At the beginning of June, we started a journey together. Some had a well thought out plan, while others headed into uncharted waters. Then there were others who travelled this road before, and dived in, boots and all. It doesn’t matter how you started or how you finished up, you started! You pulled up your chair, sat at your computer each day (or most days), and wrote. Some wrote more words in the month than they had ever before, fantastic.
Remember it is not about the number of words you got down on paper, or on your computer, it is about the fact that you tried.
It is so great to see this challenge grow each year, we started back in 2007 with 13 members, now we have 102 members. Not everyone takes up the challenge every year, but you know what, it is not always about the challenge, it is about the support we get from the group. If you’re down, there is a shoulder to cry on, if you get a contract, win a contest, there are cheers and congratulations.
We are a family of writers, aiming for the same thing, to get words on paper. So who reached their goal?
AJ KARLY PAM G SUZANNE B CAIT (Editing)
CONGRATULATIONS LADIES, WELL DONE!!!!
Okay, our next monthly challenge is November with NaNoWriMo, if you haven’t joined here is the website.
The ball is now in your court. Writing or editing, this month is about getting words on paper, there will be days when the last thing you will want to do is sit at your computer or desk and write. We have all been there and likely at some point be there again this month. It is these times that you turn to the group to help give you the motivation to fight through the tough times.
If you do find it hard to face your computer, try writing long hand. If you are hand writing your manuscript, have a change of scenery. Sit in your garden (if you have one), go to your local coffee shop, it really doesn’t matter where you go, just try something different.
I normally freeze half way through a month long challenge, I have about 3 to 4 days when everything goes blank and I get nothing when I’m writing, it’s like my characters decide to play hide-n-seek. It doesn’t matter how much I rand and carry on they just don’t come back until they are ready. Which is why I now also edit during these challenges, because if I ignore them running off to Lord knows where, they tend to return sooner rather than later. My point is change can be a good thing.
If this is your first 50ks in 30 Days, have fun, and enjoy the experience. If you are returning for another go at this craziness, lovely to have you back with us again.
Hi everyone, while you've all been slogging it out pushing the word count boundaries near and far this month I have embarked upon a slightly different NaNo experience. I'm editing, this whole month, editing, editing, editing. I have taken Margie Lawson's "Empowering Characters Emotions" lecture packet and ..... Lightbulb moments galore!
I'm a cliche-aholic... I admit it, but with Margie's 5 step program I'm ridding myself of it. I do love traitor words, things that seem innocent enough but are pulling away from the emotional depth of my story, darn it all to heck!
I have almost coloured an entire scene in yellow! (Not good, so not good).
I'm half way through, I did one round of editing thinking "ha, I'm good"... and then a little birdy who likes to wear bat wings a lot told me that I have to include more visceral responses and deepen my characterisation. That my WIP was really just a skeletal mass, kind of like a runway model, it needed more muscle, more drive, before it was ready for the big time.
Righto, I accepted it, and then said little bentwing bat told me to go look at Margie Lawson's editing courses.
So I will say right now, for the world to hear.... Thank you Bentwing Batperson! You have put me on the path of enlightenment, and whilst there are no happy little monks dancing around me chanting, there are lots of ideas and power words flowing out of these fingertips.
I'm going to share something with you. It's embarrassing so please don't tell the world... oh, well actually I am telling the world aren't I? Yeah righto, well anyway, here's a before and after. Baby steps Bob, baby steps.
From this:
Something about him grated on her and now they would be stuck on the same ship for four weeks at sea.Her knuckles started to whiten as she gripped the wheel tighter.A large thump to the side of the vehicle brought her back to her senses.The body of the car shuddered as one of the back tyres deflated.
To this:
Her hat bumped the roof of the carriage, she should have ditched the feathers they were so last season. Gwen took one hand off the wheel to readjust a pin and heard the collective gasps of both men.
“You wanted to come along,” she shouted over the crunch, crunch, crunch of the car. “Sorry, forgot to change gears, this should give us more speed.”
