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Post by galactic-pirates on Jan 28, 2024 12:19:33 GMT -5
9,533 / 75,000 words redwooddryad thank you ❤️ Goal: For at least 90% of designated writing days time four hours of work The hope each week is for 5 designated days. Mum asked me to do her a favour on Friday so I declared that ND just in case. Good thing I did because I did not do any writing. Once I get thrown off my routine I am sunk. I had hoped it would be a bonus day and I would still do some but nope. Still this is why I say ‘designated days’ so I don’t have to beat myself up for things I know I can’t do.
So for the math stats later: 4/4 designated days. Project: Path of Fire (Books 1 - 3) As you can see I am off zero ^^!!! I had 4 writing days this week (out of 7) and I am actually just shy of where NaNo pace would be for 6 days. I am trying not to think of it in those terms because 2 days off every week + the unexpected, is a lot of lost days so I shouldn’t expect NaNo pace from myself.
I have written 9/50 scenes on my outline. I think I’m going to be short words in terms of how many should be in Act 1, but I also know I write light as description is not my strong point. So I’m not overly concerned. I think (hope) I will be enough in the ballpark that it will work out. All these scenes were new. I lifted a couple of sentences from the original draft but that’s it. The next scene to write is a rework of an original so we’ll see how that goes.
I’m actually really quite happy about how it went this week. I had one day where I struggled to get started and focus but otherwise I did well (for me). It doesn’t feel like every word is total shit. It’ll need work obviously but I’m feeling hopeful - which is really scary. When is that shoe going to drop? Project: B&W Exchange (Art)Did about 3.5 hours on it today. My ambition as always vastly outstrips my skill. I am STILL messing with trying to get the pose right. It’ll need another long session to finish up and (hopefully!!) get the line work looking correct. However, this is the part that should take the longest. Once it’s done the piece should come together relatively quickly. Whenever I do a piece like this I know that I shouldn’t. I don’t have the skills. I should be working on fundamentals, gaining the foundations etc. Except I want to know how to draw because I want to draw pictures like this - it’s the whole point. And so studies and exercises while necessary and I should do them, aren’t where my heart lies I guess, and so I am terrible about making time for them. I keep telling myself that if I ever want to improve, I need to, and I make an effort for a week or two and then get tired and the practice stalls. I am not consistent with the art at all. I want to make it a goal - like I have with the writing. But previously when I have tried, it’s never lasted, I have fallen off as I said. Hence why I am trying to go slowly. Firmly establish the writing and then I can add the art. But it sure is frustrating. I have zero patience.
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Post by Kandybar on Jan 29, 2024 11:10:52 GMT -5
Sounds like you had a great week and did a good job overcoming some speedbumps! I hope this week goes well too!
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Post by galactic-pirates on Feb 1, 2024 2:43:19 GMT -5
16,114 / 75,000 words
So to close out the month!
Goal: For at least 90% of designated writing days time four hours of work There were 18 designated days in January. In perfect times there would have been 22.
I did my 4 hours on 17/18 days so I don't even need to check the calculator - that's more than 90%.
Project: Path of Fire (Books 1 - 3) As a recap I started this month having not looked at this project since 2019 probably. I had notes from back then, plus drafts of Book One, Two and half of Three. This month I got the series back in my head, did a lot of character work, replotted the first book and started the redraft.
I have written 12/50 scenes on the outline. The next one is the end of Act One, a very literal doorway into a new world for the characters.
As previously mentioned I am short on words but I am also light on description (I always am). I am enough in the ballpark that I'm content at this stage. This isn't just a revision pass, it is a completely new draft, and so future revision is inevitable. I feel like I have made good progress on this project this month. As always more would be better but that's my legendary impatience talking.
Project: B&W Exchange (Art)Nothing more since I talked about it on Sunday. But as a recap (as this is the recap post haha). I think (hope) that I have the pose mostly right now. So refining that, and then getting the line work correct will be the next task. This is due in two weeks so I need to hustle on it.
