Week 5 July 5-12

Update 5 7/5 – 7/12

Trying to get a set format for these thesis diary posts. Hopefully you all like them.

This past week was a good one. I do have a class besides my thesis class so a bunch of my writing time was taken up with 2 essays. But I still managed a good word count as you’ll see in a little bit.

In my other class we’re going over Editing and Coaching. This class is more specifically about how you edit and talk to a person you’re working with. Also, how you teach someone about editing. But the editing skills themselves are also important. I had a one on one coaching session with my teacher where I shared an edited part to one of my chapters.

Coaching and Workshopping

Let me tell you that was a fun and rewarding experience. I knew the chapter had some faults before I turned it in. We went over those faults, but also dialed in on the hearth of that chapter. Felt great. Though now I have the problem of I want to go back and revise and rewrite that entire chapter, but I need to get the first draft of the rest of the novel finished. It’s a constant struggle to keep going forward.

I’ve also started a peer workshop group with some of the students from my last class. That has just started this last week and I’m going to have to devote some of my precious time to reviewing the work of my peers. My goal with that group is to start with the very first chapter of my novel and let them tear into it. I figure by the time I get to the end of the rough draft all of the previous chapters will have been highly work shopped and reviewed and I’ll have a great map for the second and third drafts.

The Word Count

The real reason people read this; I think. I mean I’m posting these counts as a way to keep myself motivated. To hold myself accountable. So, with the extra class and such I have tasked myself with hitting 3000 words a week. Very easy. Though I usually try to do 2000 per session.

This week I managed to write three days, and got 4991 new words written. This completed chapter 11 rough and is about half way through 12. These chapter numbers will probably be changing in the long run as my chapter 6 is looking to be cut into two separate chapters. The WIP is currently sitting at 49,122 total words.

My next final is due in 2 weeks and I believe I’m over the minimum words I need for that. As I am using scrivener, each chapter is its own file and I need to add the word counts together to figure out if I have the 10-15K I need for the next final in my thesis class.

OK I just paused and looked at where I was in my current total words… if I stopped right now and handed in what I have then I would be 907 words OVER the max of 15K!

Story Content:

Alright, last week, I mentioned that I was writing a series of chapters that led into one another, but the POV is different in each chapter. So, you get a different view but also have to figure out the timeline alignment.

Chapter 11 is a favorite chapter that I planned out years ago and just could not imagine not having in this book. Now I am writing in High Fantasy/epic sword and sorcery. Lots of magic, monsters, and mayhem. But I also have a world with an advancing timeline and technology and magic have married together over that time. As such, the very first train has been invented and it runs across the desert between the last city on the edge of the wasteland, and a massive trade bazaar in the desert.

I could not add a train into a setting without invoking the cliché of robbing said train. I know that people will cry that it is predictable and all of that. But I had a hell of a lot of fun writing the chapter. Technically it’s multiple chapters, and I still have to deal with the aftermath. Hell of a great time.

Next Week

Ok, so the next week, starting as of today, I have some light reading to do for my classes and I have to work shop three essays, make a discussion post, and write an essay. Sigh. Also, my co-worker is on vacation, so that means I’m picking up about 10 of his hours this week.

I guess its good that I have the word count complete for my course needs, but not for my personal needs. I might have to do several small word sessions. I’m kind of wondering where the ME who used to be able to do a 10K single write session went to. But then I remember that that guy would write for 10 hours without eating and with hurting his back and health. So, yeah… trying to make writing a normal everyday thing again.

I’m super happy with the handful of you that read these posts. Thank you so much. It really does help me feel like I have a responsibility to keep going. If you want to make a comment or ask questions that would be equally cool, and if you don’t want to log in here to make the questions… I do post these links on both my Facebook and Twitter and I’m fine with answering comments there as well.