finish the first draft of my novel

Due to several major conflicts, it has been really hard to find space and time to write lately. Now that I have finally cleared my schedule, however, I am finding it hard to get back into the habit. From May to October, I wrote an average of 7500 words a month, but I have written barely over 2200 words in the last 28 days. I have to remind myself that finishing this book is one of the most important things in the world to me, and that I need make it a priority again. I still have a fighting chance of finishing the draft by February, but I have to keep pushing myself!

Last night, I finished writing my story’s first crisis. So far, everything has been fun building to this point. I feel as if everything has been constantly gaining speed—a rock rolling downhill. Now it is time for this happy Sisyphus to turn around, begin pushing it back up again, and start building for the next climax. It is hard to imagine losing the momentum I have built and the excitement I have for my story, but I worry that I need to keep pushing myself in case finding resolution to this first crisis slows me down.

Also, I need to come up with a title for my story. I have always been bad at this. I have a feeling it won’t come to me until long after the first draft is finished.

I thought I had planned out my whole novel, except I realized yesterday that I don’t have a plan for the “and then they travel from here to there” sections. I think traveling presents an opportunity for character development and interaction, so it wouldn’t be wise to skip the scene and instead present the reader with a series of vignettes, but I still don’t know what to DO with them while they wander all over the place. Maybe I should edit my map so they don’t have so far to go! More likely, I should continue to introduce more conflict. How do other writers spice up stale situations?

I have written 17,000 words, which sounds like a decent start until I realize I have been writing for 3 months. Today, I set a personal goal of finishing the first draft by the end of February, or I’ll have to give up TV for a month (so maybe I can actually get some writing done instead of watching The Office!).

I really don’t know why the hell I’m bumming around on 43things when I could be writing.

I’m an idiot like that.

I’m starting again. 1008 words into it, and I’m aiming to at write at least 50,000 words.

....but surely. I decided to switch POV’s- from third to first, and its been a lengthy process, but the prologue is entirely converted, plus another two thousand words have been added. I have taken a general liking to the tone I have been using, but I know there is still a lot of bullshit to sift through.

I’ve set a date to be done with the first draft- April 23rd, and I want to have it entirely edited, in the first person, and at 100,000 words by then. My reward is going to be a homecooked dinner by my lovely. My consequence of not finishing will be giving up the internetz for a week.

Current WC: 51720

not happy because not perfect and rushed, but it is a first draft and its done.

Until revisions.

to use over lunch hour. this goal is within reach, if I give myself until midnight tomorrow ;-> i had a pint of mayan chocolate, just in case.

Next I have to decide: move 2nd draft to personal goal or secret project to the front.

i learned a lot from this goal and the dire threat of loss of chocolate has been a strong motivator.

I’m still not sure if I am a pantser or a plotter: i wrote most of this to an outline, not even as detailed as some as i have seen and then used the outline as a spur. during the first spurt of writing where i wrote most of it, i stopped and did some writing exercises as well as some non-fiction, and just let everything stew. i have started a second draft, same characters but revisions on structure and theme. i will be reusing only one whole chapter with slight revisions, but some of the characters have changed (a grandmother to an aunt, for instance) but the principals have remained the same.

i still want to finish this to prove i can see a draft to the end and if i fail i really will forgo chocolate for a year. i’m off to complete one chapter that i only had notes on before.