Where I place the fics

So as of today I've written 500+ words for 119 days straight and have accrued 62,530 words. I started on Jan 2 with the GYWO challenge and somehow managed to keep the momentum up. I had read once that it took 21 days to form a habit or some such thing. (Turns out according to this article it takes 66 days for something to become automatic.) So I figured that if I kept up with writing daily that the act of it would somehow become effortless or that it would at least become easier. But it didn't work out that way. Just nope....

The whole habit thing is bullshit (for me). Biting my nails is a habit. To write or not to write is a decision that I have to make every day. It's gotten to the point where I just know that I'm going to get it done though, but it's not a habit. It's more like... something that gets done. I've learned that if I'm really in a mood where writing is the last thing I want to do, I take a look at what is driving it. Once I figure the true cause then I rank it on my "legitimate" excuses list and then decide. (Have you lost a limb? No? Are you vomiting right now? No? Zombies? Then do your words!) Also having a streak has kind of made the excuse ranking harder because it's grown into a "do you reeeealy want to break the chain because you feel lazy today?" kind of thing and then I  drag myself to the computer.

Setting a reasonable word limit also helps.  500 words a day has gradually become easier because it's only 500. I don't tend to go over it by more than 100 words. It's strange but somehow it makes the whole routine easier... Maybe that's what it is... Not a habit but a routine. Man how is it that I've just figured this out now... I have a routine.

These kind of things are definitely not for everyone. Many folks are binge writers or start and stoppers, or just don't need that kind of structure or challenge and will put out hundreds of thousands of words this year, but for me it's been an interesting personal challenge and it's heartening to know that somehow I'm still at it.

Stuck
Chapters: 6 (draft 2)
Total @  19,283

I FINISHED THE FUCKING DRAFT!  This might have been one of my most difficult draft rounds. Way more rewriting than I wanted, but it was needed so it has been done. Now the story is vaguely story shaped, and some of the really hilarious non sentences, transposed words and confusing prose that happened during the fugue state that was my zero draft have been fixed.

Honestly I really don't have any idea how this draft is either. I plowed ahead and didn't look back once, I just made edits, rewrote where needed, tried to slash and moved on.  I didn't want to dig in any deeper than I had to. I'm saving that for round... 4?  The one after the part where I add in all of the parts I didn't know I needed when I started this thing.

The end is still REALLY rough. I cut about 1000 words from it today, after realizing that I had rambled past the interesting bits and was choking in the weeds of conversation and feelings talk. That shit can be spread out through the story I think. I don't really need/want a epilogue on this beast and that's what it felt like.

So now I print out this 85 page behemoth of wordy words and force myself to read it without editing it (I may have to remove the pens from the room), and then I will see what it really looks like. But that can happen tomorrow.

I'm a little nervous. I really hope it's okay. That said, I'm still very happy I am done with this round and somehow made my deadline.

mugen v words 2013
42,384/150,000 (28.26%)

mugen v words 2014
42,894/150,000 (28.60%)

So with today's 500 words I've written more this year than I wrote in the entirety of 2013. This is kind of a big deal for me.

When I signed up for GYWO this year my one main goal was to just write more than I did last year. I figured if I could hit that goal then this year would technically be better than last year and that would amount to a not fail.

It has been hard to both slow it down (not binge write for 6 hour stretches) and to be consistent (write every day.) Everyday has felt like I have been crawling along at a snail's pace as I watch countless stories get posted, and I continue to chip away at my lone story. But then I look at the total I have cobbled together so far and well, maybe it's not so slow.  42K is a drop in the bucket among most writers around here. I truly admire everyone's prolificness (<--is this really a word?) and impressive word counts, but I've also have had to tell myself that by being modest with my count and hours spent in the chair, I will ultimately allow my body to last the long haul. (spine bad, sit, not good...)

This 42K has not all been thrown on my current story. It covers various word counts across eight stories. Five Sub!John's and three original short stories. I'm really not sure what I'll do with any of these, but the diversity of projects helps and hopefully the fragments of fics will blossom into completed works.

So yes, this goal kind of crept up on me, much like my word count. I think doing GYWO this year was a good idea. So, I guess onto the next goal. Don't break the chain. 

Stuck: Day 7
Chapter: ?
Total 3,196

The words are flowing. 500 a day.  Limiting myself to about 500 a day is helping with knowing I have a reserve for tomorrow, and not overdoing it on my back (in the chair). The thing is that they're not really good words. Those will hopefully come later when I'm all out of crappy words. I'm purposefully (attempting to) not look back for fear of disappointment and the gnashing of the teeth. I believe I'm right on schedule with my early onset pre-first draft angst.
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