Year: 2017

Session two better than session one, so… incremental improvement?

Lynn

Session two’s attempt has also failed.

I wrote 358 words (537 wph). I did improve over session one though, so there was some incremental improvement.

But—oh, and there is a but—not only did I not write faster than my average (600 wph), I wasted a bunch of writing time when a shiny video caught my eye on YouTube and I watched a bunch of videos about traveler’s notebooks (which I don’t even have nor do I want!). I haven’t been on YouTube before last night in months. So I have to ask myself: Why now? Am I really so desperate to avoid writing that I’ve turned to YouTube to sabotage myself?

Frankly, I’m a little off-kilter anyway because looking at my notebook, I see that I ended session one at 10:58, yet I didn’t end session two until 12:40. Where’d that extra hour go?

UGH. I have no idea!

My plan was to finish three sessions before lunch, but now I’m starving and it’s 2:32 so I’m going to go ahead and stop for a moment.

When I come back, I’m going to do sessions three to six.

And… this ended up being my last session. I just flaked out, no real explanation why I couldn’t bring myself to finish the day.

Didn’t get there in session one

Lynn

Session one for the morning is over. I did not write as freely or constantly as wanted to. I hesitated a lot. I backspaced more than I’d hoped. I second-guessed myself many times.

I wrote 313 words (470 wph). That’s not even my average pace (600 wph), so I have to admit  session one’s attempt was a failure.

On to session two, after I stretch my legs.

Yay for that, at least

Lynn

I ended yesterday with 384 words. Considering I was up to 468 after two of my 40 minute sessions, that seems impossible, right? But nope, not impossible. I completed another 40 minute session but before I started it I deleted 349 words.

Boom, just gone.

I must have written a few hundred words there in that last session or I’d have ended the night with a lower word count than I did, so yay! for that.

On another note, today I plan to begin substituting the word “plan” anywhere I might be tempted to use the word “goal.” It’s a mind-trick I want to try out. We’ll see how it goes.

Also, today I will definitely be picking up the challenge I set out for myself last night but was unable to follow through on. I’m going to try to write as constantly as I can during my sessions, and stay away from the backspace or delete key as much as possible!, and see where that gets me. It’s going to be challenging, but if I don’t practice, I won’t improve.

Practicing writing faster in 40 minute intervals

Lynn

*And was derailed by a kid emergency. I’ll have to save this one for tomorrow. Ugh! Nothing serious though. Well, nothing serious for ME. Kiddo sure thinks differently. :)*

Tonight I’m working in 40 minute sessions. I have quite a bit of writing I wanted to do today and somehow I put it off until now. I’ve completed three of what I wanted to be nine sessions today. Nine was a stretch I could have hit but definitely won’t after starting this late.

I’ll be lucky to finish six now. Probably won’t, to be honest, because staying up late and messing up my sleep rhythms again would be dumb.

I’d rather not do dumb things. :)

But that’s not what this post is about. This post is about me trying to practice writing faster. First thing I need to do is write more and stop less.

Currently, I stop, backup, and start over A LOT. I need to stop that. Or at least cut back on it significantly.

So I’m going to try to write as constantly as I can during this next session (which is probably going to be my last of the night) and see where that gets me. It’ll be a challenge to be sure.

Here’s wishing myself success! You can wish me success too, if you’d like. I need all the encouragement I can get. ;)

(You’ll notice I’m specifically not saying “luck” up there. Time to stop cultivating that mindset, I think! There’s a post in that explanation but it’ll have to wait until tomorrow.)

Training myself to write faster—step 1

Lynn

Here’s the thing: I write fiction pretty damn slowly. My average pace is about 500 words per hour and it seems to be getting worse. You’d think after nearly 20 books that I’d be getting faster, not slower, but that’s not what seems to be happening.

Now maybe it’s just this one book. Maybe it’s just the last few stories I’ve chosen to write. But I don’t think so. These stories haven’t been the kind of stories that push me into new places as a writer. So the only thing I’m left with is the worry that perfectionism has gotten hold of me again, and that I’m having trouble recognizing it in the moment.

I came across an article today that expressed really well how I’ve been feeling: Write FAST and Furious! Learning to Outrun “The Spock Brain”.

What I particularly liked about the article was that it helped me see that I’ve started holding back in my story. I’ve kind of felt it a few times in this book and another that I worked on a few weeks ago, but I thought, nah, I’m just having second thoughts…

But truly, it isn’t second thoughts so much as fear. Honest to God, flat-out fear that a particular angle I’d taken on something in the book might offend someone.

I really need to think about that for a while, because that’s not the kind of writer I want to be and I’ve always told myself I don’t let other people in my head when I write. Turns out it might not be true.

