so nervous I have stomach cramps (that may also be the eating habits kicking in, but I attribute it mostly to nerves.)

3:15

I've just put the damned end in my document. Yes I've written the end. The last five pages, the last one thousand something words as they exist in my mind. Why, you ask, did I write the end when I've yet to flesh out the parts between where I was, and where I will be. Because I knew that part, that's why.

First I have to figure out Caleb's deceptions. I have to figure out Anarchist's motives (figures she'd choose now to be non-communitive) and I have to guide Mercury through it all.

The end isn't exactly motivational, so now I have to go "ok children, time to do something please". I kind of hate Caleb, but I think that that's because Mercury... excuse me, Asta, does too...

Basically, it's kind of a strange ending... but maybe it will not be the end. Who knows, nothing is printed, thus it is not written in stone.

1:38-- 22, 532, that's if you count every word soon to be used, and written today and the like, not what's currently in the manuscript

My stomach aches. I think I need to eat something nutritional soon. Like STAT soon.



1:20 -- 22070 (this is a total lie, it's more like 21 594, the math doesn't add up 'cause I added words)

Whatever the case that is approximately where I am. It's not writing as easily as it had been. but I think I know where I'm going. Not I happy ending I guess. Shit. Whatever right, the object is to finish.

Mercury is so confused, and I really don't blame her.

12:45 -- 20,957 +588

I think I might need Bonnie Tyler--but Gwen Stephani is doing just as well--as well as she can. The problem is that there's going to be more killing, and I don't know who's going to die, and I think I'm going to have a stupidly arty ending, that isn't going to give any of my characters any kind of satisfaction... not really.

I mean, men love her. Does that mean she loves men? The only person she loves is Anarchist. Is she going to kill Anarchist? Maybe... but I don't think that sounds right.

Oh ew... what if I have him kill Anarchist, and the kid learns what hate means... oh ew. I mean she's grown up in a Dystopia, she doesn't know the meaning of horror because she's seen too much of it. Is she the strongest? She might be... is she strong enough to live entirely in hatred of someone? Probably.

I really don't want Anarchist to die, but I think she might have to. That sucks, but she'll be able to see David again, probably.

It's all on Mercury now, and neither of us is entirely sure if that's ok. Her and I, we know eachother, but we both know her limitations--I don't want to bend her like I've been forced to ben Anarchist. I don't want to have to create another utter chaos.

it's all designe it's all designe[...] kids with guns, easy does it---they're turning us into monsters, turning us into fire.


12:15
It's not that I don't have words... I have pleanty of those. But I also have aches, pain, and IN-HIB-ITIONS.

As well as those small hindrances I'm having structural difficulties. Grrrr... I'm not putting up a word count yet because at the moment my count is: 20 658... but really it's 21 462 (which isn't so bad)... you see, I had to remove a scene that I wrote straight off the bat because it was too soon. I'll add it near the end of the book--we are talking total end game here folks--but not right now. So my word count is fucked.

Day 2--Anarchist [3 Day]

10:05

Anarchist
AKA the most depressing story ever

10,042 / 10,000 (100.4%)

10:05 -- 100% (20, 042)

I've left myself enough to do I hope. Mercury and Anarchist are finally allowed to interact. I don't know how much easier this is going to be on me.

I want to give them a happy ending really I do. I just don't know if I can.

Tomorrow is going to be... well, it will be.

Moby is my god.

9:26 -- 92.6% (19, 261)

I know I have to keep writing... 731 pages left but... I feel so alone now. We--Anarchist and me--don't know what to do without him. It flows through my body, and yes, I'm crying. I feel the revulsion that his death brings to me--I feel it in my gut and now I wonder. How will we move on.

And that's why she is Anarchist.

8:46 -- 85.5% (18554)

Oh god oh god oh god

8:36 -- 84.4% (18442)

No one that I love is EVER allowed to become a freedom fighter, nor are they allowed to live through a dystopia... or die. Ever.

6:29 -- 72.6% (17, 262)
It's still the TOO FAST thing that bugs me, but I think that I may yet have a handle on it. On the total total (out of 30k) I'm almost at 60%. At the moment I'm at 57% to be exact.

I need a break. Something horrible, and yet hopefully beautiful and really significant is about to happen. She's going to get her name. I want that to happen, yeah, but I kind of want it to span like, the rest of the section I'm writing today. Along with that needs to go some explanations and some parts need some beefing, but whatever... I'm rambling at you.

Basically I need a break. By the end of the weekend I betcha seeing sticky buns will give me panic attacks.


5:18 -- 60.8% (16,084)
Mmhmm. I just don't want to go too fast now... damn.

