Nov 14, 2024
I went into this challenge intending to write short stories but my current WIP is currently at 16,321 words and not at the end yet. It’s getting difficult for me to think of it as a short story. Honestly, it’s getting into novella territory.
Of course, I don’t know how long it’s going to be once I’ve finished editing, but I can’t see it being less that 15,000 words.
I guess the length doesn’t matter. It’s the fact that I’m writing my 1,000 words every day and that I haven’t given up on anything I’ve started.
The problem might be in my planning process. If I’m writing longer stories, then maybe I need to do more planning? At the moment I’m doing the bare minimum and I think that’s contributing to things getting too long.
I’m not sure what I’ll change, but the fact is I’ve planned 30 stories now and only completed the first draft of three. So I could afford to spend some more time planning. Maybe aim for one story planned per week, which is what I was thinking I would move up to when I start writing longer stories on purpose.
Maybe this is just a natural evolution of the challenge and maybe it would be better for me to forget about the length of the story. Instead I should just focus on getting my 1,000 words done each day and switching to a different model for planning.
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Latest release: Sisterhood
Pre-Production
Stories planned (total): 30
Production
Words written today: 1,034
Words written total: 49,632
Plus / Minus target: +3,632
Currently writing: The Lottery
Post-Production
Minutes today: 22
Minutes total: 314
Plus / Minus target: +34
Currently publishing: The Last Outpost
Reading
Short story: The Familiar Stranger – Truman Capote
Essay: Everything You Need to Know About Writing Successfully – Stephen King
Poem: On My First Son – Ben Jonson
Nov 13, 2024
Things are moving in the right direction. I am really enjoying having the reading element of the challenge. I think that’s going to pay off soon.
I haven’t really got much to add to this today. Things are getting done.
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Latest release: Sisterhood
Pre-Production
Stories planned (total): 29
Production
Words written today: 1,090
Words written total: 48,598
Plus / Minus target: +3,598
Currently writing: The Lottery
Post-Production
Minutes today: 20
Minutes total: 292
Plus / Minus target: +32
Currently publishing: The Last Outpost
Reading
Short story: The Wish – Roald Dahl
Essay: The Rise of the Essay – Zadie Smith
Poem: Crossing the Bar – Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Nov 12, 2024
Very busy but managed to get everything I needed done. Not much to add to that. Hopefully more time tomorrow.
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Latest release: Sisterhood
Pre-Production
Stories planned (total): 28
Production
Words written today: 1,080
Words written total: 47,508
Plus / Minus target: +3,508
Currently writing: The Lottery
Post-Production
Minutes today: 20
Minutes total: 272
Plus / Minus target: +32
Currently publishing: The Last Outpost
Reading
Short story: Some Live Like Lazarus – Ray Bradbury
Essay: The Nature of Fun – David Foster Wallace
Poem: The Villain – W. H. Davies
Nov 11, 2024
This is the 50th post I have published in the last 50 days, which is a new record for me. That also means that I have been doing a daily challenge for 50 days.
I don’t talk about the blogging element of the challenge very often (nor the journaling part, which is currently at 29 consecutive days) for the simple reason it doesn’t seem that important. I am under no illusion that people are reading this, but it helps me to write it. Blogging every day gives me a sense of accountability which I strongly believe is one of the keys to the success I’ve had so far.
There have been days when I haven’t felt like writing, or have been tempted to give up on a story, but knowing that I will then have to admit as much here, or give up the daily blog posts and have them suddenly stop, has pulled me through.
Sometimes the blog posts have been very short, sometimes a little longer. They have always contained updated statistics on other challenges.
In other news, the first story of the challenge is now for sale on Amazon and free if you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited. For now I’m not releasing it elsewhere but if you send me a message I’ll be happy to send you a copy as an ePub.
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Latest release: Sisterhood
Pre-Production
Stories planned (total): 27
Production
Words written today: 1,047
Words written total: 46,428
Plus / Minus target: +3,428
Currently writing: The Lottery
Post-Production
Minutes today: 22
Minutes total: 252
Plus / Minus target: +32
Currently publishing: The Last Outpost
Reading
Short story: Swamp Terror – Truman Capote
Essay: On Killing Charles Dickens – Zadie Smith
Poem: The Emporer of Ice Cream – Wallace Stevens
Nov 10, 2024
This morning I published my first short story of the challenge: Sisterhood. I am just waiting for it to go through the Amazon approval process and then I will share the link here.
It took me 230 minutes to get the editing and publishing process done. The first draft was 8,855 words long, so that means it took me 1.5 seconds per word to publish it. I’m not sure that’s a particularly helpful statistic.
Tomorrow I will add it to the website and then, if there is time, move onto editing The Last Outpost.
The writing is still going well, although it feels a bit like I’m struggling to reach a turning point but can’t quite find my was there. It’s not near the end yet, but it’s moving forwards.
I’m enjoying the reading challenge. I have a pretty good collection of short stories I’m working my way through but I want to mix in some more modern essays and poems, so I found some to download. I think this element of the challenge is going to be very interesting.
And that’s the end of the weekend.
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Pre-Production
Stories planned (total): 26
Production
Words written today: 1,049
Words written total: 45,381
Plus / Minus target: +3,381
Currently writing: The Lottery
Post-Production
Minutes today: 22
Minutes total: 230
Plus / Minus target: +30
Currently publishing: Sisterhood
Reading
Short story: Dip in the Pool – Roald Dahl
Essay: My County Right or Left – George Orwell
Poem: I Saw a Man Pursuing the Horizon – Stephen Crane
