CONSUMERISM, YOU DOODES, CONSUMERISM, CONSUMERISM, CONSUMERISM................................
DO I HAVE TO SPELL IT OUT FOR YOU!!

HERE, HAVE SOME FREE EDUCATION, BEFORE YOU FALL IN TO THE VORTEX OF OVERSEAS BUSINESS, JOBS, BANKING, CHEAP MOBILE PHONE PLANS, EDUCATION, SCHOLARSHIPS, SHOPPING, PURCHASES OR MORE STUFFED TRAPS THAT ARE NOTHING BUT CONSUMERISM, YOU DOODES, CONSUMERISM, CONSUMERISM, CONSUMERISM............AND BY THE WAY, YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO THINK IN THIS REAL FREE BRAVE WAY, YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE ALLOWING YOURSELF TO BE BRAINWASHED TO BE FACE DOWN, GOING DOWN, STANDING DOWN, AND THAT THEY, THE DEVELOPED COUNTRIES ARE DOING YOU A FAVOR BY ALLOWING YOU TO VISIT THEIR ESTEEMED LAND OF GODS THAT STINKS OF OTHER PEOPLE'S BLOOD, BOTTOM LINE, ETC, AND JUST SHELL OUT YOUR MONEY AND RESOURCES IN THE PROCESS OF CONSUMERISM, CONSUMERISM, CONSUMERISM, YOU DOODES, CONSUMERISM, TO MAKE THE DEVELOPED COUNTRIES RICH IN MONEY, RESOURCES, BRAIN AND WORK POWER, AND MAKE AN ASS OUT OF YOU.

HERE IS YOUR PROMISED FREE EDUCATION :

DIG WELL INTO IT BEFORE YOU SUCCUMB TO THE CONSUMERISM TRAP OF THESE DEVELOPED COUNTRIES :

YOU ARE INVITED TO VISIT :

PLEASE GET OUT WHITE TRESSPASSERS

In your words what is a YA novel?

I had to take a little breather, where I did bits and pieces. Yesterday I seemed to be back on track. Last two chapters now, and my total words are:
60,216

I am so not good at this. Either continuing to write or reporting it. But I did do some work on it two days ago, so here:

Total words: 24663

Honestly not sure how much of that was new. A bunch. :-)

Yesterday -- 1021 words. Back to the salt mines...

You guys are still doing great! Cheer! Root!

I'm still plugging along, somewhere around 57,000 words and closing on the ever-evasive ending. I'm hoping to finish for my birthday on the 12th.

Haven't worked on the novel in a few days, but wrote a 5000 word short story today, start-to-finish, pretty close to a final draft. So I'm happy. :-)

Today's words: 2273
Total words: 53, 970

That was actually a kind of early in the day count and I think I did more than that. But... the important thing is, still not finished. But close. Very close. We will see how close tomorrow.

Today's words: 3337 (now that's more like it)
Total words: 22,167 (halfway through chapter 6)

Yesterday's pitiful words: 182

Tried to write on the train and got queasy; had to put laptop away. Sigh.

Even if it's a really short novel?

I like the way you think. (smile)

Heh. Anyone who aims to finish a novel in less than a year gets admiration from me.

Today's words: 2528
Total words: 51,697

I actually plan to write a bit more in bed, but if I do that I get to count it in tomorrow's tally. End drawing nigh...

Oh yeah, Karen, rub it in, away for three weeks and they still haven't finished yet. (Just kidding.)

This is a cool board. It's neat to go away for three weeks and then come check in and find you guys are still going at it with energy and humor. Yay rah rah and so on!

Toda's words: 1564
Total words: 49,169

And the kitchen floor has been mopped. A pretty fucking productive day, I'd say.

Edited by author 06-23-2003 01:09 PM
Nothing yesterday; dinner guests and housecleaning.

Today's words: 1689
Total words: 18,499

Almost to the end of chapter 5 -- just have to write a fight scene.

Words for the last three days: 2,325
Total words: 47,605

This book will end. This book will end soon. This book will end soon, whether it wants to or not. That is all.

Still making notes and contemplating the rewrite.

Today's Words: 1076
Total Words: 20,140

Whoo! I hate going in fits and starts, but it's something. After the next thousand words, I'll be out of this part that's hard to write, and into stuff I'm more sure about. I hope.

You guys are rockin' inspiration, though! Keep up the good work!

Imax exhausting. Something like 600 words above my last word count. I think the book is going a few thou past 50. Everything else still stands. I plan to finish before Friday.

