Pages edited today — 49. That’s 12,250 words.
I have six chapters to go through in the next few days. Unfortunately, most of the content is trash. But, I think I just might be able to pull it off.
Keep every available digit crossed for me.
Back in the saddle
Well, I didn’t write anything new today, but I did manage to get myself organized. I have a tendency to overlook those “little” details of chronology and consistency of setting. As a result, I had a lot of chapters where a day suddenly turns to night with a POV switch, or where one chapter happens a day before the one preceding it (minor stuff, right?). Although I’m a crazy planner as far as plot goes, I’m more than a bit lazy when it comes to figuring out a timeline. I don’t know why I don’t do it; it would make my life much easier in the long run. Maybe all the keeping track of numbers reminds me of math and I go into automatic passive resistance mode, or something.
Whatever the reason, I had a huge mess on my hands nearing the end of the book. I had no idea what happened when — and thusly couldn’t figure out the ordering of my chapters (another huge task I accomplished today). I finally sat down and wrote out the most primitive, crude (yet effective) timeline anyone’s ever witnessed and got myself straight.
Then came the chapters. I like to save each chapter as a separate file, mostly for formatting reasons. I had the chapters very well organized at the end of the first go-round. But, then I started revising and began adding chapters and re-arranging them, so I ended up with a folder full of nonsense like, “Chapter 20-A” stuffed between twenty and twenty-one, again because I was too lazy to go all the way through and re-number the chapters right then and there.
But, today saw the end of my last remains of disorganization. I now have properly ordered chapters and an accurate timeline. Tomorrow, I can spring into action and bang out the rest of this story by the end of the week.
These posts have been boring, I know, but I promise more foolishness just as soon as I get this deadline behind me and I can properly think again. Thanks for the patience, and I hope to have good news tomorrow night regarding my spectacular comeback as editing champion of the world.
The bell tolls…
…and cracks.
Due to the issues I told you I wouldn’t bore you with, I haven’t met my goal. I’m much closer — you’ll see that if you look at that little meter in the top right of my screen. But, despite magnificent headway, I’m not there yet.
So, what am I going to do?
Extend my deadline, of course. I figure if I’m the one who set it in the first place, I can re-arrange it. Yeah, I know this type of thing doesn’t fly in the real world, but I’m not out there, yet, so I’m going to enjoy the rules I’ve created for myself while I can.
December 1, 2006.
That’s the new deadline. I’d have set it for next week, but with Thanksgiving travel and all, I’d just be pasting this note into a new blog next Friday. And I promised no recycled material, didn’t I? Breaking two promises in the span of two weeks would just be tacky.
Two weeks to finish the final nineteen percent of the book; I can do that.
We’ll just pretend that last deadline never existed. Right?
Good.
See you next week and tell you how it’s going.
Yet another update
Pages revised today – 22 (5,500 words).
Caught up? Nope.
Feeling better about myself? Sure, why not.
Don’t ask
Yeah. I’ve been absent here a couple of days, and those days saw absolutely zero work done. I’m so far behind on the deadline, I doubt there’ll be catching up at this point. I could say wild dogs broke into my house and carried me off to become one of their own, or that I was kidnapped on election day by an angry republican, or that my excellent writing two days ago somehow broke the barrier between reality and fiction and opened a mystical portal that sucked me into my story and it wasn’t until just this moment that I climbed out, barely alive and with only enough energy left to type this post before succumbing to my death. But, we all know that’s not the truth, and the truth is, well, much less glamorous and I won’t waste your time on petty justifications.
Still, I’m not throwing in the towel on this mega-project. I’m gonna keep moving and we’ll see where I am at the end of this marathon — November 17. I probably won’t meet my goal, but I’ll definitely be farther along than before. So, that’s something.
Status report
Today I did a little better, but I don’t think I’m caught up, yet. Most of my luck had to do with the chapters I was re-writing still had a lot of keep-able portions.
So, what did I do today?
Twenty-three pages (5,750 words) of new and recycled content. Not enough to put me back on schedule, but I’m still better off than I was last night.
I’m up to the part where serious re-writing needs to be done. The last few chapters were brand new POV scenes for Quinn and the tweaking of existing chapters. Now, I have to get a game plan together for ending this; there are thirteen virtually unusable chapters to wade through before November seventeenth.
As Scarlett said, “Tomorrow is another day.”
Let’s hope a more productive one.
Sad little update
Only six pages today (1,500 words). That means 12 additional pages I now need to sprinkle through the rest of the days like confetti. Evil, bad confetti.
I’m not even going to update my word count meter tonight. Maybe tomorrow I’ll have a redeeming burst of crazed energy — like Alex Keaton when he took speed before that big test. Except without the drugs… or the sweater vests.
Today’s numbers
It’s 7:44pm and I’ve just called it quits. I only got fourteen pages (3,500 words) out today. Yep, three short of my goal. Looks like I’ll be working tomorrow, too.
*********************************************************************************
(10:25pm)
Hah! I bounced back after dinner and pounded out four more pages (1,000 words).
I’m a genius.
Status update
Thursday, November 2. After seven hours of writing, I have eighteen pages (4500 words). I don’t know how many chapters that equals because I’m not sure how I’ll be breaking up a few of them, yet.
Here’s hoping I can keep up this steam for two more weeks (and that I remember to shower).
Got the whip in hand (or, self-flagellation — not just for zealots)
I decided last night enough is enough with these twenty chapters I need to re-write. They’re the final chapters I’ve been talking (and yet doing nothing) about for months on end. I’ve become the Artful Dodger of editing –ducking around this task while changing minor character names and profiles, re-writing earlier Quinn POV chapters, focusing on editing the first forty chapters, and, yes, farting around. All the while the ending (the biggest revision I need to tackle so far) has sat there, waiting and untouched.
Since I am interested in having a go at getting this monster published sometime before I turn sixty, I’ve decided — as I said above — enough is enough. I’m breaking out the whip. I’ve given myself twelve days (two work weeks plus today and tomorrow) to re-write these twenty chapters. That’s almost two chapters a day. Pretty excessive? Yep. But I’ve done it to myself and now have to pay the price.
I’ve marked my calendar and set my clock. I’ve also pasted one of those word meters on this page. Because the meter isn’t really set up for re-writing deadlines, I made it as if those last chapters never existed and I’m writing fresh (which is really not too far from the truth, anyway). I’ve erased those 50,250 words from my total word count and will now attempt to put them all back by Friday, November 17, 2006.
I’m hoping declaring my intentions publicly while posting my progress will keep me in line. If not, I’ve got the whip sitting right here, and I’m not afraid to use it.
Okay, I’m a little afraid to use it…
Hell and Wheels 