Three weeks into writing, I’ve started to develop that pesky little voice that’s saying, “Is your story really worth writing? Is all this branching necessary? Are your plot and characters even good enough?”
Most of the time, I do have the resolve to tell myself that my story is worth it. Even if no one reads it, even if I stop halfway through, writing this story makes me happy and is genuinely one of the only things I look forward to every day. But sometimes, it does get to me, and I try to step back before I start hating the words I type.
Since it’s my first time writing non-academically in quite a while, I thought I would re-read some of my favourite books by my favourite authors to reawaken my senses to what I perceive as good writing; writing that I wouldn’t get bored of even on the worst of writer’s blocks. Currently, I’m reading Your Republic is Calling You by Kim Young-ha.
Now I’m wondering, should I re-read some of the books that I didn’t like to pinpoint what exactly I don’t want in my story/writing? I’ve also been listening to book rants on YouTube, but I’m interested in finding and taking a note of components of a story that I dislike on a more personal level. Who knows, maybe the ideas that those YouTubers presented would be reinforced in the books I didn’t like, making me even more aware of potential pitfalls.
My attempt to get to 5k by midmonth paid dividends; I had only 1,000 words needed by the beginning of today. And I had a couple hours after work while the girls were at my in-laws for dinner (I couldn’t join like usual; my car is leaking again so it’s back in the shop), and I promptly got to 10k! And then 11k for good measure. 2,000 words, my best writing day probably in at least a year and a half. Felt good, especially since I also finished the murderous chapter that has plagued me for nigh on three months. Onward and upward!
After tossing 20k words of trash-quality writing for my old project, I’ve recently managed to finish the first 2,500 for the new one (same idea, better executed). I really think that I’m a better planner and a better author with a more driving work ethic this time around, and I’m really motivated to eventually have something to share.
I didn’t quite meet this goal, but I wrote a lot more than in previous months, so I’ll count that as a win. Hope things go as well for the rest of you.
Yes, way more than yes, and technically no but I’m willing to call it even. I wrote something every day, and ‘something’ ended up being 1,000 words of FoA and most of the time another 500 on Diaspora, so I wrote close to 45k words this month. Which is… a heck of a lot, for me. Technically Diaspora’s chapter outline isn’t done, but there’s only two more scenes to go in that respect, so I think I’ll just outline them when we get there.
I’m really proud of how I did this month, and hope to keep it going into next. My aim is a FoA chapter release in mid-July sometime, and I think at this pace I can make it.
I have written about 7k or so only this month. But for me, that is a victory. A familiar has suicide with 90 years of throwing himself through a window.
And I am inside a depression that makes every day a struggle. Thankfully, I am a little bit better.
A song for everyone to remember that all will be better if we hold on.
We’ll see ourselves next month. Take care of yourself and your family.
Weeeeell… I only managed the first goal on my list, but in my defense, I was busy coming top of my class in three subjects.
I anticipate I will have a whole lot more free time over the summer, so I think progressing to a code skeleton this coming month is a reasonable goal. I’ll come up with a more specific list in a few days, of course, but for now let’s assume I intend to finish this one. Onward!
I fully finished the first chapter of a game I have been working on for a while! And right before my self-inflicted deadline.
I’m usually a lurker here rather than a participant, but I like this idea of telling the world your goals. It adds a nice level of pressure. I think I am going to do that in the July thread.
Good luck to everyone going into July with writing goals!
It may sound crazy, but I could swear we have had less abandoned WIPs since these threads began. I think it’s definitely having an overall positive impact on writer morale with a place that both keeps us accountable and lifts us up when we stumble.
Okay! I most my goals for the month! And broke the 10 thousand word mark with my story! In regards to my story related goals, I only finished chapter 4 and I got started on chapter 5. But no matter, I worked on showing not telling by re writing parts of Extinction’s description in chapter 1… I think I should put the re work scale thing later, or just drop it completely (although having an inconsistent size of the main antagonist is going to bug me to no end, but working on the scale could be difficult)
23,000 words of my new project in June. Four chapters finished. Will release a demo when it hits 10. At 20, will open a closed beta, then an open beta. ETA many, many months, potentially a year, though I hope not. This was intended to be a smaller project, much less scope.
I’ve turned out about 10k words in the past week, which has me hopeful for a possible chapter update in July now. I’ve also added a few… things to my WIP, though they won’t be seeing the light of the sun just yet.
Still, it’s been something of a hopeful end of the month, especially after I’ve been submerged in schoolwork and… actual… work. I can only hope I can continue turning out this level of commitment as July rolls in, I’d really like to get Chapter 4 out before the first half of July ends.
I’m kind of nervous about tomorrow – i “gave myself the rest of the month off” after submitting my last project and i’m finally starting something new and ready to absolutely hit the ground running. Shooting for 100k in July (with the knowledge that it’ll need hundreds of edits before anyone else gets to see it lol)
The credit goes to everyone that participates; fears and doubts are often less scary and devastating, knowing that others share them with you and that there are colleagues in the writing community that are standing by to try to help deal with them.
My June is over, although writing wise it really never began.
Although I was never in a position to write, I did have some ideas to help me with upcoming writing.
I’ll be starting the July thread in a bit; thanks to everyone a thousand times over who makes this thread series a success.
