Pretty consistent word count every session today.
I’ve mentioned before that my target daily word
count is 3,000 words. Six sessions of 45 minutes hitting 500 words per session.
Broken up by 15 minutes of stretching and a bit of walking and exercise. Of
course, lunch fits in there, too, and a few household errands like laundry, dishes,
cleaning up the cat area…multiple times a day! (Thanks, Charlie!)
Today was almost playbook perfect. My session totals
were 500, 500, 500, 550, 500, 450 – for a 3K day. Now I admit I round up my
numbers. Actually I round down. I’m almost always 20 or more words over my
session goal but figure when I go back and reread and edit I’ll cut or add a
few words. I’m not at all concerned about an exact word count. If I can hit around
3K, that’s what counts.
I’m very pleased that today is the third writing day
in a row where I hit my goal. And it struck me that pushing a story forward by
3,000 words each day is a lot different than adding a few hundred words every
now and then whenever the spirit moves me. It almost borders on work! (grin)
If I want to be a full-time professional writer and
produce a novel or novella every month for the next 18 months (my goal for my
writing career between now and the end of 2023), I can’t just wait around for
inspiration to hit. I’ve got to make things happen.
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| Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay. Used by permission. |
As has so often been said, creativity is ten percent inspiration and ninety percent perspiration.
Now, I do believe in inspiration. Every night I let
my creative brain work on the next section of the story. I just don’t give it days
or weeks between sessions like I used to. Eight hours sleep is plenty of time! Then
I push forward 3,000 more words the next day, tackling the next section in the
story, generally with a fresh insight from overnight as to where the story is
going.
Hard work? Not really. I joke about it taxing my
brain, but of course it isn’t. This is a dream hobby turning into reality. Of
course, I know I’m not doing anything critical for the day to day infrastructure
of our country – I’m not saving lives or restoring power or helping people
solve their problems. I’m providing entertainment, plain and simple.
In one sense, I do think what I do helps the ‘infrastructure’
of our society (providing an experience that people want, and so it’s
worthwhile and if I do it well, I’ll be compensated for it), but my writing isn’t
necessary in any critical or immediate way.
I get to sit in a chair and make stuff up for crying
out loud. But heh, it’s a fun way to make a living.
And today, I pushed the story of Secret Spice
forward toward another crisis. I finished Part 4, “The Worst of Times.” I won’t
spoil it but let’s just say that Ma Tutt is really up against it this time. Her
nemesis is Donovan Huckly (I like the ‘huckster’ image his last name evokes)
and he’s always sticking his nose in people’s business around Sugar Pine
Station. He was a favorite quirky character of mine from Book 1. Well, he’s back
and causing Ma no end of trouble.
Maybe that’s why I can push forward the story each
day. Stories follow a typical pattern based on that old plot diagram we all
learned in Middle School Language Arts. Going up the ‘rising action’ side of
the ‘plot mountain’, there’s conflict and temporary resolution, some crisis and
partial answer, another problem and another solution…all the way to the final
conflict and climax.
I usually write myself into a problem, let my creative
brain work on the solution overnight, then write that temporary resolution section
which leads to another exciting bit of tension. How many of those ‘ups and
downs’ are needed in a novel, I’m not sure. That’s where I have to read more
about the craft of storytelling.
But for now, I’m pleased with my progress.
Today's Writing Tip...
Follow up each temporary resolution in your story with another crisis that raises the stakes.
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Keep it clean and positive. (And sorry about the word verification, but the spmb*ts are out in full force!)