Here’s the quote that gave me this realization:

Many writers hold back emotionally when writing. Why? They aren’t going fast and hard and so Spock takes over and he wants us to use a seatbelt and our blinkers. He isn’t the guy you want in charge if you’re going for the GUTS and breaking bones.

And another:

Spock Brain is a perfectionist and wants us to take our time, make sure we follow all the rules and put the commas in the right spot. He’s seriously uncomfortable with “suspending disbelief” and he tries to explain everything so others don’t get confused.

It probably helped enormously that I’m a die-hard Star Trek fan, and I’m particularly obsessed with ST:AOS and ST:TOS right now. So this article kind of hit me at the right time with the right message using the right metaphor. ;)

However or whyever—that article gave me something to mull over.

And that brings me to this: I’m going to start trying to train myself to write faster.

Step 1: Accept that I want to write faster and believe that it’s possible.

I know I can write faster if I just let myself.

It’s time to put Spock to bed for a while. I’ll just put Bones in there to keep him company while I use Kirk to get this book of mine moving again. ;)

Saying is not doing

Lynn

You know how you sometimes say you’re going to do something but then when it comes to actually doing said something, you just… don’t?

Yeah. That happened. I was determined yesterday to get in my time and reach 3,000 words. I wrote it down in my journal. But nope, I didn’t do it when it came time.

Yesterday’s word count was 49 words. I did finish one complete 40 minute session, but at that word count, it was more of a disgrace than anything else.

I’m trying harder today.

At least I’ve managed two complete 40 minute sessions so far and have 468 words to show for it. Of course, that’s nowhere near the goal I had for them, but gah, it’s been hard to get moving on this book. GRRRRR.

Yesterday was not great; thoughts on rewriting

Lynn

Yesterday was not great as a writing day. The details are there and there.

I ended the day with 354 words, which is better than none, I guess, but WOW. I think I like the scenes I rewrote better now than before, but the truth is, I’m not objective and I have no way to know if they’re objectively better. I meant to read through them last night but fell asleep before I even started, and I thought about rereading them this morning but decided that might not be a good idea AT ALL if I want to actually write a lot of words today (which I do).

What I did gain from this was a reminder that slow writing and rewriting both seem to introduce more errors and things in need of more rewriting than just writing something fast in the first place.

Not that I ever believed any different but the reminder was warranted. I have bad habits I need to overcome and sometimes I forget what those bad habits are.

Unfortunately, I can’t always write fast. I try but I get hung up on not knowing what to write next, or what I write next doesn’t feel right, so I start tinkering, and whammo. There I am, writing slow, or rewriting, and I’m stuck in the mire. Even when I realize that, it takes me a while to get my momentum back.

I don’t really know how to fix that. Maybe someday I’ll figure it out.

How to write only 90 words per hour—a primer

Lynn

Start with a goal. Know that you really need to make this day’s writing count.

Goals 500 750
Session Words WPH
1 57 86
2 138 207
3 -72 -108
4 118 177

Add in rewriting, then delete a few paragraphs that really don’t sound like they belong, add in some perfectionism—okay a lot of perfectionism, and throw in a dash of what-the-fuck, and there you go!

My average words per hour over 2.667 hours: 90.

At least I have a few sessions to go so maybe today won’t be a total loss. :o

Six sessions might be the magic number

Lynn

I’m doing 40 minute sessions today, that means six sessions, which feels like a Goldilocks number: not too many, not too few.

In fact, I did two 40 minute sessions this morning and both of them felt like they went by so fast that I couldn’t believe either of them was over when the timer dinged.

I definitely feel like I needed to leave myself more time to get into the zone and extending my session length to 40 minutes seems to have helped. I might even go longer now that I’m seeing the benefit. Now that I’m not drinking coffee and teas all the time while I’m writing, I’m handling the longer sessions just fine.

The only thing is that my word count per hour doesn’t benefit that much from the longer sessions.

In the past, there’s even been a negative effect. Shorter sessions definitely give me a better wph. On the other hand, I do think I enjoy writing better with the longer sessions. And since I need to like writing again more than I need an awesome wph, I think I’m just going to enjoy the trade-off.

July’s average words per day (not counting today because I’m still writing) = 838 words

Holiday! Yes, I did

Lynn

I took the day off yesterday, although yesterday I didn’t feel like I was taking the day off. Time kept getting away from me and between not feeling well and several holiday activities I participated in, I just didn’t write.

So it’s a retroactive day off, I guess. I wish I’d known that when I got up yesterday. I’d have been able to let go of the guilt of not working and just enjoy the time off.

I’m making a sour face right now. Really.

Holiday! Okay, not really

Lynn

I’m not supposed to be taking days off for the July 4th holiday this year because (1) I don’t want to go to the parade, sit in the hot sun, and smell horse poo, and (2) I kind of need to finish this book I’m working on sooner rather than later.