Good going, Mary Anne. I forgot to post yesterday too, but will update later. I plan (wishin' and hopin') to finish the dam... I mean, lovely book while Christopher's off SycHill-ing it this week. If it will just cooperate.

Just now I am on the way to an Imax to watch dinosaurs with my dam.. I mean, lovely nephews.

G

--------------------------
Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld (www.BlackBerry.net)

Today's words: 2476
Total words: 16,719

I'm off to go read the new Harry Potter book, so it may be a bit before I write anymore. But it's research, is what I say. Hey, somebody else post something. I feel like I'm taking over Greg's board...

Yesterday's words: 1066
Total words: 14105

Forgot to post yesterday. Obviously didn't make 3K mark, but at least got something accomplished. Hopefully today better.

Edited by author 06-20-2003 10:09 AM
Thanks for the advice, guys. I went ahead and told her pretty much what was up, and that I'd try to get her a draft within a month. So I'm upping my goal here to 3000 words a day. We'll see if I can keep it up.

I do love (hate) deadlines.

Today and yesterday's words: 1989
Total words: 45,280

I think Sharyn's pretty cool and would be understanding whichever way you go.

Well, it's all plotted, so in some sense the hardest work is done -- it's just a matter of getting it down on the page. I write about a thousand words an hour, when I've plotted in advance. So with 10K done and about 50K to do, we're only talking fifty hours, so it's actually more like five hours of writing a day for ten days. But that assumes a) that I don't get exhausted, b) that I don't get stuck, c) that I don't encounter some horrible problems with the book, or get tangled up in intricacies, or whatever. None of which is predictable, really.

I think I'm inclined to just tell her that the rest is still in very rough shape (does an outline count as very rough?) but that I should be able to give her a readable draft within a month, and sooner if possible. Does that sound reasonable?

I'm trying not to actually get excited about her interest, btw, because an agent warned me that while Sharyn gets interested in many books, she buys fairly few of those. But at the least, it's encouraging to know that she didn't think it was horrible. And if I go ahead with this plan, it'll give me plenty of incentive to keep my butt in the chair and write write write for a few weeks. Which can only be good, right?

Well, there are certainly worse positions to be in. My first instinct is to confess the truth, but that's just me. On the other hand, I couldn't finish a complete draft in two weeks.

Sharyn read the three chapters and synopsis. She thought they had rough spots, but were promising, and wants to see the rest. There *is* no rest! I'm not sure if I go ahead and tell her that, and tell her I'll need a few months to draft the rest, or if I go ahead and race and just draft it now. I mean, I have no day job at the moment. My dissertation is in the hands of my committee, and I probably shouldn't do much on it until they get back to me. So there's no good reason I can't just sit down and write ten hours a day (which I did while writing Classics) ...which means that in theory, I could finish a draft in two weeks, if I don't get stuck. Eep. Eep eep eep.

Words since last update: 1012
Total words: 43,291

About 300 words today, mostly reading over the last 15 pages or so and getting back into the groove. The total stands at almost 43,000. I plan to go back on my 1,000 words a day until finito starting tomorrow. See you guys on the way to the finish line.

G

Today's words: 749 (stopping for lack of time, must dash)
Total words: 13,488

You guys are doing great!

For my part, I'm still making notes towards my rewrite. I wrote the Draft Zero awful quick -- good thing, cuz now it's done -- but I'm going to take my time on the rewrite.

Today's words: 894
Total words: 12,544

Stopping mid-scene mostly because my fingers hurt -- I'm out of practice with this stuff! Feeling very accomplished because I realized chapter 1 was appallingly long; cut it into two chapters, magically jumping me ahead to chapter 4 for the new material. Much better overall now.

Admit to fighting faint desire to chop all the current chapters in half in order to be magically on chapter 7, or in half again, in order to be magically on chapter 13. Etc. and so on. Resolved to be satisfied with actual progress instead of silly illusions of progress instead.

Friday the 13th, June 2003
Today's words: 931
Total words: 19,064

Yes! Yes! Chapter 9 is finished! Final-fucking-ly. It felt so good to get a decent night of writing in again that I got up and danced around when I was done. Whoo!

Work has been really stressful for me too this week, Gwenda. I hate it when it totally zaps you, it's so unfair.

Mary Anne, go you!

Vera, wish I could even pretend this novel would be ready to send out by then, but alas! Thanks anyway!

Today's words: 937
Total words: 11591

Woohoo!

Thanks for the heads-up on the contest, Vera. Maybe next year ...

Go, go, go, Mary Anne!

I think I'm pretty much hopeless until tomorrow.

Work burnout, work burnout, work burnout.

Good work, Mary Anne.