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Post by galactic-pirates on Feb 1, 2024 3:03:22 GMT -5
16,114 / 75,000 words Goal: For at least 90% of designated writing days time four hours of work - This worked pretty well in January so let's go again
Goal: Do something for at least an hour on the afternoons of my designated days
In the spirit of "small steppy", starting small and building up etc. I am trying super hard to curb my tendency to run before I can walk. In the past I have set a LOT of goals and tried to do them all at once. Predictably that fell apart as I couldn't keep it up. Therefore goals have always been 'sacrificed' as some kind of deadline or other need forced me to focus on just one when I couldn't persist with more (or I didn't do any of them as I got paralysed by overwhelm). However, all the logic in the world doesn't stop it from hurting.
My hope, dream etc. is that my mental stamina will improve in time. I haven't been consistently doing anything in the afternoons. I'm always done with my 4 hours before 2pm and that leaves plenty of time to do something. I'm not precisely sure what. Maybe working that out can be my first task. It doesn't have to be what I continue with all year, but I don't want to inadvertently teach my brain that it can knock off and do nothing after the 4 hours.
Ideally eventually I would like this second session to be 2-3 hours but again trying to start small, build it up. I don't want to form bad habits but I don't want to push too hard, too soon either. Been there, done that, too many years to count. It doesn't work and I really, really, really want this to work this time.
Project: Path of Fire (Books 1 - 3)
- Starting the month with Act 1 almost redrafted. Let's see how far I can get this month!
Project: B&W Exchange (Art) - Due February 14th
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Post by auroralynneskye on Feb 2, 2024 0:30:42 GMT -5
I know the troubles which procrastination and moving on a project too far, too soon can bring too. I am right there with you for the pain and the triumph when you complete a small goal or when you feel like you failed at another one. It happens to me too. Someone told me once, 'to write is to be alone in your head, and then show your inner world to complete strangers, expecting love.' If we can find ways to work together as a writing community, we can get to as many of our goals as we wish, and commiserate over the ones that didn't reach the finish line this time. But think about it this way if you will, there is always another try, for the ones which fell by the wayside this year.
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Post by dragonwriterhp on Feb 3, 2024 12:31:38 GMT -5
Great job in January! Good luck with building a habit of doing something in the afternoons. It is always good to start those new habits small and build on it once it is established.
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Post by galactic-pirates on Feb 4, 2024 13:30:45 GMT -5
23,732 / 75,000 words Thanks guys ❤️ Goal: For at least 90% of designated writing days time four hours of work The hope for each week is 5 designated days. Bit of an odd update because of course Monday and Tuesday were in last month. Thursday wasn’t designated as I had a bug meltdown and had to clean my house to within an inch of it’s life. I did write Friday and Saturday though.
For the math stats: 2/2 designated days. Goal: Do something for at least an hour on the afternoons of my designated days Ok so this only applied to Friday and Saturday (so far) and on both of those days I worked on my B&W exchange art. I did 90 minutes on Friday and 2 hours on Saturday as I basically went until I looked at the clock and didn’t want to anymore.
For the math stats: 2/2 sessions (I think the 90% rule should apply to this as well because shit happens)
Project: Path of Fire (Books 1 - 3)
I was a little worried as I had 2 days off, and the scene I had to write was end of Act 1/doorway to Act 2. That’s where I choked on the Carbon Scars redraft. Anyway, it was surprisingly not a problem. I also managed to use a chunk of words from the original draft. They were re-ordered and cutdown, but a sentence here, a paragraph there. Really upped my word count haha. So still making progress! Project: B&W Exchange (Art) This has kinda leapt on? Because I didn’t know what I was doing I started messing around with it digitally. The thought was I could mess with the pose infinitely without the eraser tearing my paper up. Then when I wanted to experiment with inking as I haven’t really done that, I also did it digitally. I always intended to print it out and do it with markers but by the time I had it all inked on the PC, laziness set in. I mean it needs cleaning up a bit, some highlights and a small amount of shading (small self - I always overwork it), and a vague sort of background. There’s still work to do but the main part is basically done. I have been trying to move away from digital art because of AI. It makes my skin crawl I don’t want anything in common with it. It’s just this piece has taken me like 10.5 hours already and I’m just so over it. One day my skill level will be higher and it won’t take me so ridiculously long (I hope). Project: WoW Guild SiteMy guild needs a new website. We share our current one (it’s complicated) and we can’t get access to update lots of things. It’s getting annoying and so I said /cough last year /cough I would make one just for us. Anyway I’m now trying to get it off my list. So I want this completed this month and figured I’d add it here to make me accountable.