But… I’ve been about as productive a writer today as I’ve been a circus performer. Since I never got to take gymnastics as a child, I’ll just say now that I’m not a circus performer. In case you were wondering.

I’ve written about 237 words today and I have 07:18 left on my 30 minute timer. This session has been waiting on me to finish it since midday. It’s far from midday now. I don’t want to finish it and it’s going to be a chore to make myself (which I am planning to do, but ugh). Doing more than that is probably a dream.

This is what happens when I don’t get enough sleep.

Let’s try not to make that mistake again, okay?

Final sessions for the day

Lynn

I finished up the last of my sessions. I had hoped to reached 3,000 words but I didn’t quite make it. I’m at 2,332 for the day. I might come back later and do some more writing, because I really want to end the day at 3,000 words!

But for now, I need a break. A massive break, because my brain is tired. :D

  • Session 6 = 425 words (850 wph)
  • Session 7 = 236 words (472 wph)
  • Session 8 = 209 words (418 wph)

Totals for the day

2,332 words and 583 wph

Eight sessions instead of twelve seems to be the way to go

Lynn

Eight sessions instead of twelve seems to be the way to go! Of course, I made up the total time difference by making the eight sessions thirty minutes long instead of twenty. But it has left me fewer opportunities for distraction and here it is 11:56 a.m. and I have only three sessions to go. :)

  • Session 1 = 302 words (604 wph)
  • Session 2 = 263 words (526 wph)
  • Session 3 = 270 words (540 wph)
  • Session 4 = 312 words (624 wph)
  • Session 5 = 315 words (630 wph)

Sessions are 30 minutes long. Goal is 375 words per session, 750 words per hour.

Not there yet, but getting closer!

Total so far = 1,462 words

Nope—didn’t make it

Lynn

I’m calling it a night at 1,531 and about 3 hours. I’ve done a little more than that but totally lost track because I started adding things to the story without the timer going. So who knows the actual time spent today, but I didn’t make enough progress on my word count to worry over it.

Bringing my total for today to 1,531 words.

Tomorrow I’ll try the 30 minute sessions x 8 of them and see how that does for me. See you then. :)

3,000 – 1,355 = 1,645 words to go

Lynn

I’ve completed eight sessions now and although I’m pretty happy with the fact that I’m writing, I’m disappointed that my morning pace didn’t hold out when it came up against my story line uncertainty. I think that’s been a big deal on this particular story. I’m still very much not sure where it’s headed.

  • Session 4 = 36 words
  • Session 5 = 29 words
  • Session 6 = 199 words
  • Session 7 = 130 words
  • Session 8 = 84 words

Sessions were 20 minutes, goal was 250 words per session.

This put me at 2.667 hours of timed writing for the day. I need 1.333 hours more to reach 4 hours, my minimum goal.

For the rest of the evening, I’m switching to 30 minute sessions. I just keep running into the fact that I feel like I’m just getting on a roll when that timer dings, but doing 2 sessions back-to-back just hasn’t worked well.

Now, back to writing for me! I have a lot to do and it’s already 7:51 pm and I don’t want to be up late tonight. Here’s hoping I can pick up the pace again so those 1,645 words come quick.

A new month and a fresh start

Lynn

I’ll take whatever opportunity I can find for a fresh start. My word counts haven’t been where I want them the last few days, nor even before that but at least then I had enough time invested that I didn’t feel like a slacker, but today is the first of a new month and I plan to use that to push for my goal word count of 3,000 words.

So far, I’m on track I’m happy to say. Especially since I can’t ever tell if I’m going to write fast or slow during any one session until I’m actually writing.

Sessions are 20 minutes, goal is 250 words per session or 750 wph.

  • Session 1 = 349 words
  • Session 2 = 281 words
  • Session 3 = 247 words

Total for 1 hour = 877 words

Pace = 877 wph

Yay!

I’m going to try out a new format for blogging today. I’ll start with these smaller posts about my progress and then do a summary post at the end of the day.  I just kind of like things in little packets. ;)

 

 

Word counts for the last 6 days of writing

Lynn

Date—Words
6/25/17—694
6/26/17—1,063
6/27/17—592
6/28/17—0
6/29/17—604
6/30/17—251 (might increase, might not)

Not great by any means but I’m happy that I’ve been writing again. I’m also happy that I seem to be in a mood to push myself to improve. I don’t want to stagnate.

Today was supposed to be a day off, because I had a meeting with a friend planned. Those plans fell through, probably for the best, because I woke up with a stiff back and no will to go anywhere. :) I haven’t written much today because of that, but I’m trying now to at least do some writing before I call it a night.

 

A good night’s sleep is a big deal

Lynn

Yesterday, I took the day off. I hadn’t planned to, to be honest, but I had to be away from the house, and by the time I returned, I was done for the day. I was so tired (and a bit headachy) that the thought of opening my document and writing almost put me to sleep on the spot. So mostly I just moaned about how I needed to go to bed early, and then I did.

