Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

Novel Four: Day Four

TWO DAYS LEFT…

(As a reminder, the overall monthly challenge is to write four novels. I also had an exercise goal that lasted for three quarters of the month and dropped away this last week.)

Two more days after today to finish this last book. As I have saying all along, all I have to do is give this one the hours and I will be fine. So tonight I listened to myself and gave it the hours, from 11 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. Got some progress. (grin)

And even more frightening, the book fits the cover. Yow, just noticed that. I love the subconscious.

The Day Went Like This…

Got up at 2:30 p.m., did some e-mail, wrote a blurb for one of my books coming out, and got to WMG around 4:00 p.m. Allyson was there and I took over the store from Gwyneth so she and Allyson could work on a project.

Yes, publishers work Saturdays and Sundays sometime. It’s publishing, after all.

So I had fun for an hour or so running the north store. Actually sold some stuff. Realize I own everything in the place and someone asked if we had something and damned if I knew if we did or didn’t. (grin)

I stayed until 7:30 p.m. working on workshop stuff. Home to nap, cook dinner and then back in here to work on e-mail and more workshop stuff and some reading on the challenge stories.

Then I got to the writing around 11:00 p.m. Yes, an entire hour early. Holy smokes, Batman! Now what?

The Writing Went Like This…

This book is seriously twisted as I said last night. I do mean seriously. And dealing with a really twisted forty-year-old cold case is great fun.

I did 1,300 words before midnight a.m.

Took a break, another 1,100 words before 1 a.m.

Ten minute nap, five minutes to recover.

I got another 1,300 words done before 2:15 a.m. This book just pours along when I am in the chair.

Took a quick break and did another 1,600 words before 3:15 a.m.

Break and got another 1,300 words by 4 a.m.

Short break and 1,400 more words by 5 a.m.

Another short break, thinking I could keep on powering and I managed only another 300 words before I could no longer remember the names of my characters. (grin)

8,300 words in 7 sessions. 

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Novel #1…The Writing of TOMBSTONE CANYON: A Thunder Mountain Novel

 Challenge Day 1… Words written… 6,600.  Total so far… 6,600 words.
Challenge Day 2… Words written… 6,700.  Total so far… 13,300 words.
Challenge Day 3… Words written… 6,100.  Total so far… 19,400 words.
Challenge Day 4… Words written… 6,200.  Total so far… 25,600 words.
Challenge Day 5… Words written… 6,200.  Total so far…, 31,800 words.
Challenge Day 6… Words written… 6,100.  Total so far…, 37,900 words.
Challenge Day 7… Words written… 3,200.  Final Total…, 41,100 words. (Novel count is 38,000)

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Challenge Novel #2

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Novel #2…The Writing of DEATH TAKES A DIAMOND: A Mary Jo Assassin Novel

 Challenge Day 8… Words written… 6,400.  Total so far… 6,400 words.
 Challenge Day 9… Words written… 6,100.  Total so far… 12,500 words.
 Challenge Day 10… Words written… 3,200.  Total so far… 15,700 words.
 Challenge Day 11… Words written… 2,900.  Total written so far… 18,600 words.
 Challenge Day 12… Words written… 3,100.  Total written so far… 21,700 words.
 Challenge Day 13… Words written… 6,100.  Total written so far… 27,800 words.
 Challenge Day 14… Words written… 3,300.  Total written so far… 31,100 words.
 Challenge Day 15… Words written… 6,200.  Total written so far… 37,300 words.
 Challenge Day 16… Words written… 6,500.  Final total written… 43,800 words. (Novel is no where near that long and might get shorter still after Kris reads it.)

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Challenge Novel #3

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Novel #3…The Writing of DRY CREEK CROSSING: A Thunder Mountain Novel

 Challenge Day 17… Words written… 3,100.  Total so far… 3,100 words.
 Challenge Day 18… Words written… 3,400.  Total so far… 6,500 words.
 Challenge Day 19… Words written… 2,900.  Total so far… 9,400 words.
 Challenge Day 20… Words written… 6,200.  Total so far… 15,600 words.
 Challenge Day 21… Words written… 6,300.  Total so far… 21,900 words.
 Challenge Day 22… Words written… 6,100.  Total so far… 28,000 words.
 Challenge Day 23… Words written… 6,000.  Total so far… 34,000 words.
 Challenge Day 24… Words written… 3,100.  Total so far… 37,100 words.
 Challenge Day 25… Words written… 3,300.  Final total writer… 40,400 words. (Novel is not that long.)

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Challenge Novel #4

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Novel #4…The Writing of BURN CARD: A Cold Poker Gang Mystery

 Challenge Day 26 … Words written… 7,300  Total so far… 7,300 words.
 Challenge Day 27 … Words written… 6,200  Total so far… 13,500 words.
 Challenge Day 28 … Words written… 6,400  Total so far… 19,900 words.
 Challenge Day 29 … Words written… 8,300  Total so far… 28,200 words.

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The Day Breakdown

6.5 hours writing… 8,300 words
0 hours exercise plus normal movement… 4,100 steps
4.5 hours of work for workshops and e-mails and meetings and such.

The rest is television and cooking and so on. Plus 8 hours of sleep. Two 10 minute naps.

THE CHALLENGE SO FAR…

Days over 6,000 words… 19 of 29
Days over 11,000 steps… 11 of 29

4.5 hours of regular job work this week. Today is week day one.

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Tracking Word Counts… July 29th, 2017
Writing in Public blog streak… Day 1,410

— Daily Fiction: 8,300 original words. Fiction month-to-date: 153,500 words  
— Nonfiction: 00 new words. Nonfiction month-to-date total: 700 words
— Blog Posts: 500 new words. Blog month-to-date word count: 14,200 words
— E-mail: 20 e-mails.  Approx. 900 original words.  E-mails month-to date: 859 e-mails. Approx. 50,100 words

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AUGUST ONLINE WORKSHOPS

All have openings at the moment. Information at

www.wmgpublishingworkshops.com

Any questions at all, feel free to write me. And if you are confused as to which workshop to take first, we have a full curriculum posted on its own page.

Class #13… Aug 8th … Depth #3: Research
Class #14… Aug 8th … Endings
Class #15… Aug 8th … Point of View
Class #16… Aug 8th … Writing Mysteries
Class #17… Aug 8th … Speed
Class #18… Aug 8th … Teams in Fiction
Class #19… Aug 9th … Depth in Writing
Class #20… Aug 9th … How to Edit Your Own Work
Class #21… Aug 9th … Character Development
Class #22… Aug 9th … Writing Secondary Plot Lines
Class #23… Aug 9th … Advanced Depth
Class #24… Aug 9th … Writing Fantasy

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3 Comments

  • Vera Soroka

    I notice one thing with the novels is that they all end up shorter than what you wrote them. I’m the opposite, I always add in.

  • Tania Scott

    Dean, I’ve said you are inspiring before, but this challenge is incredible, even for you! I read your blog before I ever finished a novel. It inspired me to self publish. If I hadn’t kept reading the blog I might never have managed a book a year. As it is, I wrote 4 books in my first year and on course to do that again this year. Not DWS speed, but not bad for someone with a four year old, a two year old and a part time job. This week just from reading you, I have upped my usual pace from around 1k per day to 3-4. Giving you a virtual high five!

    • dwsmith

      Thanks, Tania. Fantastic on the pace! Just keep the writing fun. That really is the key. And pace. Every day drip more out and it is stunning how it adds up.