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Author Topic: The 10k new words challenge - July 2013
axeminister
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Welcome to July, all.

Ready to keep track of new written words?
10k's the goal, putting the daily average count at 322.

Question for this month:

Having just arrived back from a week-long vacation, I found that I didn't really think about writing much. Yet other vacations I've gone nuts thinking of new ideas from seeing new things.

Do you find yourself daydreaming about new words and worlds on vacations or do you forget everything and just get away completely?

*

Rules:

New words are - One word after the other. Blank words on a white page. From imagination to fingertips.

Rewriting an old story counts if the page is blank.
Flash. Short story. Novels - all count toward the total.

Blogs count.
Reviews written for public entertainment.

Outlining doesn't count. That helps speed the word count later. (Which is a good thing.) But counting an outline would kind of be like counting the same words twice.

Editing doesn't count. Editing is part of the process and is done independently of word count.

*

My June was great. Since I knew my vacation was looming, I wrote like crazy. Even got to working on a WotF entry that surprised me. (As in, I hadn't planned to enter, but this story popped up and demanded to be sent.)

However, I'm going to have to kick serious butt to make my July count. Today's already the 7th and everyone is awake and tomorrow I get back to work after a week away... Aaah!

Words: 0
Quota: 2254

Axe

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InarticulateBabbler
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Well, so far, I've been averaging 1k a day, so I get that monthly quota in a little over a week. I'm not seeking perfection on the first draft, just getting it done. I also am thinking of the Dark Crystal Challenge (and that's a 7.5 - 10k word count) while I'm tinkering on the outline to my next novel. I don't blog regularly, but I have been doing that a little more--not that anyone reads it--but, I do post on facebook, and in several writing groups.
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arriki
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Hmmm, 10K in a month? While I'm writing on this novel that shouldn't be a problem. I may be doing that a week along with reviewing and sorting and polishing what has been written before - last week and the week before that an so on.

I like sf. Outer space and humans interacting with aliens although I do have human vs human stories.

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axeminister
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IB, 1k a day is nuts! N V T S Nuts!

Irina, I hear ya about more vacations. This was my first in a long time, however, I forgot about the letdown upon returning home. Man, do I want to be *anywhere* but here.

Glad the accountability is helping you get butt-in-chair. That's the idea. [Smile]

Arriki, what's your count so far?

I don't have many to report, but I've got a few. I really need to get moving...

Words: 360
Quota: 3220

Axe

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RyanB
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I'm at 1581 (quota 3220).

I didn't realize I was at less than half quota till I posted this.

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arriki
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I'm not sure how to do a count. I have my story in separate files -- by chapter. I'm writing on chapter 12. That's the end of where I am now.
Today, it stands at 4,491. Of course, it was less than that when I started here.
How do I measure progress when I'm polishing and refining and so forth?

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axeminister
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Arriki, it's really up to you.

The main thing is that you try to reach 10k new words and maintain a good pace throughout the month.

The best example I can think of is when I woke one day and desperately wanted to watch the next Dr. Who episode in my queue. I didn't, because I more desperately wanted to reach my 10k goal.

That, more than a super accurate, down to the word count is what this thread is about.

Axe

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mayflower988
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So I haven't been paying this thread much attention. I thought this was more for those of you who seem to have been around here longer, those of you who have actually been published and who therefore I look up to in awe. And then I clicked and saw you were doing 10k in a month. I'm doing Camp NaNoWriMo, so I've actually already passed that goal. Of course, this is the only project I'm working on. But still, it was a nice feeling while it lasted. :)
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tesknota
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Axe, at least you have more Dr. Who to watch. I've finished the latest one! =(

10k? I'm thinking about this, seriously. But I don't know. I'm going to start counting and see how it goes. And since I've just decided this, I'm not going to backtrack through the past 9 days. I'm starting from today.

So... I guess I'm at 300.

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RyanB
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I created a spreadsheet with columns for your words per day and (calculated) total so far, and quota so far. If anyone is interested, let me know. (Can you attach files here?)

And now I feel the exact opposite of a creative writer-type person.

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Kathleen Dalton Woodbury
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quote:
Originally posted by RyanB:
[QBCan you attach files here?[/QB]

I don't think the software is set up for attaching files. You can certainly email the file as an attachment to anyone who would like to use it.