I went to sleep two hour earlier than the night before and about four hours earlier than the two nights before that. This morning I woke up early and didn’t feel half bad, if I do say so myself.

I don’t actually feel great right now but my words per hour rate this morning was ridiculously higher than it was any of those other days. My average after two sessions is 768 wph. Since my goal wph is 750, I consider that as good as gold. It’s definitely a mark in favor of getting to bed early. If my remaining sessions go as well as the earlier ones, I’ll reach my goals today with just a little concerted effort.

Unfortunately, it’s 2:12 pm right now, so I really do need to get back to work instead of wallowing in my caffeine-less misery. No coffee, no real teas and a definite dip in energy levels.

On that note, it’s interesting how last night and this morning kind of proved the point I was going for in the version of this post I started yesterday but never got around to finishing.

I’m trying to retrain myself to go to bed early enough to feel good getting up early (because I wake up early regardless, such as today at 6:40 am). My most consistent month ever came about when I was getting up relatively early, getting started by 7 and keeping WIFI off until noon or 2,000 words, whichever came first. It could come to that again. ;)

Another big challenge I’m facing with this is that I can’t seem to get my sessions compressed into a reasonable time period. I’m going to keep trying.

Getting to bed early did seem to help, which is exactly what I suspected. I’m an early waker and that makes it difficult for me to be productive when I stay up late and start my day either sleep deprived or later than my natural rhythms tell me to.

Tomorrow, I’m going to really push myself to write early.

As for right now, I’m going to restart my writing, focus on keeping my words per hour rate high, and see if I can make progress on compressing my sessions into a reasonable time period. :)

Plan: Take no longer than 1.5 hours for every three 20 minute sessions. :D See you back here in about (probably in a follow-up post).

Wish me luck!

No more coffee—a lifelong challenge to ditch coffee for good, forever

Lynn

I’ve quit and restarted my coffee habit many times over the course of my life. It’s finally time for me to commit to making a lifelong change. I like coffee but the caffeine and even the coffee itself isn’t doing me any favors these days.

This post is my written commitment to ditch coffee for good—forever.

No more coffee.

I’ll check in on this once a week or so for a while, then once a month, then only if something changes.

As an aside, I’ve also committed to eliminating as many sweets from my diet as I can. I’ve been doing pretty good with that. I use the Android app Loop – Habit Tracker to keep up with my success rate, and it seems to help.

Sweets-free days as recorded in the Loop – Habit Tracker app

I’m being pretty strict about what counts, so although I had only a few semi-sweet chocolate chips, they were enough to stop me from marking yesterday and the day before as sweet-free days. I think it’s best that way, because I don’t want half-measures to eventually derail my effort in this.

I already have a habit set up in the app for coffee-free days, but as you can see below, I haven’t made much effort at all up to this point to avoid coffee. That’s going to change going forward. :D

Coffee-free days as recorded in the Loop – Habit Tracker app

 

You think you got this and then you don’t do the work

Lynn

That title there? Basically the exact thing that’s happened today. I was sure I was on track after having two successful days of writing—successful in that I sat myself down and managed to write for four complete hours each day, even if it took me much longer than I’d have liked. But then today came and I let myself slip up.

I’ve done four sessions of the twelve I need to do to reach that same four hour goal and it’s already 7:45 pm.

To finish my 8 remaining sessions by a reasonable hour (say, 11 pm) I’ll need to do as many of the remaining sessions back-to-back as I can, and that’s just the truth. Because here’s the thing. I am accountable to me and I’m not going to let myself get away with not doing the work.

Not today. Not tomorrow. Not anytime soon.

I’ve said it before: To be the kind of writer I want to be, I need to change.

Missing a goal once in a while is no big deal and doesn’t feel anything like failure. Missing a goal every single time is not a good thing. There are repercussions to that kind of repetitive failure. I’m done with that. I just can’t be that person, that kind of writer, any longer.

If I miss today’s goal, it will be a 1:3 failure rate. That’s no longer good enough for me. I’ve set my boundaries and 1:3 ain’t it.

But I’m lucky, because this day isn’t over and there’s no reason to accept failure.

Getting back on track is as easy as saying it’s time to start writing again.

(I originally started a new post for today’s session log but I changed my mind and I’ve moved it here instead.)

Daily Accountability

Session 1: 307 words
Session 2: 217 words
Session 3: 48 words
Session 4: 20 words

Sessions are 20 minutes long and my goal for each is 250 words. Not there yet. Working on it. :)

Next day update: Well, shit. I didn’t do any more sessions. I had good reasons, but if I’d done my writing early like I should’ve done, this would not have happened.