Today's words: 300

Total words: 10,816

Maybe more later, but I figure I better celebrate whatever chunks of writing I get accomplished, given how slow I've been.

Folks,

I just thought of all of you writing YA when I saw this in Speculations:

"The annual Marguerite de Angeli Delacorte Contest [ http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/games/marguerite.html ] is open to US and Canadian writers only. "The award consists of $1,500 in cash and a $7,500 advance against royalties [+] a book contract (on the publisher's standard form) for HC/PB editions." Deadline, 6/30/03.

I do actually think about this book every day -- my brain is just being sucked away by paint fumes (my sister just moved to Chicago and we're painting her apartment). Not to mention that I can barely lift my arms for long enough to type this message.

(At least my excuses for not writing vary from week to week...)

Oops. Missed a day there.

Gearing up, you know. I don't know how many words I'll do today. The day job is very writing intensive this week -- hands cramped up writing intensive -- so I may get a bit behind schedule until the weekend.

House boys good. Unfortunately, Evan is a figment.

I think SycHill is the week after next. And it seems like we've been home so rarely lately anyway, that all our normal rhythms have been thrown out of whack. It'll be good to have a couple of weeks before then sleeping in our own bed, with our dog, etc.

Of course, I'll be going crazy trying to finish the YA and Christopher will be going crazy trying to finish his workshop story. But that's just par for the course. (smile)

When does Chris leave for Sycamore Hill, Gwenda? I'm glad you have George; I have my sister and her baby for company in the house, but neither of those sleep in the bed with me and keep me warm (it's rather chilly here in the Bay Area right now). I was freezing when I went back to bed after taking Tim to the airport for his 7am flight this morning!

Evan sounds nice;-) I've always wanted a houseboy. In college, my roomie and I would let this high school guy who worked with us at the pizza joint come over after work and fetch us beers from the fridge and rub our feet. We'd let him have one beer and send him home. Looking back, I wonder how wise it was to be giving a high school boy beer, but at the time it was a hoot. He loved calling himself our houseboy, too. I'm sure he was bragging, and probably exaggerating, to his friends.

Today, no words. Moping, obsessively cleaning the kitchen, and underwear shopping occupied my hours.

Tomorrow I start going over Draft 0 of the book. The plan is to focus on plot and not worry about the crap-ass prose.

June 8, Day ??

Today's words: 1450
Total words: 42,279

A pretty good day today, and I think I've FINALLY hit the beginning of the ending.

Only about 300 words today, so I'm not really counting it. I got a terrible migraine mid-afternoon which killed my writing for the day, what with the drugs making me feel like Queen Victoria and all.

Just a point of clarification. George is our golden retriever, not our cabana boy.

Our cabana boy's name is Evan.

I can relate, Heather. Christopher will be leaving soon enough for Sycamore Hill and I'm not looking forward to it. Although, at least George will be here and we can mope together.

My excuse for not writing yesterday and quite possibly today: Tim's leaving tomorrow morning for a week and I want to spend as much time with him before he goes as possible.

Hope to make this up next week, while I'm lonely.

Today's words: 1591 (a third of the way through chapter 2)
Total words: 10516

We progress, finally.

Nothing yesterday. So far this morning, minor revisions, followed by deleting three scenes which were in other POV's from my protagonist and just distracted from the main action (and gave away too much info as well). Good decision, I think, but now I'm down to 9470 words. Argh.

Must. write. actual. fiction.

Took today off to take stock and think about the ending and be busy as freaking hell and then to have a headache and watch (1) disturbing and (1)beautiful and disturbing movies.

Back to the real work tomorrow.

I'm still stuck on Chapter 9. Cursed Chapter 9, the bane of this novel (so far)!

I didn't actually write anything new today, but I did spend quite a long time thinking about my novel, going over the notes (which had answers to questions I hadn't realized I'd already figured out! Man!) and deciding how the next couple of chapters go. Have decided I must finish this awful chapter, even if I can't hit the 2000 word mark (my structure is 30 chapters at 2000 words each), just so I can move on to stuff that interests me more. I shall deal with wily Chapter 9 in revisions.

Edited by author 06-06-2003 12:33 AM
Didn't actually write any new material in the chapters today, but revised first half of synopsis, plotted out potential ending arcs, and starting drafting dialogue (in my head) for the second chapter. Hope to start actually writing second chapter tomorrow morning. In the meantime, I'm at:

Total words: 10,516 (written, lordy, last summer. sigh.)

June 5, Day Really Unknown, but somewhere in the 36 day range

Today's words: 1456
Total words: 40,501

June 4, Day After Day Unknown

Today's words: 1270
Total words: 39,045

Back on track, I suppose, or at least hopin' and wishin' so.

