Monday, April 26, 2010

Write-Your-A$$-off Day, Chicago-style, success!

Yesterday, I met up with my writing pal over at a local coffee/lunch spot with one goal in mind: sit down and work on my WIP, Through Charlotte's Eyes. Dear friends, if you're having trouble making progress in your WIP, I highly recommend finding a spot to spend most of your day to write. All in all, the 5-hour write-a-thon was a smashing success!

I finished rewriting Chapter 17 completely; added an entirely new (and lengthy) section, Chapter 18--which I'd been looking forward to writing ever since getting back from Paris weeks ago; and then started in on another new chapter. Approximately 5,000 words written/added if Liquid Story Binder is to believed.

On that note, too: Liquid Story Binder = awesome. I used the typewriter feature for most of the 5-hour writing time, meaning I couldn't go back and question what I wrote. It forced me to keep writing and keep pushing forward, which is exactly what I needed yesterday to be about.

I expect to have more of these write-your-a$$-off days in the near future. Days like those remind me why I write and what I'm working toward: not just a finished, polished novel but also making writing a full-time job.

Fellow bloggers and friends, do you write in long sessions, or short bursts? How do you keep your fingers clicking against the keyboard in order to make progress on your latest work-in-progress novel?

5 comments:

Unknown said...

Hi Liz!

Thanks for following my blog -- I look forward to reciprocating. I prefer long writing sessions, but sometimes find it hard to get to that "place," or zone, that allows me to write for long periods. I love the idea of doing what you did. I really should develop a similar practice.

Liquid Story Binder sounds fab -- I'm off to Google it! Thanks!!

Roland D. Yeomans said...

I write in what I think will be short bursts -- sometimes they are, but often they become quite longer.

I scribble notes down on index cards during the course of my day as a blood courier. Then, at the end of the day, I try to sort them into some kind of order. And from there I write.

Hope you have a productive mid-week, Roland

Jackee said...

5k!!!! How very awesome. And Liquid Story Binder, huh, thanks for the recommendation. I've been in need of some new software.

Thanks for following my blog so that I could find yours!

(And to answer your question, I write in short bouts of time since I have 3 tiny kids. But I dream of hanging out at the coffee shop with writer friends!)

Unknown said...

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with your mailing address, so I can get your prizes out to you!

Thanks!!! And congrats again!

lisa and laura said...

Oh, that sounds like so much fun! When I sit down to write my goal is usually to crank out 1500 words within a couple of hours. Of course, that includes a lot of Twitter breaks. I'm so easily distracted!