Monday, November 07, 2005

Novel Writing Month Day 7

4 Qudrat 162 B.E. November 6-7, 2005 A.D.

I am struggling to write chapter four today. This is the seventh day of Novel Writing Month and I am having difficulties writing today. I started chapter four, but I have not gotten very far on it. I do not know what is wrong. However, my inner critic is acting up and I am having problems getting past the first page of this chapter. I have written over 5,000 words and I have about 4,500 words left to write. I have not written the amount of words I wanted to write up to this point. This is the seventh day of the Novel Writing Month, I had intended to have over 7,000 words written up to this point.

OK, I am looking on the negative side of things. I know this is just a speed bump in the process. It will pass, it is just not passing fast enough. I have to look at the end of this processes which will be a novel. Now that I have written the problem out. I will go on with the chapter. I am too critical about my own writing. I have a tendency to rewrite while I am working on the uncompleted writing project. I do think of things that have to go in earlier chapters when I am working on the present chapter then I go back and add the stuff.

Tuesday, November 01, 2005

Writing My Novel Day 1

18 'Ilm 162 B.E. November 1-2, 2005 A.D.

November 1 was the first day of Novel writing month. I have started my 50,000 word novel. I am making progress. My inner critic is acting up, trying to find reasons that I will fail and not finish the novel. However, I am ignoring my inner critic and I am making progress on my novel. I have posted an excerpt and a word count on the National Novel Writing Month website.

I have came up with strategies to help me write. One strategy is to take the prompt given out by my prompt groups and use them to write content for my novel. Another strategy is to get away from the novel when I find myself stuck. Another strategy is just to keep writing when I am stuck. Sometimes it helps to keep writing and sometimes it helps to get away from what I am doing. I haven't decided which is best. Both way may work depending on the conditions and where I am stuck at in the novel.

As the old saying goes: "So far so good!" (I wonder if I can use that in the novel). Anyway I am working on the novel and when I am not working on the novel I am thinking about it or I am thinking about how I am going to reward myself when I am finished. I have not decided on the specific reward yet. I have consider some reward options, but nothing definite yet.