Card Sharp Silver… Day 11
Just Another Day…
Nothing special about today, other than the entire world is locked down. But here, Kris and I got a lot done.
I was again late getting in here to my office. Managed the feat around 12:30 pm and did some email and stuff, then headed to the writing computer at 1:30 pm.
By 2:15 I had about a thousand words done and then had lunch.
Got back in here around 3 pm and recorded some stuff. Then about 3:45 I managed to get back to the writing computer and did just about another 1,000 words before 4:45 pm.
Then a short nap and and then Kris and I headed out to go pick up some pizza.
One of the nearby pizza parlors we really like had a special going on that was linked to an online magazine site. A one afternoon special. So Kris called in a few days ago, paid for a pizza, and we had an appointment to pick it up. So we walked over and stood in the parking lot until they brought it out.
Strange world, but great pizza.
I worked on email and other workshop stuff until around 9 pm, then another short nap (I am really enjoying these 10-20 minute naps), then Kris and I went out for another walk.
We were too early for the dog walkers, so we saw no one. Not sure that in a major urban area, seeing no one is something I will ever get used to. Not even cars on the road.
We then watched a television show and I watched the local news. I got back in my office around11:30 and worked on letters and workshops for about an hour. Then back to the writing computer for another 700 words.
So this novel is just taking its own time. And I seem to have no desire to get all stressed up and push it. Too much stress in the world anyway. So I hope you folks don’t mind that this is going longer than I had thought it would.
CAVE CREEK KICKSTARTER ONLY HAS 60 HOURS LEFT
I keep forgetting to mention that the only place you can get a special HOW TO WRITE HISTORICAL FICTION three-week workshop is in the Cave Creek Kickstarter.
The workshop will be offered twice, once starting May 5th and second time starting June 2nd. And there is a short story to write at the end of it all.
So sixty hours left. Pass the word. And don’t forget to grab the special workshop.
7 Comments
Harvey Stanbrough
That always happens to me as I get closer to the end of a novel. (grin) Mine usually start with a lot of words and build steam from there (always WITD and cycling).
Then as I get closer to the end, when I kind of feel it coming but can’t quite see it yet, the story starts to slow and the sessions come harder. Not complaining, just how it works, almost every time. I think my characters don’t want to get to the end and be finished. (grin)
dwsmith
I honestly don’t think I am near the end. I might have been if I had been doing the 4,000 words a day for a few days, but right now it feels more like the slog middle. But I honestly have no idea. Part of me feels this is wrapping too soon, part of me feels I have a ways to go. I am not thinking or worrying about it, just going with the characters.
Harvey
Yep, I didn’t say that right. I wasn’t saying that might be the case with yours. You mentioned recently that it’s normal for your books to start slow and build steam. I was just saying I’d noticed an interestint trend in mine too: they usually start fast but slog down toward the end as if the characters don’t want to exit stage left. (grin) Anyway, I finally spotted the end of mine toward the close of business yesterday, so it will wrap today, just in time to meet my self-imposed deadline. This year (since December) I’m writing a novel every month and a short story every week. It’s been… uh, interesting. (grin) But a ton of fun.
Pablo
Thanks for blogging these days, Dean. In Madrid (Spain) we are locked down at home since two weeks… I’m struggling like everybody else to reach my daily words and it feels a bit frustrating. While I was doing 5k daily a month ago, right now I’m doing such an effort to reach 3k.
Anyways, as you said, I try to put sentence after sentence, even if I’m not so involved in the story. I keep going forward, pantsing more than plotting, trying to find myself into the zone for a couple of hours and not worried about the final result but enjoying the process.
I follow the blog since a year but I guess I never commented anything. So this is the time for. Thanks for your work and your wise, very useful for my career.
Take care in the US.
dwsmith
You too, Pablo. Stay safe.
T Thorn Coyle
Right now, I do think slow and steady wins the race.
I didn’t write at all last week. Still worked almost every day (except one when everything said “nope”), but couldn’t do the writing. This broke a “write daily” streak I’d been holding since Oct 1 — writing through illness, travel, everything else. This pandemic broke it, and I don’t even have the virus. That’s okay. I clearly needed a what I’m calling a “week outside of time” last week.
Back to the current novel today.
Wishing us all the best in these times.
dwsmith
Great you are getting back at it, Thorn. This craziness happening takes the brain, of that there is no doubt at all. And you stay safe as well.