As I said in the previous posts, I’m going to have one post per day here for the “ghost” novel writing process that I was hired by a New York publisher to do. I am aiming for 7 to 10 days to finish this novel. I can give ZERO hints about the content of the book, so please don’t ask. I am only talking about the writing process and my day around the writing process.
I will add to this post at different times during the day right up until I head to bed so you can follow the process. At the end of each post I will add up the daily word count and project word count. You want to see what a professional writer’s day is like, I’ll put a post up here every day until this book is done.
If you are new to this, I would scroll back and start reading from Day 1 and read the comments under all the days so far for a ton of answers to questions. And the questions have been great. Thanks, everyone!
Day #1… 7,625 words
Day #2… 7,734 words
Day #3… 7,059 words
Total so far… 22,418 words.
So now on to Day #4.
Day 4: Entry 1:
12:45 PM… Rolled out of bed this morning at the same time as yesterday, even though I had ended up watching a stand-up comic last night until 5:30 in the morning. Ah, well. By 1:15 PM I had my breakfast bars and was answering my e-mail and comments on Day 3 of this. Some good questions. Make sure if you are following this to read the comments and my answers on each day.
2:15 PM… I finished the comments and questions and basic e-mail. And finished getting up the online workshop response for the Cliffhangers Workshop I should have finished last night but spaced it. Now I’m heading out to get the mail and head up to WMG Publishing to see what’s happening up there. (I’ll cause my normal hour of disruption at WMG and then head back here, grabbing some lunch on the way.)
Day 4: Entry 2:
5:00 PM… not one new fiction word yet written, but headed to the writing computer shortly. I spent time at the post office, then one bank, then up to WMG where I helped them deal with setting up a web site that will hold a novel of Kris’s that WMG is going to be serializing starting tomorrow. Check out www.WMGPublishing.com for that. It’s a brand new novel called “Spree.” A wonderful mystery.
Then I went to yet another bank, then grabbed some lunch at Subway and came home and ate it with Kris while she ate her lunch as well. Then back to this computer to answer more e-mails and do more workshop stuff, and now doing this entry. So now, just a minute or so before 5 PM I’m headed for my writing computer for the first time today.
It’s a beautiful day on the Oregon Coast, but the ocean outside my window is a little rough from a north wind. And it’s scary bright in here, especially for a person used to working at night. (grin)
Day 4: Entry 3:
7:00 PM… Over the last two hours I answered more e-mail and comments on a break between writing sessions and managed 1,800 words as well in two different writing sessions.
So now, as is normal for me, Walter White Kitty and I are headed for the dark media room downstairs to take a short nap before dinner.
So 1,800 words so far total today.
Day 4: Entry 4:
9:30 PM… Nap and dinner were done around 8:15 and then I answered a few questions and e-mails, did a little work on a workshop, and went back to the writing computer for another session. I managed another 1,000 words or so in an hour.
Now I’m taking a break, going to work on the Pitches and Blurbs workshop with the writers taking that online class, and then go back to writing. That’s the plan, anyway. Just under 3,000 words so far today total. About right, especially for a Monday that had a lot of other things going on.
Day 4: Entry 5:
11:30 PM… I spent most of the last two hours working on the Online Workshop Pitches and Blurbs, getting the assignments back to the writers and doing a video response. Then I wrote a quick 500 words and am now heading for the media room to watch The Voice, the best show ever done to show how artists at top levels work and are trained. It’s a stunner and a must-see for anyone wanting to be a writer. So much knowledge. Back after a time.
Day 4: Entry 6:
2:30 AM… I watched all two hours of The Voice. Stunning stuff about art and being an artist. Then I came back up to this computer, did a little more workshop stuff, then went and wrote. In two sessions with a short break I did around 1,500 more words. So by my rough count I’m in about 5,000 words so far today. I’ll add it all up later when I finish tonight. Still got some energy left, surprising on a day like today and all the errands and work and workshop stuff.
Day 4: Entry 7:
4:00 AM… Brain just never got back on it tonight. Too much stuff, too many distractions today, which I had fully expected for a Monday. So I’m heading to the big screen to veg over some bad television and then to bed.
Today I also made it through that deadly one-third spot in any novel (1/3 of 70,000 words is 23,300 words) where the energy is gone, everything seems like a pile a crap, and you lose interest in the book and even writing more. I have never had a novel that I didn’t go through that. It’s where most beginning novelists stop cold. Professional novelist know about this and just power through. I went through it today, actually this afternoon. So that feels good as well to have that barrier behind me.
Even though this was a lower word count day, I still feel great about the entire process and feel like I am right on target for an eight or nine day novel without problems. I always have lower word count days, usually the first and fourth days. The next tough day will be Thursday, but I might be on a roll by then, so I’m not going to worry about it now. Baring unforseens, tomorrow might be my first 10,000 word day. We shall see.
Day #1… 7,625 words
Day #2… 7,734 words
Day #3… 7,059 words
Day #4…5,070 words
Total so far… 27,488 words.