Friday Funny and Writer Up

Well, another week down and another week of successful writing under my belt! With my job still on the blessedly slower side, and the rest of my life surprisingly calm (minus a couple of hiccups last weekend with a broken car and Internet), I was able to work like a maniac on my manuscript. My six-day total (Saturday to Thursday) was approximately 21,700 words. So, that gives me a two-week grand total of over 50,000 words!

Happy dance time!

I’m definitely on a record-setting pace. And if I keep it up, I just might meet the original deadline I set for myself back in January (complete one manuscript by early spring). Of course, keeping up this pace might be on the crazy/unlikely side. First, because, hello, writing 3,000-5,000 words/day is exhausting/emotionally draining/isolating. Second, because starting next week, my life will get busier. The workload at my job will increase significantly, and my sister is due to have a baby at any minute (eeks!). Throw in regular chores, a few birthday parties, and possibly the second round of the NYC Midnight Short Story Challenge (results from round one arrive on Monday), and I’m looking at some serious cutbacks in writing time. However, no matter what “butterflies” come my way, I’m determined to keep fighting and keep writing.

In honor of my extreme focus this week, and the fact that I’ve been “talking” more to my characters lately than real people (ahem…yeah), here are a few funnies for your Friday pleasure. Enjoy!

Okay, “real people” out there. Talk to me (um, please? haha!). How was your week? Did you #WriterUp and get some work done? Are you going to be a hermit like me this weekend and write, write, write? Well, I might take a small break to go to the movies to see Divergent. Anyone else going to see it?

Okay, time for me to #WriterUp! You should too. Go! Work!

Jen’s Weekly Roundup

Blog Hop – Writing Insights

Friday Funny and Hells Yeah!

You are going to be soooo proud of me! Remember last week’s Friday Funny? The one about all the pretty butterflies that were distracting me and keeping me from my manuscript? Well, I’m proud to announce those butterflies have been scattered and chased away. They’re gone! Finished. Bye-bye!

As of last night, I’ve written a six-day total of 29,447 words.

29,447 words! In six days! That’s almost an average of 5,000 words/day…Yeah, I think that calls for a happy dance. Hit it, Carlton!

How’d this happen? Well, I’ll tell you:

1. FOCUS! I was a laser beam inside a narrow tunnel. I refused to let anything distract me from writing every single day! Whenever Facebook or emails or a different “butterfly” fluttered by, I firmly squashed it and focused on my manuscript instead. The only time I only allowed myself to stop was when I needed a physical/mental break.
2. Joy & Entertainment: So far, I’m genuinely enjoying what I’m writing. In a weird way, it’s like I’m reading a good book I can’t put down. It’s like I have to know what happens next, and the only way to find out is to write it. So, I write, write, write! Faster, faster, faster!
3. Slow Work Week: My job is a bit of a roller coaster ride when it comes to workload. Some weeks are crazy busy, others are crazy slow. This week was on the slower side. There were days when I was able to write for 5 straight hours without interruption. And even on busier days, like yesterday, I was so motivated to return to my manuscript, I did my job faster than usual.
4. Renewed & Reenergized: A couple of weeks ago, after I complained about how unmotivated I was to exercise, a good friend suggested a website that does daily Pilates routines…Now, I’ve never been woo-hoo about Yoga or Pilates, but honestly, I was willing to try anything to get my butt back in shape and my attitude in a better place. So, I tried it out. And I loved it! Well, I didn’t love it at first. Actually, I pretty much looked like this:

However, I’m loving it now. The workouts are still insanely hard and it’s going to take me forever to build my strength again. BUT my mind and body have been completely renewed and reenergized. I don’t feel so tired or lazy anymore. This, of course, has translated to better results with my manuscript. (Thank you for the tip and ongoing encouragement, Jessica!!)

Anyways, I’ve dedicated today’s Friday Funny to my “Hells yeah!” writing week. Finally, I’ve managed to suck it up and #WriterUp! To finally–finally–begin transferring the story inside my head to my computer!

How about you? How was your week? Are you struggling with focusing? Fear not, it too shall pass. Just tell yourself you can do it. Be a laser beam and focus! Suck it up and #WriterUp!

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Suck it Up and Writer Up – A Quick Update

The “butterflies” have begun to scatter, folks! The distractions are flying away and my focus is zooming in. Let’s all give a big cheer! 1…2…3…CHEER! (If you don’t know what I’m talking about, click here.)

So, this past weekend, I decided it was time to suck it up and “writer up”. Close my doors, turn off my phone, and FOCUS on my manuscript.

On Saturday, I woke up and told myself I wasn’t going to do anything but write. Forget cleaning the house. Forget my blog (sorry, guys). Forget checking email. Forget getting out of my pj’s or brushing my hair or putting makeup on. Saturday was gonna be all about writing. And it was!

Behold, a writer in the wild.

Yeah, scary stuff!

After a slow, writer-blockish start, I squeaked out 4,500 words on Saturday. Not too shabby. With nothing planned on Sunday, I decided to write all day again. The words came out faster and easier than the morning before. I was slowly, but surely, getting my rhythm back. Around noon, a giant “butterfly” tried to distract me when my sister called and asked if I wanted to go with her and my two nephews to the aquarium. I clenched my jaw, pushed down my “Oooh! Yes!” response, and said no. I told her I HAD to keep writing. It was painful, but necessary. I suppose those sort of sacrifices are when you’re trying to write a 100K manuscript in just a few months.

By Sunday night, I’d managed to write 6,000 more words. That made my weekend total 10,000+!

Woot-woot! Yeah, I was so happy! And not just because I’d written so much, but because I LIKED what I’d written. Yes, I know most of it will get revised/edited/chopped in future drafts, but, so far, I’m thoroughly enjoying the basic foundation I’ve created.

Yesterday, I went to work with the determination to find some time during the day to knock out a few more words, even 100. I didn’t care as long as I wrote something and kept the flow going. I didn’t want to lose my precious momentum.

Well, work ended up being really slow, so I basically had the entire day to write. And, almost too easily, I whipped out another 4,000 words. So, that puts me at approximately 14,000 words in three days. *high five self* I’m not gonna lie, I’m really proud of myself. And I’m determined to keep the pace up. I’m just about to leave for work now, and I’m hoping when I get there, I see it isn’t too hectic again. That way I can make another giant leap forward. *fingers crossed*

How about you? Are you making progress on your manuscript/project? If not, just tell yourself, “It’s time to suck it up and writer up!” It works! Trust me 🙂