A large thump to the side of the vehicle stopped her fun.The body of the Imperial shuddered as she slammed both feet on the brake. The stench of burned rubber and dust pervaded the car. Her stomach lurched as the car skidded to a halt on the gravel road.
That’s a question many of us may ask during November. I think at times we can let the challenge of getting words on paper run our lives, and from time to time we have to remember that there is an outside world with real people in it. This past week I’ve written more words in one week than I have in a very long time. Now I don’t know if it is because I’ve had six weeks off from writing before hand or if it’s the new genre, whatever the reason I’m enjoying my writing. The fact that my laptop internet is having a major male moment is a big help because I don’t have twitter deck popping up very few seconds.
I’m also taking time away from the computer, going for a walk each day to get the mail, yes it takes me a good fifteen minutes to walk up and back from my mailbox. Friday even in the rain, I went for a walk, took my trusty duck head umbrella my son bought me, it was like water off a ducks back or head in this case.
This year with my writing I have a new rule, if I’m on a roll “Please do not disturb” if not, I’ll be out to chat. It’s working just fine at the moment. Okay we are only one week in, but still, my family understand were I’m coming from and I love them for that, even our friend that are visiting know if my head is down and I’m typing ten to the dozen don’t talk to me. Most of the time because when I am at the computer I’m writing and procrastinating, I have the time to spend with family and friends. I’ve taken time to sit outside and watch the foals play together.
So I’m sitting on the 20K mark with today’s words to go on that, I’m feeling inspired and busting to start each day even if some have been slower starts than others. What about you? How is your month going? Are the words coming freely? More important are you taking the time to smell the flowers? And you know what? There is really only one person you need to please this month with your word count or pages edited and the is YOU!!!
June has been a big month for us all and not just because of the 50/30 challenge. Whether you reached your goal or not, remember you have more words on the page or pages/words edited than you might have if you didn’t take the challenge. If you have accomplished that, than you are winners.
Last week had its ups and downs for me. Computer and internet problems saw me doing a lot of writing by hand (which I still have to type into the computer). Family issues saw me diver for cover for a couple of days, but I’ve come to the decision that, there is nothing I can do about this problem at the moment so I’ll think about it later. (Oh, isn’t that very Scarlett O’Hara of me. LOL)
I’ve posted my new round of Fallen Angel Reviews on my review site if you’d like to have a look (okay they are the links to my reviews, minus two because of technical hitches) http://www.sandiehudsonreviews.blogspot.com/ .
My editing is moving along okay, but I’m going to have to go back over it all again. (I HATE EDITING!) Just thought I’d share that with you. July is going to be editing month for me, yep the writing is getting pushed to the back of the computer and all my finished WIPs are getting edited, if it takes me into August and September to do them I will. What is Diane’s saying? “Write, Edit, Submit.” So that is what I’m doing. What about you? Are you going to do the big edit thing in July? How close are you to submitting? Have you submitted and waiting for word back?
On a personal note, thank you all for a great month, as always it is a pleasure writing with you all and don’t forget to gear up ready for NOVEMBER – NATIONAL NOVEL WRITING MONTH. I knew you’d like to be reminded about that now.
NEW CHALLENGE! Who is game to play? The rules are simple just write, edit and submit your novel in twelve months. That’s right, you have one year to reach your goal. This is open to everyone, whether you’re a published author, who would like that extra push to meet your dead line or get that new novel going. If you are unpublished and want that extra something to keep you on track, this maybe just what you are looking for.
Challenge starts 1st November 2008 and runs through to 31st October 2009. The word count is up to you, how many novels you write is up to you. The main thing is to have your butt in front of your computer ready to write on November 1st, to help you achieve that goal at least, we are going to have two months of plot, plan and research. Through September and October we’ll do whatever is needed to have you ready to start your challenge in November. You can sign up for the ‘National Novel Writing Month’, which runs during November, 50ks in the month.
