Now let me be clear, I am not a prolific writer. I look on in envy at other members of my writing group who can churn out a few thousand words a night. Regularly! And before some of you folks out there make any comments about quality, I can assure you they write GREAT stuff at that pace. But a lot of times, between work, family, hobbies, social activities (and yes, I HAVE heard that writers DO have a social life) it can be difficult not only to find time to write but to feel good about what is accomplished. As an example, I put aside my Sunday afternoons for writing. It is “protected time.” But at the end of my first few afternoons, I lamented the fact that I only had completed around 2,000 words. I was feeling bad about all the wordcount I hadn’t achieved even as I was adding to it! I was beating myself up for actually WRITING!!!

Not a very good place to be mentally.

So I thought to do what I had read in that blog post – track my writing. I committed to documenting the time and wordcount that I spent on this activity. I needed to do this, if for no other reason than to assure myself that I WAS accomplishing something and moving forward. Right now, I have a small datebook that goes with me everywhere and if I spend any time on writing or writing related activities I can write that down and give myself credit for it. But what is noted must be specific. I can’t say “Writing Research – 30 minutes” I would have to say, “Writing Research – Design of HotAir Balloons During the Civil War and Dating of Design Changes from Balloon to Drigible (30 minutes).” The same for any wordcount. It must be listed specifically as to for what story or scene or novel.

I’ve been collecting information for the past 3 months and I must admit, it has kept me motivated and feeling good about my writing. Regardless of whether I get busy at work and have guilt raining down upon me like frogs and fish in a hurricane, it is somethng I can point to and say, “I did that!” Different people will have different results. I know my colleagues coul probably need to add a zero after my wordcount of the year for it to be even close to what they’re doing. But tracking your writing isn’t about other people. It is about you, and what you are doing. And in the spirit of open communication, and because I AM proud of how much I’ve accomplished, let me share a quick summary from my Quarterly Report:

JANUARY

Writing Lesson Learned: Using multiple passes on my writing works REALLY well. Pass #1: Dialogue (my strong suit) & Pass #2: Description. Etc.
Amount of Writing: 5 Days of Writing and 4747 words
Submissions: 4 Submissions (2 to CVSWriters and 2 to Magazines/Anthologies)
Notes: Feeling positive about the new year!

FEBRUARY

Writing Lesson Learned: Have a “Back-Up” Day. When I don’t make my Sunday scheduled writing time, I don’t have an alternate time reserved so no writing gets done.
Amount of Writing: 6 Days of Writing and 5520 words
Submissions: 3 Submisions (0 to CVSWriters and 3 to Magazines/Anthologies)
Notes: First Sale of the Year!

MARCH

Writing Lesson Learned: Momentum is Critical. The more you do and keep doing, the easier it is.
Amount of Writing: 7 Days of Writing and 4836 words
Submissions: 5 Submissions (1 to CVSWriters and 4 to Magazines/Anthologies)
Notes: Crazy-busy work month. Lost 2 “Writing-Sundays”

Cross-posted at Unleaded: Fuel for Writers

Penn Quarter Teaism

From DLThurston:
…a posse.

It’s the new way things are done.  Groups come together, they support each other, they push each other.  One person talks to someone in the industry, and if they don’t quite meet the need, they have someone else they can pimp.  This is social networking within the creative industry.

Look out world, the Cat Vacuumers are coming.

From N.R. Brown:
CVS 2.0

I’m tired of being a fan.
I’m tired of being a wannabe writer.
And I’m ready to do something about it.

This year, attending Balticon was not as fun as it had been in the past. Why? Because I wanted to be a guest not an attendee…ok, not even a guest, but I wanted to be there as something more than a fan!   Coming back from Balticon, I shared this with the other members of CVS (my writing group). Now, with their help we are pushing CVS 2.0!

My results today:  3 pages. 

Not great.  But for me, pretty good.  I think that perhaps the biggest lesson I need to learn is that any progress is good progress.  And not get overwhelmed when I don’t get as far as I’d like each time.  Any additional words count.  Now I just need to replicate it every day.  Hmm…just not sure my budget can afford daily coffee-shop visits. 

Suggestions?

Regardless, both versions were emailed to the director and now I just have to hurry up and wait.  I hate waiting.  I hate not knowing if the person reviewing my work likes it or not.

So right now I’m trapped between relief that I completed both scripts and the walking on hot coals jumpiness of waiting for a response.  And of course hopefully, there’ll be re-writes (meaning he decides to go with me as writer).

In related news, I just realized that the Nicholl’s are coming up and I need to prep a feature length script to submit.  *grins*  Nothing like completing one project and leaping off into another. 

From the Rolling Stone interview with William Gibson:

You made your name as a science-fiction writer, but in your last two novels you’ve moved squarely into the present. Have you lost interest in the future?

It has to do with the nature of the present. If one had gone to talk to a publisher in 1977 with a scenario for a science-fiction novel that was in effect the scenario for the year 2007, nobody would buy anything like it. It’s too complex, with too many huge sci-fi tropes: global warming; the lethal, sexually transmitted immune-system disease; the United States, attacked by crazy terrorists, invading the wrong country. Any one of these would have been more than adequate for a science-fiction novel. But if you suggested doing them all and presenting that as an imaginary future, they’d not only show you the door, they’d probably call security.

1. Plot in a Boxes – preferably more than one in a box, I need all the help I can get.

2. My very own grammar guru to make all grammar and punctuation errors magically disappear.  Like anti-wrinkle cream.  Only better.