Sure, Greg don't mind!

Hmmm...that'd be fine with me, Heather, if Greg doesn't mind. I plan to start writing tomorrow. (Today I have to drive up to Milwaukee and help Roshani house-hunt, ugh.)

June 3rd
Today: 333
Total: 18,133

Sigh. Must .. . keep . .. going . ..

You really must see the bitch goddess. (And yes, I mean Partheos Athena.)

June 3, Day Unknown

Today's words: 920
Total Words: 37,775

Back toward track.

I just last night saw a TV program about the Greek Parthenon that included a bit on the Nashville Parthenon. I found the Nashville one more fascinating in some ways than the Greek one, and it was almost enough to make me want to visit Nashville.

Tomorrow I go back to quotas until the book is done. Nashville was fun. If you ever get a chance to visit the Parthenon (in Nashville), you must do so. Inside is a giant golden bitch goddess.

Edited by author 06-01-2003 03:21 AM
May 30th
Today: 492
Total: 17,799

Obviously, I'm having some trouble getting back in the swing of things. MA -- maybe we could continue the dare here together for the month of June? I'd feel much less lame if someone else was still working on their novel, too, and it looks like Gwenda will be done soon.

Greg: you rule! I'm so proud of you for finishing your novel!

Gwenda: I'm very impressed that you kept up your pace during Wiscon! I wish we'd had more time to chat, but there's always next year!

Mike: I'm planning on working on some short stories in June, so my novel dare might stretch all the way through August (hopefully not, but maybe).

Um, Tim's hungry and cranking at me to go eat with him, so that's it for now.

Yes, I'm afraid the pirate thing is all my fault. I have a thing for glass eyes and the pirate game.

Today's Words: 759
Total Words: 36,855

Nice one, Mary Anne! Good luck with it!

I'm thinking about a July dare, maybe, for my next novel, if anyone's planning ahead.

Just have to revise the current SF novel. And the paranormal romance. Oh, shit, yeah, gotta revise the YA fantasy one, too.

How 'bout an August Dare?

The pirate thing started, I think, because Gwenda didn't want a scar. After that, things spun out of control.

Cool news about your YA book, Mary Anne. Good luck!

Oh, hey -- I suppose I should officially resign from this one. What a goober I am. But now Sharyn November at Penguin wants to see three chapters and a synopsis of my YA, so by 6/15, I need to write that much, at least. Maybe I'll start a June novel dare. :-)

I think I may be to blame for the pirate thing.

And now I'm sick. Today, very. And so no words. But tomorrow, I will feel better (damn it!) and do twice the words and then go off and hobnob with the movie part of the business... and barely make my quotas for Saturday and Sunday, if at all. But I do still plan to finish up next week. Grrrr. Arrggh.

Well shiver me timbers, good for you, Greg, ye gnarly old salty dog you! Glad ta see yer startin' work on another!

Ar. This pirate brogue is killin' me!

Thanks, Jon. There is that pesky matter of commercially viable length, which I've fallen quite a bit short of, but I'm not stressing about that for the moment.

Keep it going, Gwenda! Ahoy, ahoy!

Aaron. Dude.

Thanks, Jenn. Wish I'd been able to make WisCon. Unfortunately, it fell on the weekend right between two workshops I'm giving, so it just wasn't doable, alas. Next year, next year ...

Hey, congrats, Greg!! Dude, you're a novelist now!

And I already got my copy of Say..., which looks even better in Real Life. :)

Edited by author 05-28-2003 09:49 PM
Greg: Ah, but the glory of the first draft is just knowing you nailed it.

You'll learn its turn ons and turn offs the more you bed it, and then suddenly, without warning, it explodes in happy juice as you find its G-spot.

Wait, this is a YA book?

I mean, it's great that you're hanging out and holding hands and eating pizza together. You've got your arm around it in the movie theater, and if you keep calling and IMing it at 3 in the morning, one day, you'll be able to kiss it...maybe even get some tongue action.

And for the rest of you...KEEP PUMPING!

I forgot to write down my word count, so I'm going to be approximate today.

Today's words: Around 1500 plus a few more
Total words: Around 36,000

A good day. The part before the ending is in sight.

Edited by author 05-28-2003 08:03 PM
Greg, whether it grows or shrinks is irrelevant, as long as it's good. :)

Just out of curiousity, has it got a title yet? Or is it still just the "YA book"?

Edited by author 05-28-2003 07:58 PM
Well, thank you, keepers of the fortress.

