Word Count Wednesday: 5 Oct 2022

Good morning. Yes, it’s that time of the week again. How have you been getting on?

Wednesday was an admin day (finally finishing sorting my files including hundreds of short pieces of writing) ahead of T returning to work on Thursday for ten days so plenty of time to work… which is exactly what I did then and the weekend to get cleared before the new week. Monday was a work day which I finished late on Tuesday evening, so no new words but fresh to start – or continue – something on Wednesday morning.

Do leave a comment below to share your progress, successes and otherwise, and of course anything else that’s happened to you, writing related, over the past seven days.

Word Count Wednesday: 28 Sept 2022

Good morning. Yes, it’s that time of the week again. How have you been getting on?

I finally got my files sorted (the joy of having dozens of folders of backups, thousands of other duplicates, and random files not in folders) on Saturday, I could then go back to cataloguing my works in progress.

One delight was returning to a daily writing document which I thought was a maximum of 20,000 words and found it had over 80,000 words! Most are no more than 500 words but definitely either fodder for short stories or perhaps longer pieces.

Sunday was a write-off (things to do, people to see) so it left Monday and Tuesday but that was taken up with work so another zero, although creating synopses for most of the works in progress was helpful. Next up?…

Having written crime fiction for a few weeks I’ll be returning to something lighter, my Henry stories. I write them under the pen name of Rachel Cavanagh but I’m deliberating bringing them under my MB wing as it’s difficult (time-consuming) enough to market under one name – I’d love your opinion/experience of this!

Do leave a comment below to share your progress, successes and otherwise, and of course anything else that’s happened to you, writing related, over the past seven days.

Word Count Wednesday: 21 Sept 2022

Good morning. Yes, it’s that time of the week again. How have you been getting on?

Wednesday and Thursday were work (editing) days in anticipation for T working nights for a week as I wasn’t sure I’d get much done when he was home.

My computer files were rather a mess so I started with that and knowing I have at least a dozen works in progress at various points in their lives, I created a summary for each so I can better prioritise the ones that have more content and potential. With sparce time at the weekend I concentrated on this.

I’d forgotten to judge some short stories I’d promised back at the weekend (oops!) so that took my Sunday and Monday nights (with T at work) then I returned to the organising on Tuesday. A zero word count therefore but definitely steps in the right direction.

Do leave a comment below to share your progress, successes and otherwise, and of course anything else that’s happened to you, writing related, over the past seven days.

Word Count Wednesday: 14 Sept 2022

Good morning. Yes, it’s that time of the week again. How have you been getting on?

After a successful Tuesday, I decided to take Wednesday off. That and I wasn’t feeling great (medications for a broken bone will do that). But I got cracking again on Thursday and had knocked out almost a thousand words before the duty to do some work took over. So I did some then went back to my WIP to hopefully double that.

Some writers  write every day, others dedicate one day of the week and splurge. I’m neither really although in reality I’ve become more the latter; I write mostly on a Tuesday because I’ve realised WCW is looming! But what I’d like to do is write 2,000 words each day, before starting work, to cover a lower (or nil) word count when T’s not working. He’s an avid reader though so unless we’re doing something (tricky with a broken ankle) that’ll likely be the perfect opportunity.

So after doing some (possibly not enough) work on the Thursday, I went back to my WIP, with the intention of doing some more work later but next thing I know it’s 9pm and I’d done over 3,000 words. T was still going to be a couple of hours (plus driving home time) so could do more but decided to stop at the end of the current chapter. I’d then make up whatever was short of 4,000 in the morning then work the rest of the day.

It turned out I didn’t need to as I’d written nearly 4,700 words. I then added another 1,800ish so had 6,455 by 6pm Friday then stopped to ‘work work’ for the rest of the day. T calls my writing ‘work’ but I don’t make enough money from it (a long way off) to keep me in toasted teacakes, satsumas and Lindor chocolates (a birthday present from one of his housemates) let alone to live on but I hope to one day, especially if I keep writing 2,000+ words a day. A novel every six weeks? Now that’s an incentive.

We were supposed to make a last-but-one trip back to Northampton on Saturday to collect the remainder of my belongings from my old house (sob) which would have taken a chunk out of the writing day and with a day and a  bit in hand I didn’t need to do any if I didn’t have time. T wasn’t feeling well and there wasn’t any hurry so we stayed put, him watching the Formula 1 grand prix qualifying, me upstairs writing. And I got another 1,308 words done before time to eat then some friends of his/housemate’s turned up and we played Trivial Pursuit 1980s edition until gone midnight.

