Sunday, November 6, 2011

Writer's Challenge

After One Week

JAN BROGAN _ I have to admit, I've had better weeks in terms of pages. But up until Wednesday, I did sit down and work for a solid two hours before I checked my email. Much of that work was research, but some of it was writing down salient points of that research and playing with characters and plot lines.

Wednesday was a total loss, and Thursday and Friday were a bit better. I thought I would make up for lost time on Saturday, but no such luck. I expect today to be my kick-in-the-pants day.

Still, the discipline focused me more on writing than I would be otherwise, and I feel myself getting closer to a new, productive writing schedule.

For those readers just tuning it - the writing challenge is this: Write two pages before checking your email in the morning - if you write in the morning. If you are a late afternoon-evening person, you can check your email in the morning, but not before you start writing. And most important, you can't stop and check email or go on-line (unless its directly related to research for your book) once you start.

It's not too late to sign up now. The challenge has three more weeks left.

How did everyone else do?

14 comments:

  1. This was a really good week for me. This morning, I wrote four pages before going to email. If I keep those four pages will be another issue. The number four has plagued me all week. Although I've written about twenty pages, the majority of the time I wrote the same four pages over and over--wasting about three days. Now if my critique group doesn't like them, I don't know what I'll do!

    Your challenges help me focus on my work, Jan. Just what I needed especially as the holiday's approach.

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  2. The writing's going pretty well. The not checking e-mail thing, not as much. I'm an afternoon/evening writer and some days I've been able to not check email when I sit down to write. Other times, I feel like something crucial's waiting for me.

    I did start reading HAMLET'S BLACKBERRY to figure out how to deal better with my tech.

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  3. Hey Anonymous!
    Thanks for the Hamlet's Blackberry tip, I just went to check it out!!

    Thanks, E.B. I'm glad the challenge is helping.

    I've come up against those kind of "four pages" myself!

    ~jan

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  4. I'm 5 for 7 in terms of not checking internet before I write. But 6 for 7 in terms of good writing days this week. So satisfying to see progress.

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  5. I'm just tuning in, but I think the writing challenge is just what I need. It's too late to start today because I've already checked e-mails this morning, but tomorrow is looking good.
    Thanks for the challenge.
    Donna V.

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  6. I'm with you, Jan. SIgh. I had so any events scheduled--and then, there's that day-job thing. :-)

    I'm not TOO panicked, though. I figure why add panic to the mix. Next week, I'll do better.

    I have no choice.

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  7. Welcome Donna!

    It is not TOO late! And lucky for you, our special police force that implements these rules of writing discipline is very, very, very, very, very understanding.

    It's all about the trying to avoid internet interference in your writing day!!

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  8. Life kept interferring and I took a couple of days off because I pushed last weekend and Monday to finish the current WIP. It's sitting and "gelling" before I go back for hard edits. It needs them! LOL

    I had a direction for the new project that's part NaNoWriMo, part JanWriChall. My Muse didn't like it. We argued. She waved scissors and pouted. Guess who won. Yeah. I am a wimp. But once I gave in to her, I'm almost 7300 words into the MS. I want to be over 10K by tonight. I'll start writing here shortly. I need more coffee. Considering I wrote 4700 words yesterday, I think I'll catch up.

    Good luck, everyone! A new week, new challenges!

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  9. It's early yet, comment-wise, but it seems most of us had a rough start. I sure did! Having real focus and word memory problems. Wonder what the planets would tell us about about that! Ok,ok, no groaning out there, just kidding.

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  10. I was pretty good this week. I had a lot going on on Thursday so I made that my day off (but still wrote.)I didn't the read the fine print about "if you write in the afternoon" so I've decided to go cold turkey on internet until I get my 2 pages in and although it's hard, I'm enjoying it. Whatever is there will still be there in a few hours!

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  11. The Writing Challenge is a great thing for me. I’ve learned a lot about myself, what my knee-jerk tendencies are for “I’ll just look up this (useless) piece of information” and “I’ll just quickly check my email.” At all times of day or night.

    I'm 5 for 7 for writing. 5 for 7 on not doing the internet first. (Not the same 5.) On a day I hadn't written I felt guilty & didn't go online till almost bedtime. On one day of writing, it was the writing that took over and I got nothing else done.

    Thanks for the reference to Hamlet's Blackberry.

    Next week I am resolved my time will be on target and more balanced. This is training my brain for digital boundaries as well as the discipline of daily writing. Much appreciated.

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  12. I'm 50-50 for the Internet thing, behind on my NaNo but edited two short stories. I found it difficult this week. Maybe it's the focus thing. If nothing else, I have it in my head that the writing must come first.

    I'll do better next week for sure.

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  13. So we all resolve to be a bit more disciplined next week! 5 for 7 is awesome btw avi!

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  14. Congrats on the good work challengees! But don't forget to come back and read JRW this week--we have a ton of good posts scheduled for your reading and procrastinating pleasure...

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