Completion feels a bit anticlimactic, I must admit, since it came several thousand words under my expected count. But I think it'll grow in revisions.

Can't wait to get my copy of Say... ! The page proofs looked awesome!

Congratulations, o King. That's a truly impressive accomplishment. Tonight, the Rock Monkeys hold festival!

Wow. Congratulations, Greg!

I am creeping up on my ending, maybe 10,000 more words. I probably won't finish till mid-next week though. But yay!

(P.S. I just mailed out Say... contributor copies, so watch the mails...)

The ending kind of snuck up on me yesterday.

I skimmed the manuscript this morning, and I think I'm done with Draft 0, or the discovery draft, or whatever I'm calling it, at about 27,000 words. There are a few holes, a few missing bridges, and some very schematic scenes, but the story is pretty much there, and the character arcs are pretty much complete.

So.

I'm going to let it sit for a few weeks, and then we'll have another look at it and see what we've got. In the mean time, I've started working on the outline for my next project, another YA novel.

I've really enjoyed sailing with fellow raiders Gwenda and Heather, and I'll keep firing my cannons in salute as they continue their crimes on the high seas. Thanks also to those who waved from the shore.

Ahoy!

No, don't stop now! You're so terribly close to the end of the month. C'mon, your public awaits!

It was indeed a great conference, Heather, and I just wish I'd actually gotten to catch up with you to talk (and about 10 other people)--but there were just so many damn people there this year. Much fun.

I knew if I stopped I'd have a hell of a time getting started again. Of course, that may still be the case.

Ahem. Well, so I had too much fun at Wiscon to write, but I'm not going to stress over it -- the con was too good! Am still recovering today . . .

May 27th
Today's 397
Total 17,308

Day 27, May 27

Today's Words: 969
Total Words: 34,525

Am extremely pleased that I only missed the traveling days to Wiscon, however, now that we're home I have the horrible cold that was being passed around and no energy to make up for those two. Oh well.

Day 26, May 26
Today's words: 1028
Total words: 26,634

Day 25, May 25
Today's words: 0
Total words: 25,606

Hoping for a better Day 26.

Day 24, May 24
Today's words: 661
Total words: 25,606

Oops today is actually the 25th, I've been told.

So day 25, May 25

Today's words: 1199
Total words: 33,557
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Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld (www.BlackBerry.net)

Day 25, May 25

What with getting here and staying up way too late last night I skiped yesterday entirely.

Tonight I am a good girl.

Today's words: 1223
Total words: 32,358
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Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld (www.BlackBerry.net)

Day 23, May 23
Today's words: 636
Total words: 24,945

Day 22, May 22
Today's words: 1140
Total words: 24,309

May 22, Day 22

Today's words: 910
Total words: 31,135

And I am so very sleeeeepppppy.

I haven't done the downloads yet, but they look killah. I originally posted that in a comment on Alan DeNiro's Ptarmigan blog and Alan just recently found those guys and sent us the link. I've been elbow deep in InDesign and Photoshop for the last few weeks and haven't looked at that site as closely as I intend to.

Chris, you're not a fan of the Lords of the Rhymes, by any chance?

I am so sorry for that. I have no control when he gets like this. (smile)

Well, that sounds like a request to me. Lightin' this one up as a big shout out to my man, Greg van Eekhout, King of the Rock Monkeys. Peace!
--------------

Weeeeeellll, my name is Tom Bombadil,
Tom Bombadillah!
I'm a hard-lovin' nature sprite,
A stone-faced killah!
When the wights come all WIGHTY
'n' I get smack from Ol' Man Willah
I draw the line I lay down rhyme
Tom closes the deal-UH!

Bombs away (bomb bomb Bombadillah...)
Don't need no ring! (bomb bomb Bombadillah...)
Bombs away (bomb bomb Bombadillah...)
Tom's OUT, yo...

This is a test to see if I'll be able to post daily word counts from Madison without getting the computer online. Please ignore if it turns out all funky.

(Just wait until Tom Bombadil, Gangsta Rapper, shows up if you think this is surreal so far.)

Are there any episodes of $20,000 Pyramid that aren't bizarre? That was one show I could never watch for more than five minutes without rolling my eyes.

Good work, you guys.

Edited by author 05-22-2003 12:24 PM
Day 21, May 21
Today's words: 1164
Total words: 23,169

Lord of the Rings, Rocky, and monkeys.

This is turning into a bizarre episode of $20,000 Pyramid.

May 21, Day 21

Today's words: 1303
Total words: 30,225

i'm looking forward to meeting you at Wiscon too, Heather, and absolutely it's not worth the security hassle of risking a non-turning-on computer.

