Last check-in word count: 58,000 words.
Current WC + CC: I finished my WIP at 66,300 words! :D And I also got 5000 words of my secret mini-project written, bringing me up to a total of 10,000. Close to finishing now, then hopefully I'll be able to tell you guys what it is! :)
And...I started a new WIP. One I outlined back in October, but put away to focus on the MG book I was drafting at the time. I intended to write it next but that post-apocalyptic plotbunny came along and took over...but I've always been meaning to get back to it! This one's a YA urban fantasy. Think of it as the YA version of The Puppet Spell - it's about a very dysfunctional magical family battling evil deities trying to reclaim the earth. I'll say no more for now! But I'm 2000 words into the first chapter already. ^_^
WIP issues this week: I always struggle with starting a new book, and as I'd written two different beginnings for this one, I had to piece the right parts of each one together while trying to do all the million and one other things a first chapter needs...argh! I'm still not convinced I've got it right. But I can always fix it later (as I nearly always have to do!).
What I learned this week in writing: That I don't have to work on one piece exclusively - sometimes it's good to switch around. Several days this week I've got a lot more writing done just through jumping between two projects - if I get stuck on one, I go to the other.
What distracted me this week when writing: Querying. Lovely anxiety attacks made a reappearance and I'm now suffering from insomnia again... Rejections are never fun, but it's that horrible sense of anticipation and dread whenever I open my inbox which makes it difficult to concentrate on anything else. But, gotta soldier on...
Last 200 words: My new WIP is all over the place at the moment and of course, the end of the last one is kind of spoilerific. ;) But I'll be able to share something of the Secret Mini-Project soon!
Congratulations on your new first draft!
ReplyDeleteI have trouble with beginnings, too. Sometimes I won even start until I'm happy with it, which is not something I can ever recommend as it severely impends progress,
I'm still trying to figure out how jumping around works, I want to try writing the opening chapter to another project next week, see if my brain can make the switch, :)
I am so familiar with querying-induced anxiety attacks. I hope this next week is better.
Good luck with the new project! I love the concept!
Congrats on finishing your draft and on starting something new! :D I always struggle with beginnings as well. I think it's best to just dive right in, and you can always change the beginning later. I almost never keep the same beginning, now that I think about it.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I can jump around between projects, and sometimes I can't. I think I work better when I just focus on one thing––but even when I'm trying to focus on one project, I have a lot of little side-projects that I can fall back on if I run out of inspiration.
Sorry about the anxiety attacks and the insomnia. I am all too familiar with those. :( Hope it gets better this week! And good luck with the querying!
Beginnings are definitely the death of mine. I wrote about sixty different beginnings before I found one I'm quite satisfied with. And then, there's the little matter of the first act...
ReplyDeleteI really admire your ability to jump between projects. I can't do that, for some reason.
Hope your inbox brings you good news soon, and can't wait to hear what your new project is all about!
Congrats! Finishing a draft is awesome!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the new project - it sounds fascinating! Can't wait to see some snippets.
As for querying, I feel your pain! Just don't give up! Are you going to do pitch contests as well?
Happy writing this week!
You had me from "dysfunctional magical family." :-)
ReplyDeleteBest of luck with querying and with the new WIP!
Way to go!! You're inspiring me to be more productive :D
ReplyDeleteSarah Allen
(From Sarah, With Joy)
Rock on with your first draft! Woohoo!!
ReplyDeleteAnd yes to the anxiety of q's.... Ugh. It is complete agony to wait and hope and be rejected, and wait and hope and be rejected, fearing that stack of R's growing. But you're right, we can only soldier on. Keep up the AWESOME work!
Congrats, congrats on finishing! And on querying. It's as "soul-sucking" as everyone says it is. (I'm querying too.) But you're right, keep soldiering on. Writing new stuff always pays off because that means you're not giving up in the face of rejection. I like to think, when I find my agent and they ask "What else have you been working on?" I can show them other projects, proof positive I kept writing no matter what. Keep it up, Emma!
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