3. The Secret to Life, the Universe and Everything and if I can’t have that I’d just like to know how to write the next great classic.  Forget classic, I’ll settle for Hollywood blockbuster.  Is that asking too much?

4.  Romancing the Blog suggested a chocolate that acts as a complete low-calorie, high fibre, balanced nutritional supplement…Only I would want additional flavors – caramel, toffee, oh and peppermint for the holidays.  French fries would be good too.

And of course #5 – World Peace.

What would you ask Santa for?

Monday was great in that we headed out to my ‘old’ regular writing spot – the Silver Diner in Merrifield.  It is the opposite side of Washington DC from where we live now, but the staff know us, the ambiance isn’t bad and the writing habit is quite well ingrained.

Work is going amazingly well and hopefully I’ll have some great news to post.

Currently about half way through the Civil War/Modern Day Short Script. 

Other than that the weekend has been relatively full.  I missed out on going to the DC Podcaster Alliance meeting as Renee wasn’t feeling so great but managed to spend the time relatively productively.  Most of it was spent working on her website which, special thanks to Lisa, web queen extraordinaire, is now up and running on the correct domain.

It has some nifty widgets and fun things such as a slide show and progress bars to show how far along you are on various projects.  I have to chuckle about the fact that right now her progress bars are shaped like sheep.  Yup!  That’s right, I said sheep.  Take a look for yourselves (www.NRBrown.com) .

And of course, the weekend is the time to catch up on podcasts for the upcoming week for Unleaded – Fuel for Writers the writing ‘cast.  I am hoping that Jen (CVS’s fearless leader) will be able to provide talk for some podcasts in the next weeks but all of mine are recorded and ready to go.  They promise to be really kind of fun.   And as I’m quite far behind on Day in Washington – The Disability Policy Podcast I had to update it as well.  Posts #14 and #15 were posted about an hour ago.

Whew!  Makes me tired thinking about it.  Now I just have to get up in the morning!

So here I am, more than 2 hours later after having completed my 15 minutes (which if you do the math was significantly longer than 15 minutes – Yay!) and now am desperately seeking my bed.  Yawn!

Spent the time on a short script that moves between modern day and the Civil War time period.  Right now it is concise, amusing, and doesn’t seem to require very many cast members.  Because of the settings and secenes etc it actually might make a great web-based short or even “cell phone” short.  But I’d like to put in a bit more length and move it from amusing to actually funny.

Tomorrow is the meeting of the local podcasting group which is hosting – “How to Promote Your Podcast”  which I desperately need for Unleaded – Fuel for Writers Podcast. 

On another positive note I also recently heard from someone who attended the Act One Program Weekend with me a few months ago, John Jones.  He’s a director who puts out some pretty great stuff.  You can check his work out at www.childmusicvideo.com.

So now, it is off to bed!  Goodnight!

 At this point though there is nothing I can do but make sure I’m better organized for next time.  (It didn’t help that Renee and I fought about it on the ride home).  However, for the first time in a long time I was reminded of why I participate in a group, especially this group. 

 I always would say, I’m not a writer, I just make sure I write down what people say.  And tonight there was a plethora of not just advice, but in the kidding around afterwards with people riffing off of each other about the story, I now have about 6-7 FABULOUS ideas for additions to the story.  It involves cheerleaders and naked men, old ladies, aliens and a feline criminal mastermind.  It is now DEFINITELY going to run screaming away from the humorous to embrace the absurd.  Only in a good way.

I haven’t quite found a good answer with regard to getting out of the office at a decent hour.  Work has been very busy of late and on average I am not leaving the building until around 8pm.  It is just something to work on but difficult to give up.  I wanted a job where I could say I’m working to change the world, to make a difference.  The thing to remember is that kind of job tends to be something of a time commitment.

Tonight is #2 for the ’15 minutes a day’ of writing and although it is late/early, I am eager to get to it.  Hmm…maybe I just might make it until January.

 And as a post script.  We actually made it to the gym tonight.  Yay!

It is frustrating and I have to admit to have been feeling rather defeated.  Six months without any real writing.  The podcasting started strong but even now is wavering somewhat.  Was actually exercising and now…nothing. Not seeking sympathy,  just had to put in a small whine.

Renee tonight gave me one of my Christmas presents…a nag.  Our local writing group’s fearless leader gives out small gifts at meetings to writers who complete their weekly goals.  It isn’t anything big, just something to help motivate.  I am averse to anything else in the house that I might have to dust so have a standing order for a “nag” to remind me to write.

Renee recorded several audio files – nags – to encourage me to write.  I got the first one this evening and it reminded me of my efforts early this year to write and how I had demanded 15 minutes of writing a night.  Fifteen minutes no matter what.  If I got home and finished a work project at 3 am, I still had to put in the 15 minutes.   I know that many writers advocate for writing every day  – even for as long as 2 hours a day but when I tried to require an hour…it just didn’t work.  Not with that kind of 3am schedule.  But there is no excuse for skipping 15 minutes.

 Now the goal is to keep this up.  I will use the blog to keep me honest.  15 minutes a day on writing…NOT including any blogging or podcasting.  Today (or tonight rather) is Day #1.  My first goal is to continue this until the New Year.  And hopefully beyond.

 Scott the Reader was very successful at this earlier this year and seems to be rededicating himself to the process.  I wish him luck with his 1 hour a day.  Sometimes it is good knowing you’re not alone.

And maybe, just maybe, once that settles in, I can see about starting over in another category. (I think going to the gym will be next).