3:53 -- 50.4% (15, 044)

I'm going to call Beth now. I'm haveing some rough patches, but should be hitting a fertile spot again soon enough. I just have to get another thousand, to two thousand words in here. Those will be the hard ones.

1:27 -- 33.8% (13, 380)

I'm going to go have a break and think about this next bit. Government institutions always throw me for a loop. I may have to come up with a stylistic way to portray this. It's not a copout, it's art!

Sticky bun 2 and maybe a shower...

12:54 -- 26.5% (12, 650)

Doing well. Very well. Added the total count to the bottom.

12:14 pm -- 22.7% (12 267 words)

I'm a little conflicted and maybe think that I should have two words meters up? One for total progress and one for the day's progress? Naw, too complicated.

I took a good long break yesterday which was super great. It let me have a brain break and I think I'm better for it. The only thing that's not cool is that my left hand is crapping out... I don't know how long it's going to last, but let's just say I'm already dreading work on Tuesday!

It starts with my left pinky finger which I think may be stuck in a permanent claw like state... distressing. I'm coming up on my next break, only about 1 100 words. That means lunch/a shower! Woot! Maybe I'll even brush my teeth. I am a rancid individual right now.

At the moment the writing is going smoothly. I think I have enough to get me through the day, I am though, struggling with the end. Here's hoping that the notes scattered on my desk come up with something good.

So far I have eaten nothing but left overs and chinese baked goods -- and when I say left overs I mean a half a seafood conolli... and oh yes, one piece of pie as my half way there treat yesterday.

The complete total

20,042 / 20,000 (100.2%)

3-day 2007: Day 2

Last Update: 12:14am

Seven People, A Dog, and A Child Who May or May Not be God

21,096 / 23,000 (91.7%)

12:14am (21096 words; 91.7%)

.

Okay. It's time for bed. I is sleepy.

.

There are two ways to look at today's final word count. On one hand I reached the 20,000 mark, which is the really important thing. I finished day two at least two thirds through the story. On the other hand, I only wrote 8000 new words today. I was supposed to write 10,000. I stopped 2000 words before my actual goal for today.

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But that isn't a terrible thing. This is nice part, the reward, if you will, for yesterday's productivity. I hit quite teh wall today, and that took time. I think I have almost all of the issues cleared up, and it should -- should -- be more or less clear typing from here on out. My goal for tomorrow is to hit 30,000. Only 9000 words. I can do this.

.

Unfourtunately I got tired in the middle of a scene. Hm. Susan had advised me to go to bed, but I was stubborn and wanted to write more. I wrote a scene and a half. The first one was short and easy, but the next is one of the most important scenes in my story. I got tired. I know I can't finish it right now and do it justice. This means I'm going to wake up and the first thing I'm going to have to do is kill one of my characters. That may not be pretty. I think I can do it though. He'll get a better death if I'm well rested than if I try to write it now. My fingers and my head aren't quite coordinated right now. I tried to write "blew" in my story, and that was the word in my head, but "blue" came out of my fingers. They only half got it. It's time for rest.

Good night!

.

9:02pm (18479 words; 80.3%)

.

It is coming out veeeery slooooowly. Susan has just past my word count. She's getting very excited up there in her updates. I'd really like to speed this up a knotch. Oh I got a little distracted looking at Xena Warrior Princess on Wikipedia. Don't ask.

.

I was totally lulling to the Decemberists. I turned them off. I'm going to try writing without music for a bit. Sometimes that gives me focus. If it doesn't work, it'll either be something a bit faster or another power ballad moment.

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Oh -- and Blogger's being a bitch. To me, anyway. I don't know what I've done to be undeserving of spaces between paragraphs. I will win! *inserts dots*

.

6:34pm (17756 words; 77.2%)

.

So I was having a little bit of a plot crisis. I knew I only had so much more to write, and I was worried about needing to insert filler. So. I asked myself -- WWJWD?

.

What would Jeanette Winterson do?

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I added a scene of filler. It's entertaining filler though, so I don't feel too bad. What I wanted most to avoid was "And then they sat in the boat. It was hot. The water was pretty though. Someone coughed. We hoped we'd be rescued soon." That wouldn't have been good. I know there are other parts that I've already written that people will think are filler. I don't think they are, but I also don't think I can give a hugely good reason why not. Just accept it. At least this scene I wrote has some personality.

.

It's coming along all right. I had a couple hours of despair, but I think I'll be okay. Oh, and I've decided how it's going to end. That's a relief to have figured out. Hmm... I still don't know how that one character is going to fall out of the boat. We'll see.

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4:23pm (15804 words; 68.7%)

See last post. Ditto.

2 renditions of Total Eclipse of the Heart, and a phone call from Susan and I think I'm about ready to go. I bring up the word document. Put my hands on the keyboard. Change my mind. I smell too bad to write right now. I'm going to have a shower, then I'm going to eat bugles and write SOMETHING.