Christopher has a thing about calling people monkeys though, if you haven't noticed.

Edited by author 05-21-2003 05:45 PM
"I wonder if this is a contrivance of the Enemy?" said Boromir. "They say in my land that he can govern the storms in the Mountains of Shadow that stand upon the borders of Mordor. He has a strange powers and many allies."

"His arm has grown long indeed," said Gimli, "if he can draw snow down from the North to trouble us here three hundred leagues away."

"His arm has grown long," said Gandalf.

--Excerpts from chapter three of the second book of The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien

I'm biting back the ultra obvious "Sprockets" line that leaped to my frontal lobe.

Greg will get his untrained monkey puppet to hit you for him.

Gwenda tells me that if I don't stop calling Greg a monkey that he's going to punch me. I don't like getting hit, so I hereby publically retract my previous statements, both public and private, wherein I undeniably asserted that Greg is a monkey.

I don't know why I should be worried. His arm has grown long indeed if he can punch from Arizona to Kentucky.

(That's an easy one, somebody supply the answering bit of dialog.)

Edited by author 05-21-2003 08:47 AM
Greg, Greg, Greg. I had hoped that my previous post demonstrated my knowledge of and appreciation for the Rocky series: ipso facto, I never saw Rocky V.

This seems so obvious that I can only be left with the conclusion that you, sir, are a monkey.

Twenty days in
Today's words: 630
Total words: 16,911

I hope I can write at Wiscon. My laptop battery went rotten and I'm afraid to bring it along because of the airport security checkpoints (if I can't start it up, it could get messy). I'll have to handwrite, which is ok, but not ideal. I write more when I'm typing it.

Good to hear you and Gwenda will both be at Wiscon, Christopher! I look forward to meeting both of you.

I know nothing really about Rocky, so I have little to say about it.

Oh, and I feel the same way when I write during the day, Gwenda. Those are the only days I can trick myself into doing 2000+, since it feels like half the work.

Day 20, May 20
Today's words: 1252
Total words: 22,005

I was waiting for Christopher to impress us with his knowledge of Rocky V.

Christopher thinks he killed the conversation, so everybody start talking again. (Thanks, sweetie!)

Okay... For weirdness' sake, I wrote during the day today and now feel like I didn't even though I did. This novel writing is tricky business.

But:

Today's words: 1304
Total words: 28,922

No offense, y'all, but there's either a very low Rocky IQ in this joint or you're just being sloppy (props to Brian, though).

"Eye of the Tiger," by eighties "rockers" Survivor was the pop theme to Rocky III, which movie did in fact feature Mr. T as Clubber Lang, his finest film role (I know there are a lot of DC Cab fans out there, but this is just self-evident.)

Dolph Lundgren played Soviet super-boxer Ivan Drago in Rocky IV, which featured the vocal stylings of Mr. James Brown, the tragic death of Apollo Creed, and a heart-warming change of heart on Lundgren's part that demonstrates the redemptive power of the American Dream. It's about...well, it's about liberty, gosh darn it. (Rutger Hauer is a lot older, and besides he's an international terrorist and sometime quasi-French swordsman/lycanthrope, not an actor).

As a personal side note, I spent much of 1989 as a roadie for a heavy metal cover band touring the South. When Romper Rume (can't figure out how to do the umlaut here) opened for Survivor at a dive in Nashville, they (Survivor) opened _and_ closed their show with "Eye of the Tiger," and also played a new song they'd written, "Eye of the Tiger II."

One of my main roles at WisCon will be to help Gwenda make time to get her words in. That should be challenging, but she's overcome a lot so far in keeping up her word rates, and I couldn't be more proud of, and impressed with, her.

Monday, May 19th
Today: 2134
Total: 16,279

I'm trying to make up ahead of time for any days I "accidently" skip during Wiscon this weekend.

Gwenda: Some of my best nights have been wine-assisted -- it helps to turn off the internal editor and let me get the words down. And, yes, my manuscript is very typo-ridden, too, though I'm not sure the wine is totally at fault there :-)

Greg: I'm glad you're finally taking a day off! You've been rocking on this dare, you totally deserve a day of rest!

Day 19, May 19
Today's words: Zilch
Total words: 20,753

No excuses. I've written 19 days in a row and I feel like goofing off.

Day Nineteen, May Nineteen (can it really be this many days gone?)

Today's words: 1539
Total words: 27,658

AND I had two glasses of wine, which means several of the words are probably spelled incorrectly. So there.

But Rocky did fight Rutger Hauer, right?

"I pity Slugger Lang! I pity the fool!

