WIP challenge: day 3 check-in!

[littlebutfierce]

We're almost to the weekend. How's the fic coming along?

Poll #8473

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 7

View Respondents

How's progress on your fic going today?

View Answers

Awful
2 (33.3%)

Wonderful
1 (16.7%)

Getting there
1 (16.7%)

Not at all
2 (33.3%)

What do you plan to do for it this weekend?

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Write
4 (57.1%)

Edit
4 (57.1%)

Send to beta
1 (14.3%)

Post
0 (0.0%)

Research
3 (42.9%)

Nothing
1 (14.3%)

If you wrote today, how much did you write?

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1-249 words
1 (25.0%)

250-499 words
0 (0.0%)

500-749 words
0 (0.0%)

750-999 words
1 (25.0%)

Over 1000 words
2 (50.0%)

For discussion: Zen Habits, a productivity blog that I often find has useful things to say, has a post today about getting out of a rut. Leo says:

I’ve found that the best way out of a rut is with the smallest step possible. But that step can result in more than you realize.

What if that smallest step is to announce a major challenge?....

Here’s the thing: the first step wasn’t to take on a major challenge. It was simply announcing it. And announcing something is really really easy. Doing it is much harder, but once you’ve announced it, you have some momentum, and you’re committed to a direction.

Those of you who have signed up for the challenge have committed publicly to your goals for the month. Is this sort of public promise useful for you more generally, or does the pressure make you melt? Do you do it elsewhere, perhaps by announcing to your circle that you're going to finish fic X this week or by tweeting your progress, or... ?

Comments

[littlebutfierce]

Today I struggled along w/a Kaleidoscope Treat I'm trying to write, & also did some canon refresh. Need to do a lot more of both of those things...

I think my issue w/announcing a personal challenge publicly is that the public pressure isn't enough to make me stick w/it! I'm still happy to shuck off what I've committed to do, even if everyone knows about it, ahahaha.

[jagnikjen]

No writing, but more critiquing.

No editing or revising of my own fic today or tomorrow. There will be brainstorming over the weekend. Which will hopefully result in productivity next week.

As for publicly announcing my intent--does it really spur me to accomplishment? Actually, not so much. I like having a goal, but whether I make any progress depends on a lot more than a public proclamation. I threw off the pressure long ago, so... :)

[littlebutfierce]

Good luck w/the brainstorming!! Hopefully having a break from your own writing a bit will have been good for your ideas!

I'm really fine w/announcing I have a goal & then not doing the goal, hahahaha, so yeah, I think it has limited use for me too. :D

[xpaperplanex]

Got another 800 words done today. It's going really well, so far.

For the discussion, I decided to give it a go and announce my goals for this month. I've got my fingers crossed that it will help me stick to them. I signed up for a monthly challenge a couple months ago, but all that's done is made me feel guilty for not getting anything done. At least I was smart and signed up for one with no penalties for not accomplishing anything.

[littlebutfierce]

Woooooooo!! Yay for another good day & those 800 words!!

It's tricky to figure out what kind of pressure will be helpful & what kind will be counterproductive. ^^;;; I'm still working on getting that kind of self-knowledge, hahaha...

[eien_herrison]

1,907 words written so far, giving a total of 5,729 for this month. I've committed publically to NaNoWriMo, and so far it's been going well. I tend to find success if I have lots of stuff plotted out beforehand, or I'm able to take a situation and just write (which is what this month's story is). A friend of mine is also participating, and when we chat we compare word count and how well (or not so well) we're doing.

I think having something that I'm accountable to means I push myself a little harder, although with months like this one I just tend to write and don't think about posting bits anywhere until it's been edited.

[littlebutfierce]

Wow! That's an awesome word count for the month so far -- go you!! I'm glad Nano is working for you so far.

[eien_herrison]

Thanks :) I'm hoping I can keep up this momentum for the rest of the month.

[taelle]

No writing, some editing, and I'm not even beating myself about the lack of writing - was too tired.

... I like having some accountability, but just the challenge isn't enough - I do better when I combine it with some kind of schedule.

[littlebutfierce]

I've been so tired I've fallen asleep at the keyboard while writing (which results in some amusing text -- apparently I can keep typing actual words while dozing off, but they're not coherent at all...), so yeah, don't feel bad! I hope you're able to catch up on sleep soon.

Once I start a habit I think I'm pretty good in a lot of cases for continuing it, so yeah, having a schedule helps me. It's just... getting into that schedule. Or if I have to break it for any reason... ^^:;;

[bay_alexison]

Yesterday got to around 900 words of my Big Bang. Had to do a bit of history research, but able to get out another pesky poltical talk scene out of the way. I just need to do one more scene and looks like I'm done with Chapter 7!

Sometimes announcing challenges works for me, sometimes it isn't. It more or less depends how much time gap I have and if I have some ideas thought of beforehand.

[littlebutfierce]

You've been doing great churning out words lately -- v. impressive!! \o/

[lacygrey]

Seasonal work madness. No fic written. I got 25k of revsing done this week but none of it was my own and none of it was fic.

[littlebutfierce]

:( for the work stress!

... maybe at least the revising helped keep your brain limbered up as far as working w/words & stuff? (maybe I am reaching too hard for a silver lining?)