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'Fess Up

Posted: February 12th, 2010, 4:23 pm
by Seamus
Okay, so I just spent an entire week away from my day job, leaving my house only to shovel another foot of snow off the driveway periodically. I recognize that there are other demands on found time besides my WIP. For instance, my wife thought it would be a great time to clean out closets, and my roof started leaking, which called for me to wring my hands. I none-the-less am really disappointed at my failure to make meaningful headway this week. I confess that I only spent about five hours writing the whole time. So, aside from absolution (bless me father . . .), I'm asking how much actual time did you spend at the keyboard this week? Tell me if you had snow-related or other found hours (or not).

Re: 'Fess Up

Posted: February 12th, 2010, 4:48 pm
by Bryan Russell/Ink
Lol, we had a new baby arrive a week ago... so, um, not a lot of writing. But some good thinking! Wandering around while holding the little guy has been good for that.

Re: 'Fess Up

Posted: February 12th, 2010, 4:50 pm
by charlotte49ers
Not much at all and I don't even have an excuse! I did finally hit the half way point of my first draft, which was exciting for me. I'm slllooowww with this first one, but I know it's a learning process and every month I find myself getting more streamlined and able to put more words on the document (this week aside, of course)!

Re: 'Fess Up

Posted: February 12th, 2010, 4:51 pm
by E McD
I promise you I spent 12 hours one day, 7 on another, and 3 on Wednesday, but with such progress comes the guilt of "Am I wasting my time with a dream equivalent to deciding to be a professional basketball player?"

Meanwhile my babies and the laundry are growing up around me. Seems like if you excel in one area, you suck in another. Six in one, half dozen in another.

Re: 'Fess Up

Posted: February 12th, 2010, 5:01 pm
by Nick
I don't know, but it hasn't been a heck of a lot. Probably like three hours last night and two earlier this afternoon. Sad part is that's the most writing I've done since December.

Re: 'Fess Up

Posted: February 12th, 2010, 6:15 pm
by JustineDell
E McD wrote: Seems like if you excel in one area, you suck in another. Six in one, half dozen in another.
Ain't that the truth? I can always tell when I've had a good week writing because I end up completing my MBA homework on the last night it's due, my dogs are hoovering around their food bowls and I can't figure out why, the laundry is out the door, the dishes...don't even go there, and my daughter wonders if I will ever come out of my 'special place.' Hilarious....

So this week? A good 24 hours spent in front of my computer for a re-write. I'd rather be working on my wip instead of re-working an old one, but I digress - it's not gonna finish itself!!

~JD

Re: 'Fess Up

Posted: February 12th, 2010, 10:56 pm
by Terry Towery
Honestly? Not as much as I should have. I'm doing final revisions and it's driving me insane. I would so rather be working on my wip, but I HAVE to get the first baby finished and out the door.

So in total, about 12 hours at the computer this week. I hate real life, sometimes.

Re: 'Fess Up

Posted: February 12th, 2010, 11:19 pm
by christi
I can honestly say that I've done a lot of writing this week. Granted, none of it that productive for myself. I've been blogging, and helping with queries for people, a few side editing projects, sending a query letter here and there, and occasionally staring at my manuscript and going 'I hate you for not being perfect' but that's entirely my own fault, eh? I have two ideas for new books rattling around in my head, but all I can do is jot them down as I focus my energy on other priorities. Le sigh. I need to stop reading a certain agent's blog. That's mostly what I've done today, but it's SO helpful. (and yes, Nathan's is, too)

Re: 'Fess Up

Posted: February 12th, 2010, 11:41 pm
by r louis scott
I have written zero this week as far as story goes.

My synopsis, on the other hand, has been printed out three times just so I can crumple it up and throw it in the trash.

Re: 'Fess Up

Posted: February 13th, 2010, 3:20 am
by Lorelei Armstrong
Plenty of time this week, although not much at the computer. This week was print and read aloud week. That took three days at the desk with the red pen and one day at the computer getting the changes put in. Just copyediting for the most part. Next week is the read aloud on the computer week, followed by another print week.

Rewriting is like pushing over a coke machine. Gotta keep her rockin'!

Re: 'Fess Up

Posted: February 13th, 2010, 3:52 am
by marilyn peake
You ask this question THIS week? LOL. I decided to take off from writing most of this week. I used the treadmill almost every day, spent 7 hours without electricity one day during the snowstorm, did lots of laundry – including sleeping bags and warm winter clothes – in case our electricity went out again during Snowpocalypse, took around 400 photographs of the snow, read, watched movies and TV shows, made a new recipe that was delicious (cornmeal scones served warm with honey drizzled on top), and went out to dinner after the streets were plowed. Ummmm ... oh, what was your question? How much actual time did I spend at the keyboard this week? Well, that’s a trick question. I spent a few hours writing here in the Forums tonight. Oh, you mean working on my WIP? Well, last night I finally buckled down and worked on the outline for revisions to my science fiction novel for a few hours ... but that’s it, for the entire week. I did FINALLY get on a roll with the outline, though, and I feel refreshed from my week off.

Re: 'Fess Up

Posted: February 17th, 2010, 9:32 am
by matildamcc
I think I wrote about 1000 words this past week....but between pet sitting a parrot and a truly gigantic cat (2 different houses), a full-time job, memorizing Hebrew for a concert I'm in on Saturday, and working on my frog blog, I didn't have much time to write....yikes, I need to prioritize and steamline my life a bit. Participating in Moonrat's Write Your @ss Off Day really helped me and I think I need to do this every few weeks--drop everything and write for a whole day.

Re: 'Fess Up

Posted: February 17th, 2010, 1:35 pm
by Nick
I got a lot done last week. Not a lot a lot, but considering I only started on Thursday night (or was it Wednesday? Pretty sure Thursday) 7727 words ain't bad. Done nothing since Sunday though. This week is probably going to be a gap week, but then I'd said a lot of weeks beforehand were going to be gap weeks, including last week, and look how that one turned out. So maybe we'll have another weekend bloomer. Maybe.

Re: 'Fess Up

Posted: March 19th, 2010, 10:10 pm
by JaEvans
For me it is two hours an evening when my wife has gone to sleep. I love to write but with five kids I have to work my writing time around the needs of the family. On the weekends I tend to write more like five hours each day. I would love to do it eight hours a day but must do the day job.

Re: 'Fess Up

Posted: March 20th, 2010, 12:46 pm
by dios4vida
I dutifully opened up my WIP to continue first revisions...and didn't fix a darn thing. I did spend about 20 hours editing a pre-marital counseling manual for a friend, though - does that count?

I really need to get back into my edits but I seem to have lost my creative juices along the way. :(