10, 725

[Oops, I'm two days late with this post - blame the migraine! Still, here we go...]


Four weeks ago, I was shocked to discover that it was the start of the 3rd month of 2014, which meant I only had 9 months left if I wanted to finish
Novel Number Two by the end of the year...!

 

With this shock, I got feisty with myself: I had to set mini-targets to be able to achieve this, and I had to stick to them. I'm a lover of quotes and adages, and one of my favourites is:

 

Doing gets it done

 

(though I pretend I've never heard of this when the housework rears its ugly head!)

 

To do it, I set myself the mini-target of writing 350 words, 5 days a week. For me, 350 words is a squashable-enough target to exceed on a good day, but still a conquerable-enough target to scratch-out on a difficult one. 5 days a week, though...I knew this was going to be harder, as I'm not that good with routine (!). But my plan for the last 18 months or so has been to start submitting Novel Number Two in January of 2015, and I can't do that if the bloody book isn't written...

Eek, here's the Maths Bit:

350 words times 5 days = 1, 750 per week

1750 x 4 weeks = 7, 000

 

So, how did I do? Well, here is my March breakdown of words:

 

	Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4
Sat				560
Sun	689	1, 392	1, 043
Mon	670			679
Tue				928
Wed
Thur	680
Fri		2, 273		577

                                

A scientist would conclude a (probably not too flattering) theory about my productivity, I'm sure (and it would back up my earlier confession that I don't do routine well!. Having said that, though, my reversing is much worse...!), but it all adds up to a total of...

 

10, 725 words.*

 

And that, for 4 weeks' work, ain't too shabby at all. Happily, it smashes the 7, 000 target...and makes me a very smiley Deb indeed.

 

Now I just need to repeat it 9 more times...or 7, ideally (!), as I need a couple of months to edit and redraft, though this doesn't leave the recommended time away from the text...oops. Ah well, I've always known I was rubbish at numbers!

*= Admittedly, this is a count of First Draft words, so some (maybe lots...?) will be deleted and many more (definitely lots!) will be rewritten - but even so, 10, 725 words? Fab-u-lous, dahling!
 

~ ttfn ~