This is topic March 16, 2009 Did you Write? in forum Open Discussions About Writing at Hatrack River Writers Workshop.


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Posted by rstegman (Member # 3233) on :
 
March 16, 2009 Did you Write?
.
This is an attempt to prod myself, and the rest of you, into writing regularly. The idea is to get into the habit of writing at least once a week. Writing more often is much better, but at least write once a week is the goal. It is more than many of us write without prodding.
The hope is that one will remember this note is coming up and will write something, any amount, so you can brag that you actually wrote. I post this on Monday, but you can declare the end of your week any time until the next note appears. One might even hold off on reporting, in order to get something written so you can report.
Of course, what IS writing, is open to opinion. I can make suggestions, and whether you agree with my suggestions is up to you. I don't follow some of these even though I list them as counting. NEW WRITING, is of course, writing. That is obvious. EDITING, though, is also writing and a few have questioned whether it is. Since your first draft, by definition, is crap, editing is a necessary part of writing. Poetry, is also writing. World building is writing, but you need to get something on paper. Technical writing, articles, blogging, writing assignments are also writing. The longer the better. E-mails, can also be writing, as long as they are very wordy and pertains to writing or a story. There are others one can consider writing also. The key is WRITING.

As for me, I can proudly say I did write. I took my WAXY'S CLEAN FUN from 7259 words on page 12 to 9875 Words on Page 16. I actually wrote THE END. on it. Of course, everything I did this week, in two sessions, is worthless. I have loads of editing before I can even consider give it to my writing partner. Before this, I was trying to show the story. what I wrote TOLD the story. It is bare bones WHAT HAPPENED. This story fought me tooth and nail on getting this far. I knew what I wanted to do, but getting there was really tough. The biggest problem I have is that Waxy is supposed to be learning something, and I have the action, but not her learning the lesson. It will come, eventually.
I do have one correction to make. Last week, I was so rushed, I mis-reported my writing. I did not finish a piece, I simply finished a scene in a piece. I did not realize the error until after I had done all my postings for the day.

I counted out my story ideas and have, including the one I am posting tonight, 43 story ideas in my compost stack. When I counted them on the 23rd of February, I had 44 story ideas. I have written quite a few story ideas since then. That is not bad. Today, I ran across an old story idea I noted down and lost. it looks like a good one so I will write it tonight.

I had made a wooden wand a while ago. I have an art show coming up on the 5th of April. It dawned on me that one wand would sort of be lost among the other things. Several would look like I intended to have them. When I got home, I did a story idea about people who made props for magicians and end up adding magic to it. That turned out not to be the core of the story I told, but was the starting concept.
I have a vase that the outer surface is carved leaves. it is looking good. I can be proud of this piece. I am building up the finish now. I also have a bat I carved. I got a clear plastic case and made a base for it to sit on within the case. I will have it on display at the art show, but want it worth far more than other pieces I have made. The case will make it worth it.
Extrinsic, I love your work. I cannot cut straight or I would try pieces like that. I am not that good, and my finishes are nowhere near that good. Keep up the good work.

As to the question of the week, I can say for sure,

YES, I DID WRITE!!!!

DID YOU WRITE?

 
Posted by Meredith (Member # 8368) on :
 
I wrote a little over 2000 new words on Book Three, in addition to revising and adding to some of what I had already written. It's slow, but it is starting to move.
 
Posted by Tiergan (Member # 7852) on :
 
Yes, I wrote. Wrote a 1,000 last night for a story that has been kicking around in my head for the last 2 weeks, probably be 4,000 words or so. Also managed to do some rewriting, polishing if you will on a couple of the sotries I finished earlier this month. Hoping to reach deeper into the mc's thoughts and flesh them out more. Yes I wrote.
 
Posted by InarticulateBabbler (Member # 4849) on :
 
I did. And I have plans to continue.
 
Posted by Andromoidus (Member # 8514) on :
 
I wrote. just finished revising my fantasy short. its around ten thousand words now, and im thinking about lengthening it into a novel.
 
Posted by Bent Tree (Member # 7777) on :
 
I have been on fire as of late. I have written two stories this week and about to start on the third.
 
Posted by Robert Nowall (Member # 2764) on :
 
I worked on revising that story I've been working on---and I essentially finished it. Shortly I'll be sending it out---but I've got to get a new ink cartridge before then, and I'll probably do a few more fiddles in the text before printing it out and sending it out.

Then, God willing, I can move on to something else...
 


Posted by Bycin (Member # 8297) on :
 
I finished the second draft of my Witch o' Words story. Once I receive the crits I'll give it another go and should be able to call it done at that point. I have a few other stories in the works that I'd hoped to get to, but I spent much of last week in Washington DC for work.
 
Posted by Denem (Member # 8434) on :
 
I wrote a scene for my novel where the MC has to kill another character to protect a dirty little secret. I have written some paragraphs to fill holes, but not much else. A lot of editing going on.
 
Posted by aspirit (Member # 7974) on :
 
I wrote, but not much. House hunting and playing the host for an out-of-state friend took up much of my free time.
 
Posted by Robert Nowall (Member # 2764) on :
 
Addendum to the above: I went right into two different stores today that carry ink cartridges---and completely and utterly forgot to buy them. Damn.
 
Posted by Cheyne (Member # 7710) on :
 
yes. I finally got around some of the more telling sections of my second chapter and created scenes to replace what had previously been an info-dump. Not as easy as it sounds, but well worth the effort if I do say so myself.
 
Posted by Merlion-Emrys (Member # 7912) on :
 
Yesterday I put some polish on The Calliope Man and sent it out to Strange Horizons. Last week I wrote "Harmony" and got it in the Short Story Challenge on Liberty Hall. Today I'm already over 1k words into a re-write of "Twilight Meetings."
 
Posted by Unwritten (Member # 7960) on :
 
Not much. I'm thinking of temporarily abandoning writing to pursue my dream of developing an invention that would freeze the rest of the world whenever I sit in my computer chair. Sometimes I think that is a much more realistic goal than my goal of being a writer. So, no, I did not write.
 
Posted by arriki (Member # 3079) on :
 
Working through the basement story polishing. Slow going.
 
Posted by Owasm (Member # 8501) on :
 
I wrote a flash and submitted it.
I wrote a short story and am getting it polished.
I wrote another 5,000 words on my current novel stopping at a point where I need readers.
I abandoned a short story project, realizing that what I had written so far was worthless to the plot.
I also got a rejection that obviously deeply offended the editor that reviewed it.

So progress was made.
 


Posted by steffenwolf (Member # 8250) on :
 
Unfortunately no new writing, I've been bogged down with a couple of stories that need a rewrite that I don't really FEEL like rewriting. But I don't think I'm going to feel like doing it any more later, so I'm just going to do it so I can move on.
 
Posted by Starweaver (Member # 8490) on :
 
I finished revising my novelette and sent it out Monday. Monday evening I started a new short story!
 
Posted by Greenscreen (Member # 6896) on :
 
I have written and am working on a project. Currently I have only the most basic world building notes, but it is a start. I will continue to work until the project is finished.
Part of it is trying to figure out what the best way to write notes is, the only person who can tell me how is me so I just have to motivate myself into figuring it all out.
I can't wait until I'm ready to publish!!!
 


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