We’ll be on the RWA NaNo loop, to encourage, cheer and hug you no matter what you decide to do. If you’re interested in taking part just head over to the loop page http://groups.google.com.au/group/rwanano/web/from-start-to-published?hl=en for the challenge and tell us, your name, word count goal, genre, and title of your novel/s (if you have one). Hope to see your name on the list.
We have known her as Rachel Charlton, Rhain Cahill and RC. Now let me introduce you to our Queen of The Bionic Fingers, Mistress of Editing. It seems that no matter what this power house of a writer does she excels beyond the normal limits of we poor mortals.
As you know RC doubled the word count for the June challenge, 100,015 words in just 30 days, over 42,000 of those words in just four days. We had Pin-up girls through out the challenge, I felt it only right that we should acknowledge the fantastic effort put in by the talented Ms Rhain Cahill.
RC was a constant source of entertainment to us all with her quirky one liners, of course some of these one liners were aimed at her partners in crime and co-members of 'The Topless Table Dancing Tarts', Diane Curran and myself, but we love her. There is one thing about our RC and that is life is never dull when she is around.
Ladies, please select your glass.
Let us raise our glasses to this years Queen of the challenge, Rhain Cahill.
Of course now our lovely Ms Cahill has to try to keep that title, we have the
National Novel Writing Month, coming up in November, who is going to be the
person to topple our raining Queen?
The challenge is there now ladies, get ready November will be here sooner than you thing.
50 ks In 30 Days may have come to an end but that does not mean we can sit back and take things easy. So you've had a week off to get over such a big month, now it's time to get back into writing. Set a routine, have a new goal, reach for that gold ring. Whether it be writing or editing set your goal. So I have a new challenge for you all, write or edit 1 page a day. Now this is not a big ask 250 words, that is all I'm asking of you or edit 1 page of your manuscript. Don't go letting all that hard work you did last month go to waste.
My husband tells me this is what my office looks like. Hehehe.
Here's the link to the groups 'A Page A Day Challenge'
add your goal and each day come back and add your daily total. How easy is that?
Come on ladies fingers back on the key board, let's write.
Each week we will come up with a different challenge, anything that will keep you writing. Get those words down on paper. Anything that will get you to your goal of being a published author.
Can you believe it? The last week of the challenge is here already. Six days, that’s all we have left. Where has the month gone? It only seems like yesterday that we were starting.
Anyway how has your week been going? Are you happy with the way your story or stories are progressing? We have a couple more cross that 50k line this week. Great going Natalie and Diane, plus we have a few that are very close, I’m sure we will be hearing the ding of cyber glasses being raised later this week. How good is RC? I mean 70k+ this month so far, that woman must have bionic fingers, and very talkative characters. I have to say you all have done so well with the challenge, I am so proud of each and every one of you.
Congratulations to Bec Sampson on being a finalist in the Valerie Parv Awards, great going Bec and best of luck with the next round. Paula said her book signing went well, which was great to hear.
Don’t forget we are going to run an editing challenge next month. So anyone how as a MS or two that needs editing hope you’ll join the fun. Also anyone who may not quite make the 50k mark but would like to continue please stay with us, we will be more than happy to continue to cheer you on, so don’t feel that if it’s the end of the month you are going to be sent off to continue on your own. I've added a 'I'm A Winner' logo on the side panel, so anyone who would like to copy and paste it to their blogs pleses do.
I know you are all waiting to see who this week’s Pin-up Girl is, so I won’t keep you in suspense any longer. This week as my final Pin-up Girl for the challenge this year goes to Ms Rachael Blair. If not for RACH taking the idea suggested to her and putting the call out to us all we wouldn’t be here. We would still be just writing at our usual pace and making little progress. So ladies charge your glasses, and applaud the lovely Rachael. Rach I hope you are so proud of what you have managed to help us achieve this month. Not only have you brought a bunch of women together who love to write. But for many you have given them the chance to realize what potential they have and what they are capable of achieving. We also now have new friendships that have grown over the month. I for one thank you. So my dear Ms Blair, take a bow. Don’t forget to go over and say “Hi” to Rach and thank her for organizing this challenge.