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Post by galactic-pirates on Feb 11, 2024 4:15:55 GMT -5
34,222 / 75,000 words Goal: For at least 90% of designated writing days time four hours of work The hope for each week is 5 designated days. Much to my horror at 3pm on Wednesday afternoon I realised I should have gone to my haircut appointment for 2:30pm. The lady who cuts my hair is an old family friend really and was very nice about it. She saw me Thursday afternoon instead but the guilt tore me up, so I did nothing on Thursday. Friday I should have got back to it but I was just on a go slow and struggled to get started. I managed less than 2 hours of a timer for writing BUT I did nearly 2 and a half hours in the afternoon. So it wasn’t all bad. Saturday was ok.
This is why it’s 90% of days rather than 100%. Progress not perfection.
For the math stats: 3/4 designated days. Goal: Do something for at least an hour in the afternoons of 90% of my designated days This has gone pretty well! Monday I did 1 hour, 40 mins on my exchange art. Tuesday I did over an hour on the guild website. Friday I did 2 and a half hours on the exchange art. Saturday I did almost another couple of hours on the guild website. I was uncertain as to whether I could count the guild website as while it’s a project, it’s not part of my long-term goals. However, I had said something and it needs to be done. The idea at the moment is to just get used to being productive for longer.
For the math stats: 4/4 sessions.
Project: Path of Fire (Books 1 - 3)
Friday was my lowest word count day since I started the redraft (sub-1k). However, today is technically the 21st day since the draft began and I am only around 800 words short of NaNo pace. Given how many days off there have been, that speaks well to my average pace on the days I do write. I’m quite pleased with that to be honest. I’m a handful of scenes away from the midpoint and trying not to get too excited and ahead of myself. But not so secretly I am really am hoping this pace will continue and I will finish the draft early-March. That would be epic! Project: B&W Exchange (Art)
15 hours and it’s done. It’s not great. There’s a lot wrong with it and it’s digital which ehhh but it’s done. I have honoured the commitment and I learned some cool things in Clip Studio which was nice. It mostly made me aware of how little I know about how to ink but ONE DAY (tm).
Project: WoW Guild SiteI’ve made really good progress on this. It’s basically mostly done apart from the forum which is going to be a headache and a half. I installed it yesterday and immediately got overwhelmed. It’s a LOT and the avoidance is kicking in BUT I do want this off my list. So it’s grit my teeth time. If this isn’t crossed off the list next week give me a kick.
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Post by dragonwriterhp on Feb 12, 2024 15:54:02 GMT -5
Looks like you are making some fantastic progress! Almost halfway through your word count goal and we are only midway through February. Massive kudos for managing to 100% your afternoon goal last week, you're doing great.
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Post by galactic-pirates on Feb 18, 2024 6:23:31 GMT -5
41,256 / 75,000 words
Thanks dragonwriterhp ❤️ my goal for this year isn't really a specific word count, so I did a 'Good, Better, Best' on word counts for WriYe. So yeah I'm technically halfway into the 'Good' but I got a long way to go generally.