We don't have to do Rocky IV references, do we? Because I can, you know."

It was *Clubber* Lang. And he was the one who had those lines, not Rocky.

More writing...less Rocky references.... :)

Well, instead of taking today entirely off, I finally got the rest of the beginning typed in, so I have a revised word count:

Typed in today: 1043
Total: 14,145

Kinda depressing to go down 135 words, but at least it's done.

Day 18, May 18

Today's words: 1468
Total words: 26,119

Day 18, May 18
Today's words: 1270
Total words: 20,753

Nice going on that treatment, Aaron.

I'm glad you all are doing this, because it is, in some way, keeping me going (I quietly kept my 1000 words a day going on a treatment I needed to write, and finished. But it was only 9,134 words.)

Now I'm onto editing "Morning Commute" (finally).

And here's my motivation for that (related to guilt):
I woke up one day more afraid of what people will say and do to me if I DON'T finish than what they will say and do if I finish with a so-so product.

FEAR is a great motivator.

*Re-lurk*

Seventeen
Today: 1246
Total: 14,280

(I haven't seen Rocky, but now the song "Eye of the Tiger" is going through my head.)

May 17, Day 17
Today's words: 1035
Total words: 24651

Day 17, May 17
Today's words: 1282
Total words: 19,483

I pity Slugger Lang! I pity the fool!

We don't have to do Rocky IV references, do we? Because I can, you know.

Gatorade! Gatorade! Cue music: "Eye of the Tiger", the theme song to "Rocky". Keep sluggin' away, o sweaty champs.

Go, Greg, Go!

The second half of a job and making it to the final stretch is always harder. Unless you just cop out at the ending and make it all a dream or something. :)

Even what all of you have done so far is quite an acheivement! You can do it!!!

Rah, rah! You guys are cranking away! I'm much impressed. Keep it up.

I'm not surprised. Guilt has been popular with parents for many many years.

Edited by author 05-17-2003 11:03 AM
Day 16, May 16
Today's words: 605
Total words: 18,201

Oh, man, I have got to get my shit together.

Who knew that guilt rocked? Guilt, the Ultimate Motivator. Yay!

Uh, that was 12:03 *Pacific Standard Time*, just to clarify :-)

Sixteen!
Today: 1081
Total: 13,034

Gwenda, I want you to know that it was 12:03 and I was just sitting down to do my last email check before falling into bed without having written a word, when I saw your post.

The power of guilt, indeed!

Ah, the power of guilt. So, it was after midnight when I started writing, but the important thing is it's still the same day if you haven't been to bed yet or done something that signals "new day" in big letters. And I think I may have done the wrong math yesterday. Actually, what I did was put the wrong total words (it should have been 22,675 yesterday).

Today's words: 941
Total words: 23,616

Good night, good night.

Greg, it's possible it's because you're no longer a faculty member of written English.

Still: you guys are doing great. I continue to be impressed.

Fifteen
Today: 1036
Total: 11,953

Thanks for the encouragement, guys!

Jenn, hadn't thought of printing it out, but it's a cool idea! I'm still trying to get the printer software to install properly on my old iBook so I don't have to mail everything to Tim. Plus, there's still a fair bit near the beginning that I haven't typed in yet. Should do that soon, I suppose. I'm very curious how many pages this is so far.

I'm having a lot of fun with this novel dare. You all are such good motivators! Yay, go team!

Day 15, May 15
Today's words: 764
Total words: 17,596

Productivity dropped off past couple of days. Seem to be losing all facility with written English.

Hmmm.. was there a fourteenth day? Oh yeah, there was and it was really awfully busy and then my computer misbehaved and I went to bed early and pretended I didn't feel guilty at all for missing a day.

And now, hard section today.

Today's words: 957
Total words: 21,718

Tomorrow I'll break a hundred pages and that freaks me out. But not too much. I'll catch back up this weekend.

You go, Heather!!! My record is 11K on one project. You're going to pass me up tomorrow. Woooo! I hope you're printing it out as you go so you can see the sheer volume grow with each day. I am so damn proud and happy for you!

And for Greg and Gwenda, too. ;) All in all, I've never seen such a successful novel dare start. Kick ass, guys.

Good day, Heather. And congrats on hitting a landmark!

Fourteen
Today: 2129
Total: 10,917

I was going to use the "got drunk with that Susan girl, she's such a bad influence" excuse for yesterday, but then I guilted myself into making it up tonight anyway.

Hey, I hit 10K! I've never written this much on one project before! Whoo!

