Work that Word Count!

First drafts and I usually get along. I've spent hours in my head getting to know my characters, the setting, and the general idea of what will happen, but it isn't until I start writing that I find out what really happens.

The characters start saying things and doing things I never anticipated. How fun is that??

But, as most fiction writers know, writing isn't always fun and games. I struggle to stay motivated through my draft. It's easier to check Facebook and e-mails than to sit and write. The only explanation I have for this? Writing is intimidating. Really intimidating.

I have a few tricks to work that word count, though, so I figure I'd better share them!

1. Set an almost impossible finish date. 

Why? Sometimes a do-able finish date becomes too easy, making me lazy. When I set an almost impossible date, I might miss it, but I always finish well before my original, do-able date.

Plus, I push myself harder when I set big goals. :)

2. Keep track of your word count and the overall word count.

Seeing your word count go up makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

3. Fill out a scene list as you write.

I used to do this before I wrote my draft, but I find it's easier to do after each scene. This keeps me on track as far as pacing and comes in handy when the book is done and I'm revising.

4. Take a few minutes at the end of the session to jot what needs to happen next.

If you're not sure what will happen next, think about the previous scene, whose viewpoint was used, and how far into the book you are. It should trigger something!

5. Limit editing at this point. 

I'm terrible about turning off my internal editor. Usually right after I write a scene, I'll realize things I got wrong, forgot, or that need to be added. I want to fix them right away. But, I try hard to type a quick note with my suggestions at the beginning of the scene and move on. Last week I gave in to temptation, spent over an hour fixing the scene I'd written, and came up short on word count by about a thousand words. I can write a thousand words in an hour, so it's obvious I could have made that word count.

We gain confidence in our writing when we finish what we start. Work that word count!!

How do you stay motivated to keep working on a project?

(Happy birthday to my beautiful daughter!!)

Have a fabulous Monday!!

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Why a First Draft is Like a Day at the Farm

On Tuesday, I had the pleasure of chaperoning my son's field trip to a farm. Since I grew up in the country, I knew what I was getting into and wore old jeans and hiking boots. We clearly had two groups of parents--those comfortable with a farm's unique qualities and those who wished they could dip themselves in a vat of Purell. It made for a fun time!

Several things on the farm reminded me of my first drafts.

1. Barn cats, like secondary characters, weave in and out throughout the day, stopping for a quick pet or a nap in a patch of sunlight. They aren't the main attraction, but they enhance the overall setting.

2. The draft, like the grounds, will be mucky in some places, hard in others, and extra words (and straw) will be everywhere.

3. Subplots will need to be tended to even if they, like the penned animals, aren't in our direct path.

4. Sometimes a fantastic twist will be added for fun, much like the peacock strutting its way along a barn roof.

5. Sections of the draft will bring the warm fuzzies, and you'll feel as if you're sitting on a bale of hay with a baby bunny in your arms.

6. The draft will stink. The scent of manure, decaying crops, and wet dog will permeate the area. That's okay. First drafts can smell.

7. By the end of the draft, the chaos will have order. Farmers move through their day in a logical progression, just as first drafts do by the time we've finished them. They still carry a stinky aroma, still have mucky areas, and still have a stray cat unaccounted for, but revisions will polish all of that up.

How are your first drafts like a day at the farm?

Have a wonderful weekend!

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