Goal: For at least 90% of designated writing days time four hours of work The hope for each week is 5 designated days.... this week ugh! Wednesday is chore day (so never designated) and I had a migraine. Thursday I still felt like death warmed over so it wasn't designated. Friday I had the fence in my back garden replaced which was an ORDEAL (I have no back access and they had to bring everything through the house). Honestly at that point I declared the week over. I will go back to doing things on Monday but I had more than enough.
For the math stats: 2/2 designated days. Goal: Do something for at least an hour in the afternoons of 90% of my designated days Ok I got a little ambitious with this. Which lasted all of 2 days due to being sick on Wednesday. Are the two related? I don't know but it's possible. Having finished my fan project commitment I figured I should move to doing sketch exercises and learn things. I also thought that I should do music practice in the morning and read without fail in the evening. I sort of did ALL THE THINGS but yeah only for 2 days and then bam knocked out. My brain did feel a bit clobbered by the end of Monday. We'll see how it goes next week as a test to see if it really was too much.
For the math stats: 2/2 sessions.
Project: Path of Fire (Books 1 - 3)
Unfortunately I only wrote on Monday and Tuesday so not a huge amount of progress. However, I have written half the scenes on my outline for the Book One redraft, so it's all downhill from here!
Project: WoW Guild SiteWhat did I say last week? If the forum isn't done then give me a kick. Yeah... I haven't touched it. If I hadn't been sick I would have looked at it Wednesday afternoon. I should look at it today. But honestly after the week I've had I don't want to and I'm not sure at the wisdom of making myself. I mean discipline is important but I do suffer with mental fatigue at the best of times. I am trying to find a middle ground between listening to myself, and also being firm and persisting. It's hard to know what is giving into the lazy, and when I do actually need a break. But anyway this still needs to be done.
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Post by Kandybar on Feb 19, 2024 23:16:08 GMT -5
Oh no! I'm sorry you're sick too!
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Post by galactic-pirates on Feb 25, 2024 11:55:32 GMT -5
50,798 / 75,000 words Thanks Kandybar ❤️ though I feel a bit of a fraud. I wasn’t sick, sick, I had a migraine which then exhausted me. Goal: For at least 90% of designated writing days time four hours of work The hope for each week is 5 designated days.... and sadly I had another migraine this week Friday this time, and so then Saturday was wiped out as well. I am… concerned. I talked about this in the discord a bit, but I’ll come back to that. For the math stats: 3/3 designated days. Goal: Do something for at least an hour in the afternoons of 90% of my designated days Yeeeeeah I think this might be too much I don’t know quite what to do because I am exactly now, where I avoided being at the start of January. Back then I was like “let’s focus just on the writing, solidify that as a habit before adding anything else” and I did that - I am doing that. Touch wood quick but yeah the writing has been going according to plan - apart from now the migraines. I desperately, desperately want to be able to draw. For that to happen I need to put in the time but I am struggling. I have pushed just about an hour (I have the time to do 2 or possibly 3 hours) but it’s been a real struggle as my brain is just not wanting it. I don’t know if it’s because it’s the afternoon and I’ve spent all my energy writing, or if it’s because it’s art and that scares me (so it’s like where I was with the writing in 2020). I suppose it can’t be helping my overwhelmed brain to be trying to do half an hour of music practice (and half an hour of reading) as well each designated day. However, to be honest those feel less of an issue. It’s the art and I don’t know if that is what has triggered the migraines. I feel trapped. It’s like I do it, or I don’t do it, and neither answer is right. It’s like I have always said before - something gives. I can’t lose 2 days every week to migraines so… I don’t know. For the math stats: 3/3 sessions. Project: Path of Fire (Books 1 - 3)
Again I missed two days this week You can see the draft has hit 50k! I have 18 scenes left on my outline, so progress is being made. Albeit now slower than I would like due to the migraines :/ I was on/over NaNo pace until now
Project: WoW Guild SiteHaven’t touched it. I feel bad about it but with those damn migraines I just haven’t had anything left in the tank
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Post by Kandybar on Feb 27, 2024 11:24:48 GMT -5
Don't beat yourself up! A migraine sucks and it's impossible to do anything else with one. I hope you figure them out.
