CONTEST FOR CREATIVE TYPES: WEEK TWO ROUND-UP
It’s time for our second contest update! You can check out the contest rules here if you missed them.
Here’s where we stand as of last week’s update:
Jeremy_A: Project = Novel (Forum Everyone); goal = 10,000 words per week; word count as of last week = ?
Colleen Doran: Project = Novel; goal = 50,000 words by end-of-month; word count as of last week = approx. 14,988
Sarah Beach: Project = Novel (Godiva); goal = 50,000 words by end-of-month; word count as of last week = approx. 6,654
Bill Mulligan: Project = Screenplay; goal = ?; word count as of last week = ?
Sean Scullion: Project = Screenplay (Triangle); goal = ?; word count as of last week = ?
Laurie Sutton: Project = Short Stories; goal = five 10,000-word stories by end-of-month; word count as of last week = ?
Me: Project = Comic-Book; goal = four finished pages by end-of-month; page count as of last week = 1
It looks like Colleen Doran is owning us, hands down. Also, we’re missing some updates! That’s right, I’m talkin’ to you, Laurie Sutton, Sean Scullion, and Jeremy_A. (I’m not picking on Bill Mulligan because he told me he has walking pneumonia and I don’t want to be responsible for driving him into an early grave. He’d never let me hear the end of it.)
My update will be forthcoming in a separate post on Saturday or Sunday. Why? First, I’d like to post some of what I’ve completed, and as I write this I’m at work (on my lunch break, before anyone asks!) and don’t have access to my artwork or my personal scanner. Second, Laurie Sutton convinced me that some of my thoughts around what I’m doing, the obstacles in my way and how I’m overcoming them would be of value to others. It didn’t take a lot of convincing, mind you. Getting me to talk is easy. Getting me to shut up is the tough part.
I look forward to updates from my fellow contestants.
November 16th, 2008 at 11:33 am
I must be psychic because I knew this was going to happen. I’m waaay behind on my word count. November/December are notoriously bad for me to try and devote a concentrated amount of time on any one thing, let alone something like NaNoWriMo (which is precisely why I’ve never participated).
As for our little challenge: I started off well, but after the first week the wheels came off the cart. I haven’t written anything in the week since. So, those of you who haven’t posted a comment with your progress, or lack thereof, don’t feel bad! I’ll be the leader of the not-gonna-make-it pack.
A part of my problem was that I had only a vague idea of where I wanted my initial story to go. Now I’ve done stuff like that before and been successful, but not with such a tight time restriction. I got frustrated very quickly. Most of the frustration came from not being allowed to “craft”. I am not very good at stream-of-consciousness. All my training has been exactly the opposite. I thought the NaNo paradigm would be freeing. Not so much. Instead, I’ve fought myself the whole way.
I’m going to try this again, on my own, when I can block out a range of time for myself that will support success. I have Volume Two of a trilogy that’s been waiting patiently for me, and this little foray has made me want to get started on it. That’s my silver lining.
But for now, I’m a charter member of Club Arrrgh!
November 18th, 2008 at 8:52 pm
I’m so far behind it isn’t funny, but between working 7 days a week and some other stuff going on, as much as I WANT to write, I haven’t had the time. Fortunately, my weekend job consists mainly of sitting around waiting for something to happen.
November 18th, 2008 at 10:44 pm
I’m running at about 27,000 words, slightly behind.
However, most of it is stream of consciousness and notes, very littel real writing going on.
I say it’s been good for me. I have been thinking about this book for two years and barely written anything, and now I am so into the story I am dreaming about it. I think this may actually be helping me as an artist: I have been more productive with drawing and painting, too, full of energy.
I have gone for several days at a time without writing, and the in one evening will blow out huge chunks of stuff, though I admit most of it is a rambling mess.
I took the Nanowrimo advice of not worrying about craft at all to heart. I will not finish my novel, but I will have a huge chunk of work completed and will easily beat the 50,000 word count.
I think when I get close to the end, I will just sit down and do a new outline and stop the stream of consciousness thing. I feel like I am just doing filler to make word count sometimes. But a lot of times, just banging away at the keyboard unblocks me, so I guess it works.
November 19th, 2008 at 6:13 pm
I have no idea what my word count would b, since I’ve probably made more changes to the existing screenplay than doing what I OUGHT to be doing, which is figure out how to wrap up the third act.
I can still blame sickness to a degree, though the x-rays came back ok and they have me on something called avelox which is clering things up nicely. Now my cats are sick, sick enough t require a trip to the vet for some IV fluids.
So far this winter well and truly bites.