WIP Challenge Check-in -- Day 18

[linaewen]

It's Saturday, and time for another checking in post.  I hope everyone is having a fantastic weekend, and that some lovely writing-related time will be part of it.

Since it's the end of the week, I'm wondering how you are feeling about things in general -- on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the best possible happy choice, how do you feel your writing has gone so far this week?  How about this month?

Are any of the following on your list of things to do today?  Did any of these actually happen?

    * Writing
    * Editing
    * Sending to beta
    * Posting
    * Procrastinating
    * Planning/Researching
    * Taking a break
    * Something else I will describe in comments

Describe your WIP in 4 words or less __________

I forgot about this yesterday, but it's not too late for this week's general fic chat post: Are you looking for a beta? Want to post a snippet of your WIP? Have other fic-related things you want to chat about? Are you getting what you need out of the community to help you with your writing?  Let the sharing commence!

Comments

[linaewen]

On a scale of 1-10, for this week I'm at a 4, since I didn't manage to write a thing -- though it wasn't a total fail, because I did get some research and note-taking done. It was a busy week, though, and I was productive at other things. As far as the month goes, at this point it's actually at a 9, because I finished one of my WIPs and got an extension on another, so I still feel pretty good about things.

I haven't done writing yet today, but I have a couple of hours ahead of me now that are looking like a good opportunity for it, so I'm hopeful I can get somewhere. If so, that will salvage the week nicely. ;-) So my plan for the day is edit a bit, write, and do some research -- all for my Big Bang story, to which all other WIPs are taking second place.

I'm really appreciating the cheerleading that goes on here, as well as the daily reminders and opportunities to talk about how it's going at the moment -- good or bad. I've also been very grateful for input on new writing tools that are helping me feel more focused and productive. There's something about trying something new that makes me feel more like persevering in my writing! :-D

[littlebutfierce]

Yay for the month being a 9!!! & yeah, sometimes life needs us to be productive on things besides fic, sigh.

Good luck w/the writing for today!

I'm glad the comm is helping!!

[glitteryv]

WOO-HOO for finishing one of your WIPs!

Also, thumbs up on the research and focusing on your Big Bang fic. A little concentration goes a long way. :)

[littlebutfierce]

I wrote 1118 words today! I only stopped b/c I was annoyed w/my POV character. Or, rather, he's in the middle of a scene that feels realistic & necessary, just that I think he's wrong & annoying in the viewpoint he has in it. :D Basically I am writing a scene that's pretty much like Spiderman being "ZOMG being around me is too dangerous so I'm totes going to cut my girlfriend out of my life in order to protect her." Er, not writing in Spiderman fandom, but it's amazing how it's the same situations crop up. ;)

This week was probably a 7 or so, since I wrote chunks almost every day, despite having a really busy/crappy work week. & I'm nearly done w/the rough draft of this fic (once I can figure out how to resolve the "oh noes, you must stay away from me for your safety" convo).

My WIP in 4 words or less: WHEN WILL IT END???

I've been really happy to see more people get involved w/the challenge -- from participating, to doing check-in posts, to cheering on other people or offering help, etc. Thanks, everyone! ♥ I hope it's been useful to people!

[glitteryv]

OMG, LOOK AT ALL THOSE WORDS! Go, you!

And lol at your annoyance w/the pov character. I've also have those kinds of moments when I go "Oh, Character A, why are you so oblivious/stubborn/frustrating?" XD!

WHEN WILL IT END???

Dude, I've got NO IDEA! *looks at goal fics for this month and glares at the ever-growing bunnehs*

[littlebutfierce]

Yay, thank you!

& ha, I suppose we should be happy we have so many ideas/so many words! & I am! It's just... WANT TO BE DONE AUGH!

[lacygrey]

Its going badly. I think the problem is that the final fic will be long and that's a long time investment. Its not like a having something finished in a couple of weeks, then beta'd and posted as I've been used to. With a longer fic the satisfaction is defered and thats not very motivating. The problem is that if I allow myself to write other things then the main fic will take even longer.

[littlebutfierce]

I'm sorry to hear that! I'm having that issue right now, too, & yeah... I just want my fic DONE already. & it's not even close. I thought it would maybe be 10k (more than double the length of my longest previous fic) but I think it will end up being longer than that, or at least in rough draft. Probably a lot of it will go during editing.

Anyway! Sympathy & fellow-feeling on this one! Good luck keeping on w/it. If the satisfaction is deferred, well... hopefully it will be even more satisfying when it's done? Maybe? I hope???

[lacygrey]

Thanks for you encouragement. I think once I can be happy about it moving forward I won't mind so much that its a long job. But at least Ive written something today. Funnily enough I only seem to be having ideas for long jobs lately. More for the bunny bin.

[glitteryv]

Oh, that sucks. *hugs you*

That is one of the grrs of writing longer fic: the fact that you'll have these moments when the stamina will drop (especially because, as you already mention, the satisfaction is definitely deferred.)

[lacygrey]

Thanks. When solutions occur to me I'll post about them.