Albeit a late start to Sunday (2pm!), I technically only had 37 words to write that day but  with the grand prix itself on Sunday I was fairly hopeful I’d get time to write while T and housemates watched it. I can’t usually write while there’s something going on (classical music is my go-to) but T still wasn’t feeling well so I got cracking on the laptop while he semi-slept, getting up for the grand prix then coming back later and reading. So my grand total at the end of Sunday was 9,658, leaving a mere 342 to do on Monday.

With T on earlies (7am-3pm) Monday and Tuesday there was another opportunity to write although I had a deadline looming but with a healthy word count already I wasn’t worried if I didn’t get much done before WCW, as long as I got over the 10,000 count. Waking up with a sore throat, I suspected I’d caught T’s lurgy – inevitable really – so went back to sleep, getting cracking gone 2pm and starting with work so I got a chunk of that done before any ‘me’ time. I did get over the 10k on the Monday but only 802 words over. Still, 802 words ahead, leaving 1,192 words for Tuesday to break even.

An earlier start, 10am, but I had work work to do. T’s octogenarian father was taken to hospital after a minor prang in their car so I wasn’t sure I’d get any writing done as we’d likely see them after T finished work but it all went a bit pear-shaped (waiting for tests etc, moving hospitals) so I didn’t do any writing.

So, in the end, close of ‘play’ last night, I got a mahoosive 10,802 words done this past week (six days). Not at all shabby. 🙂

Do leave a comment below to share your progress, successes and otherwise, and of course anything else that’s happened to you, writing related, over the past seven days.

Word Count Wednesday: 7 Sept 2022

Good morning. Yes, it’s that time of the week again. How have you been getting on?

Having received my WIP back from my editor Graham, I thought I’d have started this week with a minus but I didn’t! Okay so only 41 words ahead but it all helps.

‘This week’ ended up being yesterday only due to a mix of working, sleeping (lots of that as T was on night shift so I slept when he slept and when I slept!), a hospital visit (to go from a boot back to a cast) and generally trying to be a little more sociable with T’s housemates. T was working from 3pm to 11pm yesterday so I had that time, and a bit before it while he was reading, Mick Herron’s Bad Actors, to write, albeit with an interruption of the conveyancing paperwork on my house so one step closer to moving!

Not being sure where the current WIP was headed I decided to switch to another – are you like me with several on the go? – which had little ‘meat’ (one chapter) but a better idea of where it was going to go so more likelihood of words in a short amount of time. And I managed 5,118 (not including the aforementioned 41 words)! Very happy with that, and yes I still know where this book’s going. 🙂

I stopped with actual writing at 11pm but did some ‘what happens next’ planning, which is always useful.

Do leave a comment below to share your progress, successes and otherwise, and of course anything else that’s happened to you, writing related, over the past seven days.

Word Count Wednesday: 31 Aug 2022

Good morning. Yes, it’s that time of the week again. How have you been getting on?

Being housebound, other than a trip to see the latest Minions movie (which we loved), has its advantages. I had deadlines coming up which meant I was almost entirely confined to the bedroom which meant quiet, which meant writing when I wasn’t working (editing). So by the close of Friday (10.22pm) I had just over 4,000 words written!

T being a cricket fan, I had already planned to work over the weekend (he was doing a 12-hour shift anyway Sunday daytime) but hoped for some writing time at some point. That said, Saturday was a bit of a write-off as I was working when not sleeping (thanks, ankle!) but Sunday was better and it meant I got a work book back a week early.

Monday again was a mix of sleep and work so no writing but I hoped to get a book back (due Wednesday) on Tuesday with a bit of writing time at the end. And I did but not until 8.30pm. T was working until 11pm so I thought I’d see how much I’d get done before he got home (or I fell asleep!). Thanks to a flat tyre T was late back but I’d already stopped at nearly 11.30 with the grand sum, for the week, of 6,602!

I’m really liking the story (just over 14k – going off to my editor as a swap for a 17k of his) so while I can’t guarantee the same word count next week, especially as I’m due back to hospital for an operation today (Wed) or Thursday, which will no doubt dent my progress, it doesn’t mean I can’t think about what happens next.

Do leave a comment below to share your progress, successes and otherwise, and of course anything else that’s happened to you, writing related, over the past seven days.

Word Count Wednesday: 24 Aug 2022

Good morning. Yes, it’s that time of the week again. How have you been getting on?