3:10pm (15804 words; 68.7%)

"Golly," says you. "Beth forgot to update her word meter."

"Sorry," says I. "Beth hasn't written any more words."

Okay, I think I'm there. I think I hit the blasted wall that I feared I was going to find. I'm about where I was at 9pm day 2 last year. Well that doesn't be do me any good if I don't come up with anything for the next six hours.

I had brunch break after my last update, and now I don't know what to do. I have a couple of scenes in mind, but they're not ready to come out yet, and there's a detail (small but important) for one of the most important scenes that I'm going to write that I don't know and it's driving me crazy. That's the scene that isn't going to happen for at least another 5000 words, and I'm obsessing over it because I don't know how one of the characters is going to fall out of the boat! I have another scene in mind, fairly insignificant, which can come soon, but I'd prefer not next.

Also, I don't know how the story is going to end. Yesterday I tried not to think about that too much, but now I'm half way through it and I feel like I should probably be ready to start thinking about that and I have no idea.

I think I'm about to do it -- I think I'm going to bring out The Power Ballad. At very least it should calm me down so that I'll be able to think at normal speed again.

1:57pm (15804 words; 68.7%)

I just wrote a fairly imporant scene. It involved the poem I mentioned in my last update. I feel like today is maybe moving a little slower than yesterday, but it's only two o'clock and I've gotten to 15K so I'm happy.

I'm going to have to stop for food soon. I guess that's okay. I need a little bit of a thinkie break anyhow. I don't exactly what to write next. I still have a number of scenes I intend to write, but I need one of them to not happen for at least another 5000 words.

Things are going well. Day two music, as it turns out, is Sarah McLachlan. I'm doing the solace album right now. It's working well. I seem to remember this album being a part of last year's 3-day as well.

11:20am (13667 words; 29.4%)

Well that kind of sucked -- changing my word meter from 130% to 59%... you see I added another 10000 words to where I finished yesterday. I'm not going to ask that I meet yesterday's word count, only that I make 10,000 again. Anything more than that is gravy.

As you can see, I've just started today. I woke up about 10:30, and made some food and stumbled into the computer chair. I wrote the rest of the scene that I had thought I'd finished last night. Though it seems premature, I'm about to take a break, though it isn't exactly a "break" per se... It will be absolutely on task, but not situated in front of my computer. You see, I have to write a poem. We all know how I feel about my poetry, but that's okay, because it doesn't have to be a particularly good poem -- in fact, if it's kinda crappy, that's even better.

Happy wishes to all for the day!

3-day 2007: Day 1

Last Update: 12:11am

Seven People, a Dog, and a Child who May or May Not be God

13,139 / 10,000 (131.4%)

12:11am (13139 words; 131.4%)

Well I can't say I'm not pleased with my progress. 3000 words is nothing to get too excited about, but I do like the wiggle room it promises me for later on. Last year I hit 15,000 at 6:00 on day two. I'm almost there at the end of day one. I just might need that.

As I can see, this can go a few ways:

1. I dry up soon-ish and need this time to figure out what to do about it

2. It keeps up at this pace and I end up with the longest 3-day novel I've ever written, longer too than most submissions end up being

3. I keep this up and it draws to its expected close of around 30,000 at what? Maybe noon on Monday.

Lol, I really doubt it will be that last one, and am rather better on option number one. I have two more long(ish) scenes planned, and at least one other that is required but I'm not sure of yet. There can be a number of shorter scenes as well.

I'm coming to be quite fond of my characters. I think that's a good thing.

I had thought I would stay up later than this, but the word count is good and I'm kinda sleepy. I'll think about the next couple of scenes as I drift off. Good night!

Lol, and maybe I'll actually speak to Susan at some point tomorrow!

7:30pm (10360 words; 103%)

Woot! Day one goal is met! This is a good thing, because I'm not done for the day, which means I will certainly exceed the day's goal. The reason this is important is because I can sense some struggle on the horizon. I know I probably have enough for another 10,000, but another 20,000? Hmm. Maybe. I might need to come up with some more plot points though, and that could take time. Last year, I had 400 words more than this when I went to bed on day one, around 1 in the morning. I'll probably stay up just as late, but I'll hopefully get more than 400 words done in that time!

(though keep in mind I do have to stop for dinner, which tends to be my longest break of the day. Oh, and when I say "short break" I kind of fail. Both lunch, and the other break ended up being just over an hour each. Sigh. Oh well. I really can't bitch about my productivity today.)

I'm on decemberists album Picaresque. Soon I'm going to whack something if I here these people sing any more. Actually... I sense a break on the horizon, so I think I'll turn them off right now.