[curuchamion]

Today I have written 500 words... of totally unexpected Star Trek DS9 asexual!mirror!Odo/mirror!Quark D/s. O_O I have no explanation for this.

And now I'm researching by watching the one episode in which they appeared. One episode of source material. WHY DO I DO THIS STUFF TO MYSELF.

My WIP in four words or less: Adorably ugly aliens shouting.

[glitteryv]

Woot for those new words! Also: you do that stuff to yourself because, like the rest of us, you've got plot bunnehs who have no qualms about headbutting you until you write the fic. No matter how cracky/insane/random the story might be. *g*

[jagnikjen]

I attended my writers group meeting today, met a potential new critique partner.

After the meeting, my critique partner and I brainstormed her next book and discussed inviting this new girl into our group. We agreed and I e-mailed the new girl. Just waiting for an answer.

Other than that, not writing or revising or critiquing like that.

I give the week a 7--not as productive in the writing as I'd like, but I'm on track for my challenge fic, so I'm not overly upset.

As for the month, I could say the same, since I only have the one challenge fic, which is actually just a chapter. BUT I've really had a tough time writing anything else even though I've really wanted to. I'll have to give the month a 5--if it weren't; for the challenge fic it'd be lower. Probably a 3 or 4. :(

[glitteryv]

It really sucks when one's 'flow' ebbs somewhat.

OTOH, there's still about two weeks to go before the month is over. :)

[glitteryv]

This week was a 7.5 because I had to push like crazy to get all those words out. OTOH, the month's been a total 9 because of the cheering and commenting in this comm. Writing is, oftentimes, a rather solitary activity. So, it's nice to remember that there are other people trying to get their WIPs done too. :)

I took a 2-day break from writing after making the minimum for my big bang fic. Starting tomorrow up to the following weekend, I'm planning to wrap that bad boy up so that I can tackle my second goal fic for this round (another big bang.)

My WIP is deliciously cracky. ♥


Um, I don't know if there's anyone here who would want to take a crack at betaing the first fic once it's done (next Friday). It's a due South/Bandom (MCR) fic clocking at 22k words atm. If that sounds like something that's right up your alley, feel free to comment or PM me. \o?

[littlebutfierce]

Writing is, oftentimes, a rather solitary activity. So, it's nice to remember that there are other people trying to get their WIPs done too. :)

I know, being able to get sympathy &/or cheerleading is amazingly helpful sometimes.

Yay for delicious crack! I don't know either of your fandoms, alas, but I hope you find a beta soon!

[lexicalcrow]

My WIP in four words or less: Nearly fucking finished. :D?

I edited the shit out of my queer_fest fic. Like, printed all 88 pages out and attacked them with a red pen. Figured out where the plot holes were and that I really should fill that four year gap with stuff. So. That took me five hours. XD But I got all the edits committed and have since added another 3k to it. I'm hoping to get it mostly done today, perhaps tomorrow? I'd really like to get it ready to post by Wednesday as I'm going away next weekend and IDK if I want to wait til after then to post it. I just want it done and posted so I can move on.

I would still really like to have someone read over it before I post it though, just so that at least someone who is not me has had a chance to pick out any more plot holes and whatnot. I worry about that sort of thing for a 43k+ fic, but if it doesn't happen, well, I think it'll still be okay? But I'll be forever worrying about it. D:

But. Um. That's about it? Still waiting for some torrentz to download so I can rewatch The Prisoner as I'm writing my AU bigbang fic. (I only needed one episode, Checkmate, but could I find a not-dead torrent? No. FFS.) I definitely think I'll progress on it once I have this queer_fest out of the way. So yes.

[littlebutfierce]

88 pages OMG. Go you for going through all the edits on it (& WRITING THAT MUCH IN THE FIRST PLACE, holy moly).

Good luck getting it done before you go out of town--I agree, I'd want it out of the way, too!

[lexicalcrow]

Yus. 46,000 words zomg. And I started writing in ... March? April? Something like that. So it's taken a while in between other fics and uni, but I managed it. There were times I wasn't sure I'd actually get it finished, but my muses came through in the end. I had not expected it to get this long when I started writing it, but oh well. XD I think I'm nearly done editing? Like, I'm just sorting out A/Ns (there are a lot of them - separate post tiem. XD) and doing one last revision now. And hopefully that will be that. Then I can work on big bangs. :D

[snowynight]

I'm quite satisfied with this week's writing so far. Nearly everyday I write something.

Today I don't expect much writing because I'm still waiting to get the scans required to start my research. It's frustrating.

[bay_alexison]

Bleh, sorry for not coming for checkpoint the past few days. Real life has been crazy lately. Luckily though that didn't stop me from doing a bit of writing!

Overall I'm satisfied with my writing this week. Pretty much each day I was able to write between 500-1000 words for this one fic and I'm almost done with it! Today I was able to write another 500 words, but for a short story (this one is done, wee).

WIP in four words? I think I'll go for this chaptered fic I had been working on and off lately: TOO MANY FRAGMENTED SCENES! I really need to think a bit how to connected these vaguely related scenes into a plot, LOL.