I was hoping to get loads of writing done as T and I were going to Sussex (on the south coast of England) for a long weekend – where he planned to read a lot – but I broke my ankle on the morning of our first full day (my birthday!) so with 14 hours in A&E we ended up losing most of the second day sleeping, other than a lovely evening meal at a fabulous local pub.

So our one full day was spent in Eastbourne which happened to have an airshow going on, perfect for plane-nut T who could narrate everything flying overhead, and an evening (our only one) in front of the TV.  We had to leave by 10am the next morning so literally no time for continuing my WIP.

This is (thankfully) my first bone break and I’ve realised how simple things like popping to the kitchen to get a cup of tea is impossible – ever tried to carry a hot mug while using crutches? T’s a gem and quite happy to be my slave so I’m very lucky..

After the joys (not) of the M25 we arrived home Monday pm so I retreated to the lounge and after dealing with emails, there was little of the day left. I did read the last few hundred words of my WIP so I could think about how it could continue and hoped for a semi-productive next day.

We had to register at the local hospital, ready for when the plaster cast has to come off – hopefully no more than a fortnight – so I took my iPad in the hope of doing some writing but T stayed with me so we chatted. The x-rays from Sussex hadn’t reached our local hospital so I had to have another one. We’d got a two-hour parking ticket and returned to the car with four minutes to spare. After a visit to T’s parents (always a pleasure) we got back to T’s (my home until I can drive again) in time for a Chinese takeaway with his housemates.

Fortunately T had a meeting last night so I had a small chunk of time to write from 7pm. Given the options of the sofa or bed I’d started with the former then moved to the latter (under T’s supervision) when he went out. I therefore got the entire volume (780 words) done in that two-hour window. Actually less than an hour as I fell asleep!… the joy of a cocktail of medicines including a nightly blood-thinning jab in my handily rotund tum!

It’s been a real eye-opener as a simple move over a short step requires some thinking. We take our mobility for granted, until we don’t have it. In theory I have a fortnight of this but it’s really made me appreciate how easy even the simple things are… aren’t, when they’re not!

Do leave a comment below to share your progress, successes and otherwise, and of course anything else that’s happened to you, writing related, over the past seven days.

Word Count Wednesday: 17 Aug 2022

Good morning. Yes, it’s that time of the week again. How have you been getting on?

Uh oh. Yeah. Mmm. Another week of houses (still both unsold yet it’s a sellers’ market?) and work deadlines, plus another unexpected book to go through so a big fast-food-stuffed zero from me.

T and I are off on our jollies tomorrow (until Tuesday) so I shall be taking my laptop with me. He plans on lots of reading so I plan on lots of writing. I’ll let you know next Wednesday if we got either done. 🙂

Do leave a comment below to share your progress, successes and otherwise, and of course anything else that’s happened to you, writing related, over the past seven days.

Word Count Wednesday: 10 Aug 2022

Good morning. Yes, it’s that time of the week again. How have you been getting on?

I’ve been spending a few days at beloved’s (T) so was able to do some writing from Saturday. I re-read my ‘story so far’ and made some tweaks which took it below the 3k mark, which was fine. The first few chapters are alternate ‘now’ and ‘then’ so it’s quite easy to switch back and forth (and hopefully will be for the reader).

I even managed to write when the television (a shared lounge) was on. I always wonder how some writers relish, and prefer, a busy cafe to a quiet space. Classical music is my preference but I have to learn to block out words, especially when T’s on night shift and has to sleep during the day which means I’ll probably escape to the local dog-friendly pub. A hardship of course.

Saturday close of play saw a total of 700+ words which was good. I picked up again Sunday afternoon/evening while T was busy and got another 1,200+ words done. Monday was doing some work at my house so no spare time but I made up for it Tuesday evening with just over a thousand  words.

All in all a total of 3,003 words done this week and ones I really like so that’s a bonus.

Do leave a comment below to share your progress, successes and otherwise, and of course anything else that’s happened to you, writing related, over the past seven days.

Word Count Wednesday: 3 Aug 2022

Good morning. Yes, it’s that time of the week again. How have you been getting on?

Mmm, well. Another week of leaving it to the last minute. More house stuff (switching estate agents/last few days of auction, which finishes this lunchtime!) and a (beloved’s) family gathering as well as work (crime novel editing) deadlines meant my writing week started at 9.33pm… last night!

Quality over quantity? Not sure as it took a little while to re-read (thanks, Mrs Kindle) what I’d written thus far but I did manage to put down 1,713 words in just under two hours. If only I could do that every two hours!

Do leave a comment below to share your progress, successes and otherwise, and of course anything else that’s happened to you, writing related, over the past seven days.