Wednesday, June 2, 2010

From 06/01


52107 / 80000 words. 65% done!

Friday, May 14, 2010

Admission (1)

Admission: I have a bad habit of starting a bunch of projects, getting distracted by a new one and never finishing the old ones. I'm losing momentum here! I'm starting to think of new ideas to play with. Argh!
WIP #1

50323 / 80000 words. 63% done!

WIP #2

2867 / 6000 words. 48% done!
From 05/13


48854 / 80000 words. 61% done!

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

From 05/11/10


47295 / 80000 words. 59% done!

Friday, May 7, 2010

Progress Update (16)

This is from May 6.


46773 / 80000 words. 58% done!

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Progress Update (15)



46184 / 80000 words. 58% done!

I actually spent all of my writing time today getting my homework for the week done. We're going on vacation tomorrow and I didn't want to have to worry about it. Unfortunately/fortunately, the Page A Day challenge stabbed my conscience with the special writing knife and made me hop on and contribute to WIP #1.

Although I had a bit of a hard time focusing in the beginning, it got a little better by the time my brain cried for sleep and my fingers started to stick.  I made a little bit of headway into answering some of the questions I wanted to work on.

You know what I'm horrible about?  Writing down notes.  I'll think of an aspect of the story that would be fun to follow up with in a later book and then I don't write it down anywhere.  I just get lazy.  That must change!

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

WIP #2


2787 / 6000 words. 46% done!

44317 / 80000 words. 55% done!

Inch by Inch Challenge

I have been inspired!  A tiny inch worm crawling along gave me what many of the world's wonders have failed to.  You see, this little worm doesn't go very far in its life.  It may visit a decent portion of a forest, or perhaps even make it from one end of my town to the other.  Despite the fact that he will never be able to travel across the continent or visit the volcanoes of Hawaii, he keeps going, inch by slow inch.

In our writing, any change is progress.  As we see from many challenges out there, be they the 50k in 50 Days challenge or the Page a Day challenge, there are different levels of progress and each is completely acceptable.  Heck, if all you manage to do is add one word to your WIP, that's progress.

What is the Inch by Inch Challenge?
A place for us to get together and share our progress, be it one word or more.  The point of this is to hold each other accountable for making some sort of progress and not simply giving up all together - something that I struggle with constantly.

How will it work?
I will post a challenge update every weekend on Tuesday (Why not?  Tuesday needs more appreciation) and my hope is that everyone involved will post the progress they have made in their WIP.

I want to participate!
I knew you would.  Sign the Mr. Linky below so that we get a good list of everyone involved.  We'll need to stop by each other's blogs and cheer each other on.  After you've signed up, be sure to leave a comment with your current word count.

Finally, enjoy!

Page a Day Challenge

Swimmer over at Books, Writing, and More, Oh My! has started a Page a Day writing challenge.  As we wait for Sarah's 50k in 50 Days challenge to start back up, this should provide with a bit of motivation to keep the momentum going.

I personally have a hard time always finding time to get on the computer.  Okay, strike that.  I live on the computer.  Rather, I have a hard time finding time everyday to write.  I make up for it by trying to put out a higher word count on the days that I do get to write, although when that happens I don't feel that my writing is always of the best quality.  I'm hoping this challenge will encourage me to put something up everyday.

Want to participate?  Head on over and sign up!

Along with my progress update for each day (which will probably come in the form of a single word count meter), I will also post what motivated me or what sucked away my motivation.

I notice that what tends to happen is I either come to my computer with motivation and start typing like mad.  If I don't immediately come with motivation, it's difficult for me to find.  Today, I came with motivation.

Motivation assistance: La Bouche and Mountain Dew.  Always a winning combination for me.  Also, the cracking of my cold knuckles and the sound of fingers typing across the keyboard.  Clumsy typing that makes me have to hit the backspace key a bunch of times slows me down and pulls the momentum right out of me.  Today, however, I have found my sweet spot on the keyboard and have already hit a little over a thousand words in the last hour.

Monday, May 3, 2010



42026 / 80000 words. 53% done!

