Yey, I'm a winner!

I'm very pleased with my progress in Nano, considering I lost an entire week. So my 51,509 total was achieved in three weeks minus the Thanksgiving weekend. It's good to know what you're capable of doing if push comes to shove.

Word count was the goal but it wasn't the only benefit of Nanowrimo. Through the interactive website a writer can become acquainted with others across the globe as well as those in his/her local region. Writers were competitive but greatly supportive.

I was even more thrilled this year to be a part of Nano. The community feel is so successful in goal setting that our Goals loop is setting up our own challenge similar to Nano so our members can take advantage of this ritual. I'm excited about being able to participate in two or even three of these challenges a year to enhance my productivity.

So now we have Nano in November, perhaps two challenges with our loop, the BIAW loop run by Barbara one week of each month. Are you aware of other writing challenges, loops, contests? I'd love to know about them.

Kick in the Pants wk4

Wow. Time flies. Fourth week. This challenge has really helped me to push myself which has boosted my confidence and helped me define some habits, which my husband would probably say weren't the ones he wanted me to develop.

I used to think I'd start to work writing as soon as I got up since we get up before dawn. But that hasn't happened. We have our coffee watch the news, eat a little breakfast, I check my emails, then around 8 or 9 it seems I get started and write until around 2 or 5 or 7, whatever flows.

Last week I wrote 15, 200 words! Yea! This week 4,000, got my business cards ready for the conference, worked on my pitch, helped Joe with crawfish, delivered mail.

Some days the end seems further and further away, but I don't have any doubt that I will finish both my first WIPs soon and submit them, both 90% complete. Ten days til the conference, only 8 calendar writing days.

Big WC day!

Maybe I'm just doomed to go up and down and need to look at the big picture.

Monday, I wrote 4,060 and didn't want to quit then but I had to be up really early to work yesterday.

Again I was surpised by my characters. I'd been agonizing over the reason behind her fear and she explained it to our hero. How come I didn't know that?

Now, I'm starting to get concerned that I will go over my targeted word count?

Question: What do you do? Plan a target or write the story? Do you write it and then cut or expand to meet publisher guidelines? Or do you decide first and try to stay as close to that target as possible?

Patience, Leah, I'm working on the Roar Award, will post on that tomorrow.