Thanks for offering, RyanB.

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axeminister
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Mayflower, that's awesome!
Stop by next month and let us know if you decide to do 10k again.

Tesknota, I've finished up to this past season parts 1 and 2. Though I've seen scattered Impossible Girl episodes, including the 50th prequel. (The very last one.)
I'm bummed Matt is leaving. [Frown]

Ryan, that sounds awesome! Can you e-mail the format to me? I hadn't thought of keeping track in Excel, which is nuts because I have all these Excel sheets keeping track of virtually everything else. (Including my submissions.)

I currently keep track in the story document itself which is numbers on text and I'm doing all the work. Then I erase at the end of the month and start over. It's confusing.

Words: 2780
Quota: 4186

Axe

[ July 13, 2013, 08:14 AM: Message edited by: axeminister ]

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mayflower988
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Thanks, Axe. Good job on getting halfway done with your quota!
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arriki
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Well, I can safely say I added 1578 new words to chapter 2 and 1,962 new words to chapter 12 for(as of this minute)a grand total of 3,540 words.

Total's going up because I'm about to start adding more new words to chapter 12.

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axeminister
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Ugh.
I'm not doing well this month AT ALL.

Novel words: 0
Goal: 8000

Total:
Words: 3670
Quota: 7728

I was kicking so much butt last month, too.
I have a week, but my current schedule shows no signs of changing.

Mainly, I'm editing my WotF entry like crazy, which slows the new words count to a crawl. Still, it's almost done and ready for critique. Then I'm hoping to blast some high quality first draft words on the novel.

We shall see.

Axe

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RyanB
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Sorry for the delay, Axe. I sent the template, let me know if you have any questions or don't get it. I guess I was avoiding this thread because my word count has been embarrassing. Time to fess up.

Words: 4893
Quota: 7728

P.S. More non-creative-person-type stuff. I made it so you can adjust the days in the month and your total goal for the month, but because of the way I rounded the daily quotas are off a bit. I should have done the day * goal / days in month and then rounded to get an accurate number.

I'll fix mine. If you want me to resend just let me know.

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axeminister
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An interesting # of words to report today.
Precisely 1000 from my last report.

Words: 4670
Quota: 9016

Hmm.. 3+ days to write 5k words.
For some, this isn't difficult.
For me, probably impossible.
Still, I'll see what I can do. [Smile]

Axe

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shimiqua
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I know I met the 10k goal this month, but I don't have the numbers to prove it. I've been finalizing my second draft for my WIP.

There's actually a good chance I wrote 10k in a day.

There are some day's when writing is just fun, just pure magic, and I remember why I'm doing this...and then there are days like today.

blarg blarg blarg...head desk head desk head desk.

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arriki
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I don't how many words I wrote last night. I woke up and saw the sun shining and thought it was around 8 in the morning. So,it was Monday, right? I needed ink for my printer and went and found Office Max was closed! At 8:15! So I drove over to Target as the darkness increased. Boy! This was going to be some____ of a storm! I rushed home and unpluggeg everything. By nine thirty it was looking grim! I woke my husband up to point out the storm. He told me it was 9:30 at night. No way. I took a lot of convincing but even the weather on the computer said it was still Sunday! I had to go plug in all the electronics!

I started writing and finished everything right up to (but not including) the end. I don't know how many words but it was a lot!

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arriki
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How many of us here plan to attend the worldcon in San Antonio? I'm going. And ya'll?

I'm a born and bred Texan.
Danielle

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RyanB
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It's the last day of the month . . . and only 3300 words to go.
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Utahute72
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WTH is a blank word?
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RyanB
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I'm pretty sure he means new words on a blank page (or words added to the end of what you've written thus far).

I only managed 7184 in July. Maybe next month will be better.

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axeminister
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Well, I managed 2307 words on my novel on July 30 and 31, so all was not lost.

Still, July was tough.

Words: 6977
Quota: 10000

Here's to August!

Axe

p.s. Arriki, that is some story! I've felt similarly after long, afternoon naps, but I can't say I've ever had that feeling last that long. [Smile]

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