WIP challenge: day 1 check-in!

[littlebutfierce]

New month, new WIP challenge! How's it going today, everyone?

Poll #9355

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 15

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How's your month starting off, fic-wise?

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Great
2 (13.3%)

Good
4 (26.7%)

Somewhere in the middle
6 (40.0%)

Not very well
3 (20.0%)

Horrible
0 (0.0%)

What are your main priorities for the rest of this week?

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Writing
15 (100.0%)

Editing
6 (40.0%)

Sending to beta
1 (6.7%)

Researching
2 (13.3%)

Posting
3 (20.0%)

Something else I will describe in comments
1 (6.7%)

And five words or less about your current WIP?

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Tell us about the fic(s) you'll be working on this month. What makes you excited about them? What do you think will be a challenge?

Comments

[insignia]

I drafted about half a ficlet, and a short flashback scene from my main project. I also decided to time my writing to get an idea of how much I can get done if I stop waffling... and my progress today took about twenty minutes in total before I ran out of steam. Haha. So if I can just keep at it, this shouldn't be too bad. This is my first day trying a new writing routine, so I consider it a successful start, even if I didn't get masses of text written. :)

[dhae_knight_1]

Interesting. I find that I can improve on the time I'm able to focus on writing, but, in general, it's better to take a short break if I'm staring at the page, getting nowhere, anyway.

Also, that there is a huge eifference between being all fired up and excited to be writing a scene (and knowing what it's about), and feeling like you have to write simething you're not really sure about. :-)

[insignia]

The main problem with taking breaks is that they easily last until bedtime ._. (my self-discipline is the best). So I'm trying to figure out ways that I can focus for longer periods of time.

[dhae_knight_1]

I know what you mean. I've had some luck with timed casual games, where you have to solve a level in a set time or fail. One level; write. One level; write. :-)

[littlebutfierce]

20 minutes is a pretty good working period! The Pomodoro technique suggests 25 minutes, I think -- & then you can use the timer for a 5-min break in between (& then I think every few Pomodoros you get a longer break) if that might sort of thing might help keep you on track?

[insignia]

For my current timing experiment, I'm using a digital punch clock (timeEdition) to track how long it takes to write fics. I turn it on when I start writing and turn it off when I stop. It's mainly a temporary thing to give me an idea of how much time I spend writing/editing various projects. I have some vague hopes that this information will help me organise myself better in the future :D
Depending on how it turns out, I might try something more like the Pomodoro technique, with set write/rest periods, later on.