Challenge,  Fun Stuff,  On Writing

Getting Back In The Chair…

March 29, 2023 /

Can’t Count the Words for the Challenges…

But figured since my writing has been so off and on for the last five months because of the eye issues, I had better spend time back in my writing chair kicking off the dust.

Feels great, let me tell you. Can not believe how much I have missed being in that chair over the last five months.

I sat down tonight and said, “I’m home!”

Couple things I noticed. I am not typing as clean as I used to because the eye is not totally back, so getting letters mixed up when my fingers get off the keys or in the wrong spot (I only use four fingers, so easy to do.) But honestly, I don’t care. Given time it will clean back up.

Second, my keeping track system of files which was fresh in my mind the night before I went blind, seems to be lost in the mists of time.So that is going to take a little bit of time to get back in my head.

Third, I had a little bit on a new Cold Poker Gang novel done, and had dinged at it over the months at times, but not so surprisingly, there isn’t much there. I just couldn’t bring myself to do much on it with the font blown up by a factor of twenty. Too much into the words.

Now the font just needs to be slightly larger and I have computer glasses so all is right. I might just go back and finish that novel quickly. (Meaning write almost all of it, but finishing sounds better. (grin)) I seldom have five month breaks between starting a book and finishing it. Maybe like never happened before.

So the challenges are going to be great fun and more people have jumped in because of the half price sale going on. (see last posts) Remember, every week I will be doing a video on both of the challenges talking about my total, or just giving my total, or doing a motivation thing if it strikes me.

All you have to do is every week or two or every month if that is better, write me an email with your total so far. Don’t have to say anything, I will not be judging you in any way, shape or form. I am just the challenge for you to push against.

Caution… I might be slow in the next month or so as I gain speed from this eye thing, but the Time of Great Forgetting does not bother me in any fashion and fall has been my best writing time of the year historically. So better to be out ahead of me if you can. (grin)

Fun writing times ahead!

11 Comments

  • Kate Pavelle

    March 29, 2023 at 7:51 am

    Hooray for getting back in the saddle, Dean! My condolences on your organzational system. I’m still wrangling mine.
    As for never-finished pieces, when I updated my inventory sheet, I found some never-finished pieces. Story starts, novel starts, novels planned to finish a series that I have a book cover for but I never got to start. I highlighted their status as IN PROGRESS in an obnoxious, neon pink color. I hope to be pink-free and all-green by the end of the year!
    Meanwhile, I’ve been finishing my website, pre-programming my Free Fiction Friday posts, making sure everything I already have is published everywhere so I don’t have distractions in the back of my mind.
    Should I have done that to begin with?
    You bet.
    But better late then never!
    I also feel the lure of the writing chair. And now that my new hip is almost fully recovered (as in, I can walk up the stairs without a cane,) I’ll be fine both sitting and taking fitness breaks.

  • Rob Kerns

    March 29, 2023 at 8:02 am

    This challenge is a great idea, and I signed up for it a few hours ago.

    I wrote a little over 238,000 words last year, but honestly, that doesn’t feel like anything, looking back on it now. And to be honest, I’m not 100% sure where about half of those words went.

    I’ve been looking forward to this since you announced it.

  • Jason M

    March 29, 2023 at 9:43 am

    On MS Word, my own preset font magically jumped from 12 pt Times Roman to 14 pt Garamond a few years ago. Someone must’ve been playing with my software. That’s the story, and I’m sticking with it.

    • dwsmith

      March 30, 2023 at 1:19 pm

      Poetry sure does count. As does nonfiction. Anything consumable by the public.

      Posts on Facebook and other social media do not count. Blog on your own site does count. Your question and my response here do not count. Emails do not count.

      It will be fun.

  • Jonathan Coker

    March 31, 2023 at 8:21 pm

    I am so looking forward to the challenge. A few years ago I finished my first novel and some short stories. Life did the usual it does (or that’s the excuse a lot of us like to use, lol).

    My kids are grown and I’m only 44. I am looking forward to getting back to the grounding effect I had when I was writing on a regular. Best feeling in the world and the words come flying off the page. The writing feels effortless and it is like traveling to another world.

    So excited and thanks for offering the course. Sale made it a no brainer to sign up and to get rid of all the excuses.