Friday, June 15, 2012

Progress report

I know, I've been slack about posting my progress.  But that's just because I've been racing along.  I had an awesome day's writing yesterday which has pushed me just over the 60K mark.  I figure I have about 20K to go, which is a little longer than I was hoping for, but I know there is space for cutting further back.  Especially since yesterday I had a brainwave about how to solve a plotting problem I had earlier on.  It's so simple, I can't believe I didn't think of it already.

Yeah, I'm a moron.  But sometimes you need to get out of a sticky spot to figure out the best way to deal with it.

I'm excited by this book.  I love my characters even though I keep getting frustrated by their stupid decisions.  But I know they're doing exactly what they need to do, exactly what would have done (and did) in their positions.  I have to let them go through with them, even though I now know how dumb they're being, and how reckless.  At 39 I know a lot more than I did at 17....

So I feel like I'm on track to finish this draft by the end of the month or a week or so into July, well before my deadline of July 27th.  I'm itching to revise already, but I'll hold off until after the Film Festival because once I dive in, I want to be able to give the revision process everything I can, and I won't have much to give while working 60+ hours per week.

How are your WIPs coming along?  Do your characters frustrate you with their dumb decisions too?

4 comments:

  1. I'm taking a break from my WIP, which is fully drafted. I'm working on short stories before I go back and revise.

    Good luck finishing up. It sounds like you are doing well. :) And remember, you don't have to agree with your characters' decisions. I'm sure you don't agree with all your friends' decisions either. ;)

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  2. That's awesome that the writing is going so well. I love those stories that just kind of flow. I have one like that I'm hoping to get back to soon.

    And I definitely struggle with letting my characters make dumb decisions.

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  3. Yep, sometimes those characters have a mind of their own and refuse to listen to anything I tell them. :) Sounds like you're doing great. Best of luck.

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  4. Happy to hear your WIP is going well - it is so that as older than our MCs we have to put ourselves into their headset and let them be 17. And let them make the mistakes we're investigating with our plots!

    Actually found you through the 'tall tales' blog - I followed the links to a few people who entered the competition, as I am newly blogging, seeking to make connections with other YA writers! I have followed you ;)

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