Self-Challenge – Week 2

Week 2 of my self-challenge had more…opportunities for growth, shall we say…than Week 1.  First, I was back at work, and the day job does tend to require both time and energy.  Also, I usually find the second week of anything to be more difficult than the first because the novelty has worn off.  Heaven only knows what Week 3 will bring!

Here are the stats:

1.  Write every day

I wrote every day this week except Friday, so that’s a step in the right direction.  I’m not surprised that I missed Friday, because by the end of the week I’m just struggling to drag myself through to the weekend.  But I’ll have to plan better in Week 3.  That being said, I already know that I’m not going to write today, so Week 3 isn’t starting out very well!  😛

2.  Write at least 1000 words a day, 1500 on the weekend.

I started out the week going gangbusters, but it kind of fell apart after Tuesday.  On Wednesday I only wrote 400 words.  On Thursday, I wrote 800 words and was well on my way to making my 1000, when the COMPUTER TURNED OFF!  Apparently Windows had decided that it would be a good time to automatically install updates.  Oh, you do not even want to know the foul language flowing from my mouth as I tried to stop it so I could save my document.  And then when it FINALLY rebooted, everything was gone.  Everything.  Every. Thing. Let this be a lesson, kids, save early, save often.

Needless to say, I changed the update settings after that debacle.

Friday I didn’t write, as noted above.  Saturday, I wrote about 1200 words, so I was shy of my 1500 goal.

With these problems, my average was only about 794 words per day.  Disappointing.  Bad Betsy.

If I count the 800 words I lost, the average improves to 907 words per day.  Much better.  I have decided that I shall include the 800 words.

3.  Finish first draft before RWA conference at the end of June.

Wow, I just realized how close the RWA conference is, and now feel much pressure.  Despite the many obstacles, including my new Sims3 expansion pack, I did make progress.  Last week I ended at 18,873.  This week I ended at 24,427.  At  least the number went up, right?

Unfortunately, this count includes two scenes that I know need to be cut.  I left them in so I could give an accurate accounting (it’s kind of like writing something on your to-do list so you can cross it off).  But now I’ve deleted them, so my count going into week 3 is 22,079.  This makes me really sad. Over 2000 good words gone.  But such is life, eh?  Writing a first draft, for me anyway, is like feeling your way through a dark cave with a small flashlight.  Sometimes you just take the wrong direction and need to adjust.

Okay, so there you go.  Week 2.  Who knows what Week 3 will bring?  Hopefully it will grant me a lot of writing time and creativity!

And may your week be bright and happy as well!

Comments

  1. And you accomplished all of this without me and the fire hose. Fantastic progress! 🙂

  2. Progress is progress!! Even small steps get you in the direction you want to go! Or at least I keep telling myself that while I stare at my hand, willing it to heal quickly…..

    But you have a goal and you are moving towards it — that is good!

    Hopefully we get to meet and celebrate your success at RWA!

    Hang in there…. And keep up the good work!

    • Betsy Horvath says

      @Lynda K: Thanks, Lynda! I keep telling myself that the way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time – LOL – but I get kind of frustrated when I sabatoge myself. So far so good this week, so there’s hope 🙂

      And I do hope your hand heals quickly! Good thoughts coming your way!

      We shall definitely have to try to meet at RWA. I’ll be the one in the ugly shoes.

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