The Journal, Friday, 1/13

Hey Folks,

I’ve received some interesting and heartfelt comments lately. I appreciate them. I haven’t allowed any of them through as comments on the blog because they were personal rather than of interest to writers. But I’ll always respond privately.

Several (thank you) offered blessings. One was a tad derogatory.

What I write in this Journal never is for self-aggrandizement. Trust me, I have a big enough ego that I don’t need that. (grin)

In every case, I choose to share personal matters that I feel might help you in your own struggles with writing. This isn’t altruism in any form. If it does me no harm, costs me nothing and might help someone else, why not share it?

Some would argue that I occasionally share personal matters that are not related directly to writing. That’s true. However, in every case they affect my writing time.

From my perspective, I do that because we’re all in this race together.

I share non-writing related events that affect my writing time because similar events in Your life might also affect Your writing time. And how I handle them in my life might (or might not) be helpful to you in how you handle them in yours.

The notion that each of us is required, when faced with a new problem, to figure it out and solve it on our own is ludicrous to me. So I share my experiences.

That really is all there is to it.

Of Interest

See Dean’s Chapter Four: Writing a Novel in Five Days While Traveling (http://www.deanwesleysmith.com/chapter-four-writing-a-novel-in-five-days-while-traveling/). Great stuff.

I missed this yesterday: Check out Kris Rusch’s Business Musings: All Romance Ebooks & Visions of The Future Part Two (http://kriswrites.com/2017/01/11/business-musings-all-romance-ebooks-visions-of-the-future-part-two/)

Today, and Writing

Rolled out way late at 3:40. (I do realize this seems an odd time to put after “way late.” If you’re used to rising at say 6 a.m., this would be like you getting up at 7:40 one morning.)

However, within about an hour, I was cycling back and writing. The retraining has begun. Now if I can just remember to focus on that.

I got only about 600 words in the first session before my stomach started complaining that maybe my throat had been cut in the night. Food. It wanted food.

Finally out to the Adobe Hovel and back to the novel a little after 8.

By noon, I’d written three sessions (each with a break from ten minutes to a half-hour) and got to within 200 words of my daily word count goal. That feels good. At that point, the rest of the day is easy-peasy.

By 1 p.m. I had another thousand words. Feeling good about the day. As old what’s his name on the A Team used to say, I love it when a plan comes together. (grin)

Subtopic: Just Write the Next Sentence

I’ve mentioned a couple of times that this novel is really flowing along quite well. That isn’t to say I haven’t encountered difficulties at times.

But most often those difficulties come in the form of my conscious mind wanting to “figure out” what happens next.

I’ve been fortunate, in that each time that’s happened thus far, I recognized it for what it is and remembered to Just Write the Next Sentence (whatever comes) and don’t worry about it.

I’m just telling a story here. It’s a fun story to tell and I’m enjoying it immensely, but it’s still just a story.

* * *

Another thousand or so words. Good day today. Back tomorrow.

Fiction Words: 4982
Nonfiction Words: 580 (Journal)
So total words for the day: 5562

Writing of The Claim (novel, working title)

Day 1…… 4391 words. Total words to date…… 4391
Day 2…… 3632 words. Total words to date…… 8023
Day 3…… 1416 words. Total words to date…… 9439
Day 4…… 2673 words. Total words to date…… 12112
Day 5…… 4284 words. Total words to date…… 16396
Day 6…… 3159 words. Total words to date…… 19555
Day 7…… 3834 words. Total words to date…… 23389
Day 8…… 4953 words. Total words to date…… 28342
Day 9…… 4982 words. Total words to date…… 33324

Total fiction words for the month……… 34952
Total fiction words for the year………… 34952
Total nonfiction words for the month… 8130
Total nonfiction words for the year…… 8130

Total words for the year (fiction and nonfiction)…… 43082