Friday, April 30, 2010



39057 / 80000 words. 49% done!

I couldn't focus today though so I think a majority of today's is crud.

Thursday, April 29, 2010



37132 / 80000 words. 46% done!

Aspiring Writers Pledge



I, Cinnamon, take The Aspiring Writers Pledge to write a book in 2010 with the intent of publishing. I promise to update my progress weekly, ask when I need support and encourage others to complete the task at hand.


Aspiring Writers Pledge
As much as it pains me, it must be done.

I'm updating the meter from 50,000 to 80,000.  I'm thinking 50,000 was probably unrealistically small.  What do you think?


34960 / 80000 words. 44% done!

Wednesday, April 28, 2010



34960 / 50000 words. 70% done!

Chapters, Dilemmas, and Speed, Oh My!

Look, she has my eyes...
I broke 100 pages in word today.  I know that it doesn't really mean much since I'm sure a majority of what I've written will have to be cut later, but it still feels like a bit of an accomplishment.

Question: What do you do about chapter length?  Some of my chapters are 12 pages, some are 20.  Problem?

Also I have a dilemma.  In WIP I'm working on, I am about to hit 40,000 words and have just got to the really good stuff of the story.  The major event to happen to this girl is happening, and yet I still have a few fights I want to throw in as well as a good conspiracy.  I had thought of going to about 50,000 words on this, but more is okay, right?  I imagine I'll probably cut about 10-20% of this later on (which will be painful), but right now it's hard for me to imagine cutting any part of the story out.  Some parts aren't well developed, but I want to go back and develop them, not simply remove them.

Also, how fast do you all get words out there?  When I write, I tend to get words out quick, but I'm nervous that most of it is crap and perhaps that's why it gets out so quick.  Take today for example.  2,610 words in two hours.  If I try to slow down though, I don't think my story changes.  It almost feels like I'm a big semi truck losing momentum going up the hill.  If I slow down I stop.  If I get going, then I really get going.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010



32350 / 50000 words. 65% done!

Monday, April 26, 2010



31118 / 50000 words. 62% done!

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Wannabe Writers (1)

Who am I?


I'm Cinnamon - mom, wife, student, usually good employee, avid reader, and aspiring writer.  I've been writing stories on and off since I was a kid.  I grew up surrounded by a love of language and have been lucky enough to witness my mom's success story in the world of writing and getting published.  From her achievements, I know getting published is something I can do...well, usually I know it.  Okay, let's be honest, I have a defeatist attitude and have to remind myself constantly that I can do anything I want as long as I put in the time and energy to make it happen.

So how come I never remember that?

One major hurdle for me is I don't really feel like I have anyone I can talk to about this.  The major influences in my life have a way of being too critical and simply telling me that I have no time.  Also, although it may sound horrible, I don't trust the advice from them as they refuse to take advice from anyone else.  My husband is supportive, but he doesn't actually...umm...read, so he doesn't have a lot of advice for me.

Where am I as a writer?


I have a whole folder of projects that have been started, but never completed.  Typically, I'll begin something with high hopes but then read something that may be similar or otherwise second guess the story.  I drop it and move on to something else.  To date I have yet to complete anything.

I would say that I really have two WIPs at the moment.  One I started about a month ago and is detailed on this blog by the word count meters.  The other one I haven't touched in probably over a year.  It's sitting stagnant at around 35,000 words.  Everything else is in such an infantile stage that I hesitate to use the term WIP.

My question:


So now you know a little bit about me.  My major question is how you keep yourself motivated and keep from talking yourself out of the story?  Does anyone else even suffer from this?  I would like to finish my current WIP (as in just get the words on paper/screen) but already I can feel the stirrings of, "This is crud, give up now."

Saturday, April 24, 2010


29597 / 50000 words. 59% done!

26931 / 50000 words. 54% done!

Thursday, April 22, 2010


23807 / 50000 words. 48% done!
From Wednesday


20859 / 50000 words. 42% done!

Monday, April 19, 2010


18167 / 50000 words. 36% done!

Thursday, April 15, 2010


15855 / 50000 words. 32% done!