Wha ha ha. I win. (the decemberists are gone now)

Oh, my chair randomly fell apart during a fit of productivity. That was fantastic. I fixed it. It's all good now. But dude -- that was annoying.

By this point last year I was experiencing some severe writers block (have I mentioned that I love this blog???) and I don't have that scheduled until tomorrow, at least. ; ) Yeah, I figure I'll hit that eventually, but so far it's been like a freely flowing tap. It's kind of a beautiful thing.

4:31pm (8425 words; 84.3%)

I have to say, I'm feel pretty good about this. I was at about this many words at 6:30 on day one last year, so I'm about operating about two hours ahead of last year's precedent. That's got to be a good thing. I think I can definately say I'm going to make 10,000 for the day.

I still haven't needed a power ballad.

I am getting a little bit sick of this decemberists album though... I wonder if their other one will work too.

Yepp things are coming along nicely. I can't say that I'm not still a little worried about running out of plot, but so far things are working all right for me. I think I'm going to take another short break right now.

1:35pm (5836 words; 58.4%):

I guess I'll take on the same format as Susan for the three day updates. I think I'm doing alright. I might look like I'm doing really well, but I would like to get a bit beyond the 10,000 mark today. Historically, I slow down on day two quite considerably. That's where Susan caught up to me last year. She ended up seriously surpassing my word count, even though I started higher than her then too.

Right now is lunch break.

Things are coming along nicely. Do I have another 25,000 words worth of plot? I don't know. That could get a little rough later on, but for now I'm okay. Physically I'm not in pain yet, which truthfully surprises me. That will only last so long. The music all morning has been the Decemberists album "The Crane Wife". It's working nicely, because it has a little bit of a nautical tone. It's tone matches nicely the story I'm writing. I haven't broken into the power ballads yet, so I must be doing okay.

Day 1--Anarchist [3 day]

Day 1

Last updated: 5:35pm

The title of the piece I'm working on for this three day novel writing contest is Anarchist.

I'll be posting my progress day by day in single posts with update times, much like I would on other spaces with my essays.

Anarchist

10,016 / 10,000 (100.2%)

10:04 pm (100% -- 10 016)
Today has been pretty good. I've had some hard parts but I think I mostly know where things are going for tomorrow, hopefully by the end of tomorrow I'll know where the rest is going. I think everything should turn out well. I'm a little concerned by formatting, as some of the story parts deviate from the other bits and pieces. Maybe a little integration is in order.

I've had to research suicide by electrocution, that's not pretty. I can't believe Wikki has a list of suicide methods... I finished the day off with Blue October, which worked well. For now I have to rest my wrists and fingers. Good night all.

5:35 p, (58.5%--5, 849)
Good going. Mom bugs me. Started with the new NIN.

4:53 pm (51% -- 5, 113)
I'm a little annoyed, I was on the verge of genius and mom decided to come in for a new book... oh yeah a little annoyed, to say the least.

I'm still confident that this book is going to be exactly the length that I need it to be, I just don't think I can premonition the next bits. It writes nicely, but it's hard to predict how the next section will go. Very much an impromptu work. My break went nicely. So far it's been snippits of Decemberists, both albums, Evenescence "Eternal" over and over, and the whole ripped album Alex gave me, plus a lot of NIN--the fragile, and Halo fourteen which was last year's music too.

2:12 pm (35% -- 3, 466)
I'm very happy with the way things are going. Again, I wish I could speed up a bit. But again, because of the nature of the piece... the pages don't really feel like the correspond with the word count. I'm on page fifteen already, double spacing. It's not a bad thing, because that's what's demanded, it just feels a little strange is all. Now it's time for my lunch break! Yay! Well earned. I definitely think this had more and more room to grow.

1:19 pm (25.% -- 2, 532)
Things are going well. I'm liking the word meter. I'm about 800 words away from a well deserved break, and then it's back to work for another third, and then back to work to fill the day's quota. Everything after that is bonus work. The goal is 10 000 words a day. I think I can handle that!

11:56 am
I've been working since about 10:30am today, I got a few things down yesterday morning/evening (12-1am). The obscurity of the way in which this novel has to be written is somewhat of a hindrence on speed, but the way I'm plodding that's not so distressing. I've been fairly steady (so far) and can only see things to tinker with. The challenge of the piece is to give enough, but not too much, away in order to keep it interesting. As well, to tie in the various elements so that they piece together cohesively.

I had a moment of panic, but I think I've quelled that. I see that Beth is ahead of me, hm. Well, I'm sure I can fix that in due time. *wink*

Before bed check in

2732 words. Not a whole lot, but enough that my introduction is pretty well done. I'm a little bit worried, but I think it's going okay.

Bed time!

---- I assume we'll be using this blog a bit more in the coming days.