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Post by galactic-pirates on Feb 29, 2024 10:12:05 GMT -5
54,103 / 75,000 words Time to close this month out. Unfortunately it’s not ending on a particularly positive note I won’t talk about where I want to go from here (that’s for March’s opening post tomorrow) so this is just purely about where the month ends. Goal: For at least 90% of designated writing days time four hours of work I’m pretty sure before I do the sum that I didn’t succeed this month :/ In ideal times I would have had 21 designated days this month. Due to a multitude of factors I had 14. I managed 10 of them.
10/14 days = 71%
So that’s not good. Goal: Do something for at least an hour in the afternoons of 90% of my designated days Mostly if I ‘failed’ at my 4 hours, then I also failed this. There was one exception where that wasn’t true.
11/14 days = 78%
So still not good.
Project: Path of Fire (Books 1 - 3)
I suppose this is where I can start to spin it in a slightly more positive manner. I added a shade over 38k to the draft this month. I went from not quite being at the end of Act 1, to not being quite at the end of Act 2. I don’t know if it’s partly been such a slog this week as I hit 50k and my subconscious thinks that it gets to be done now, or if it’s just been that kind of week :/ it was the 10th anniversary of my Grandpa’s death on Monday and the milestone of 10 years hit me pretty hard. I don’t do well with big dates that show the passage of time. Anyway, I suppose to try and turn it around I can say that I am still chipping away at the book. I am still moving forward. I have slipped off NaNo pace but progress has been made.
Project: WoW Guild SiteI guess with this I started it this month. I had hoped to also finish it. The main site itself is done but the forum still needs setting up. So half-credit maybe. Project: B&W Exchange (Art)Just as a reminder (for myself more than anything) I did actually complete this, this month. It wasn’t as good as I would have liked. It was frustrating and it took too long for the end result. However, I did finish it the best way I could and so I honoured my commitment to the fandom exchange. I can’t say the same for the person who I was gifting it to, as they appear to have ghosted whomever they were making something for and haven’t commented on what I made. It’s a bit sad but that’s hardly the first time that’s happened to me.
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Post by galactic-pirates on Mar 1, 2024 8:31:15 GMT -5
58,380 / 75,000 words Goal: For at least 90% of designated days time four hours of work Last month I struggled when I tried to add an afternoon session in. I had migraines. I lost focus in the morning. I got tired and it just started to go badly. But I don't want to give up on my dream of learning to draw. I want to be able to make art which brings me to the word I absolutely hate in terms of goals - compromise. I don't want to but something has to give - something is already giving as my body is just saying no.
- I'm thinking perhaps 3 hours on the writing in the morning. So it's a little more relaxed and less pushed for time. - Then an hour in the afternoon for art. - So it's still 4 hours in total but just shared and hopefully that won't tip me over the edge into 'too much'.
Project: Path of Fire (Books 1 - 3)
- I want to finish the first draft of Book One this month. I see no reason why I won't (and hopefully haven't jinxed myself saying that). - It would be nice to replot Book Two ready for April but that isn't a requirement. It will take as long as it takes. - I might also decide I should revise Book One straight away. So we shall see what happens.
Project: Mother's Day Card
- Deadline is obviously UK mother's day (the 10th) - I have a scene in mind I want to paint I just need to do it
Project: WoW Guild Site- Need to complete setting up the forum - Finish the 'meet the officers' page (which requires info from the other officers) - Launch it - No reason why this shouldn't be done this month either (so here's hoping!)
Project: The Librarians Exchange (Art)- I am doubling so I have 2 assignments. They aren't due until mid-April but I don't want time to get away from me either - I'm sort of hoping to teach myself things before I have to 'cheat' like always - So step one is to work on the drawing exercises. I'm avoiding as I'm scared but hopefully I'll pull myself together
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