Less time, more words; goal today is 4,526 words in 5 hours

Today’s goal

5 hours / 4,526 words / 905 WPH (still practicing: less time, more words) (I should make that my new mantra: less time, more words)

Hour 1: 800
Hour 2: 538 (Uh oh. That’s way too slow to reach my goal.)
Hour 3: 1,025 (That’s more like it!)
Hour 4: DNF (explanation below)
Hour 5: DNF (explanation below)
Extra hour?:

I have proven to myself several times over the last few successful days of writing that the caffeine was probably not the reason why I was hitting +1,000 WPH on this book a few weeks ago (before I decided to quit caffeine again). Whew. Gotta say I was a bit worried about that.

Well, I’m sorry to say I took a break after that last session, started reading a book as a way to clear my head a bit before I got back to work, and then just kept reading. It’s now 10:39 and there’s no time to get back to writing because I was supposed to get to bed 39 minutes ago (can’t get up at 6 every day if I don’t go to bed early enough to get my 8 hours!). On the other hand, I finished the book. The one I was reading, that is. :D I only wish I’d finished the one I am writing.

I tried to feel guilty for today’s disappointing results, but eh, I need to read more fiction right now anyway. It helps me enjoy writing more.

I could use some of that right now. :)

But that’s it for me. Tomorrow I’ll try again to do better with the schedule and with the words.

Here are the numbers.

Saturday’s session log

Minutes Words Session WPH
60 800 800 800
60 1,338 538 538
60 2,363 1,025 1,025

 

Ever listen to a song so often on repeat you hear it in your head ALL THE TIME?

Yeah. I’m there. I’ve had a song on repeat ever since I started to think I was getting close to the end of this book three or four days ago. I’m starting to go a little crazy but every time I put on a different song, it just feels wrong. :o

The song doesn’t even make sense for the book. I just like the energy. :D

Today I abandoned the 40 minute sessions for 60 minute sessions. The 40 minute ones are just too trying. 6 in a day for the same 4 hours the 60 minute sessions will get me in 4. And I’m pretty used to the 60 minute length. The only time it’s a problem for me is if I’d had too much to drink—and now that I’m off coffee and tea, I’m hoping I won’t have to pause for that quite as often anymore!

Sometimes I do find the 60 minutes to be a bit hard when it comes to focus, and I do usually write faster in shorter periods of time, but there’s just too much overhead in those shorter sessions. I can get a day’s worth of work done so much quicker when I do the longer sessions. My breaks are prime opportunities for me to become distracted, so fewer breaks usually means fewer distractions (assuming I’m not jumping up and down for bathroom breaks).

So that’s where I am. Song is on repeat again, and I’m about to start hour 2 of my day’s writing.

I planned 5 total, so 4 to go including this one. I’m disappointed I’ve put it off until so late, but I don’t have any obligations tonight so I can still get them all done if I dig in and show a little grit. (Just wish I’d had more than 6 hours of sleep last night—but long story and no time left to chat.) (I am going to make a new post though with details of my progress today, because … compulsion.)

Not enough writing; obsessing over covers

Yesterday I did too much obsessing over covers and not enough writing.

I tried to come up with a new style for my series that I’m having a cover designed for (really nervous about the possible outcome of that—I thought it would be a much more hands-off experience, but other than the art itself, I don’t love the cover I’ve seen—I haven’t liked the typography at all so far and I’m disappointed about that). I wish I could say I have faith in the designer, but the truth is, I’m just not sure. I like the designer’s portfolio but after a quick review last night to remind myself of that, I started to notice a distinct pattern to typography placement that does not fit what I have in mind for my series. In the end, I didn’t succeed in coming up with an alternate design I liked, and considering how hard it’s been for me to make these particular covers, it’s probably unrealistic to expect myself to do so without an excessive amount of obsessing over them.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m totally in the mood to obsess over my covers right now, but I also have a book that is getting really close to the end and I need it done three months ago. :D

So today I will write, at least for the morning hours.

Yesterday, I finished only two 40 minute sessions.

Yesterday’s session log

Block #1
Scheduled: 7:30–8:55 (40m, 40m)
Actual: 9:49–10:29 (40m)

Block #2
Scheduled: 10:30–11:55 (40m, 40m)
Actual: 10:30–11:34 (40m)

Block #3
Scheduled: 1:30–2:55 (40m, 40m)
Actual: none

I didn’t keep my table of word counts for some reason, so all I can say is I wrote 823 words in 80 minutes total for a pace of 617 WPH yesterday.

I also started reading another book—not one of my own. :)

Which brings up a point. I’m a bit worried about that. I usually love reading my own books and I’ve done anything I can lately to avoid them. :o And especially the first in the series of the one I’m writing now, and I really need to read that book again! I’m sure I’ve got stuff that I’m going to have to fix because I put it off and this book has taken so long to write that I’ve forgotten so much about the world.

I just don’t know what’s going on. :(