Edited by author 05-15-2003 12:23 AM
Day 14, May 14
Today's words: 682
Total words: 16,832

13th Day, 13th of May
Today's words: 1004
Total words: 16,150

Day Thirteen, May Thirteen

Today's words: 1246
Total words: 21,718

I'm so proud of you kids.

Twelve
Today: 1304
Total: 8788

So, I'm thinking that maybe I'm taking Sundays off, "just like Jack London" (as Tim says). I don't seem to be able to push, and I like the idea of a day off if I need it at the end of the week.

And, yes, Greg, the uphill days feel like a greater accomplishment. But I am hoping I get a day when it just flows easy soon, you know? It'd be nice. Until then, little engine and all that.

Day 12, May 12
Today's words: 1006
Total words: 15,146

Thanks for the hydration, Alan!

May 12, Day 12

Today's words: 1338
Total words: 20,472

Day 11, May 11

Sorry for not posting until the technically twelth day, but Christopher's working on Say... and since I didn't do my words until midnight last night, it wasn't convenient for either of to switch computers so I could post.

A little under quota, but it was a um, you know, "love scene."

Today's Words: 919
Total Words: 19,134

And everything's about to fall apart swiftly in my story, which is always the funnest part to write.

I completely agree with Greg too, about it being an even bigger accomplishment when you're really earning the words. Those are the days that make writers what they are.

See how rambly I am without coffee? Coffee now.

Good job, y'all, and keep going!

Alan, aka "guy standing on the side of the road handing out gatorade to marathon runners"

Day 11, May 11
Today's words: 1235
Total words: 14,140

Story is starting to take on some unexpected elements while still adhering to my outline. Best of both worlds, I think.

Heather, I know it's no fun when it feels like you're pushing uphill, but in a lot of ways getting those 1000 words out on nights like that is an even greater accomplishment, no?

Ten
Today's words: 1047
Total words: 7484

Tonight was one of those nights where I write a bit, check the word count, decide to keep going, keep counting, until I get past 1000. Ugh. That's what I get for waiting until 11pm, after fireworks and horrid public transit, to start writing.

But at least I made it. This dare is proving very good for me.

Gwenda: I grew up in Indianapolis, southside (Southport). I went to college at Franklin College of Indiana, just 20 minutes south of where I grew up (though it had a much smaller feel than the suburb I grew up in did). I've been through all kinds of bad weather in
Indiana -- from watching tornados pass by from the back porch to getting snowed in just after breaking up with a boyfriend who lived an hour's drive away and having to wait it out for two days in a small house with him. Ice storms to heat waves, droughts to flash floods. Heh. I really do enjoy the beauty of the Bay Area's weather, but I can't help but miss the drama of Midwestern weather. Sometimes.

Ten days gone, on and on.
Today's words: 1453
Total words: 12,905

Day Ten, May 10

To my great surprise, as I thought I hadn't met my quota today...

Today's words: 1052
Total words: 18,215

What part of Indiana, Heather? I would gladly loan you a thunderclap or two, since we've now had a week of thunderstorms and threats and warnings. The weather men must even be getting a little worn out by it. Unplug everything, plug everything back. It's very exciting.

"Night and morning low clouds, clearing by midday, highs in the mid-50s to mid-60s" doesn't count as weather? I'll tell you, I miss the dependability of the California weathermen since I moved away.

Nine

Today's words: 487
Total words: 6437

You can envy my sake, Gwenda, and I'll envy your thunder and
lightning! It hardly ever does that out here in California (rain, yes, thunder, rarely) and I miss it (I grew up in Indiana, where there was actual weather).

On hall trees: My mother was supposed to bring back my Grandmother's hall tree a few months ago and keep it for me, but somehow a cousin of mine claimed it first. It would've been years until I had a house permanent enough to put it in, but I'm sad anyway -- that piece of furniture had tons of character! I had to give it a cameo appearance in the book (and it fits in so well)!

Day Nine, May Nine

Today's Words: 1889
Total Words: 17,163

Heather laughs at sake--then she drinks it. Me, I just wish I had some.

"Sake is no match for Heather's determination. Heather is mighty."
Hey, thanks, Greg!

Day 9 - May 9, 2003
Today's words: 1117
Total words: 11,452

Sake is no match for Heather's determination. Heather is mighty.

I think Thompson was going for the adolescent audience, which is something different. (wink)

Whenever I hear about writing drunk, I immediately think of the early works of Hunter S. Thompson. He wrote for a YA audience, didn't he? ;)

Thanks, Susan! Actually, if it's ok w/ everybody, I'd like to save this excuse and use it on another night? She didn't tell me she was going to write me a note!

Day 8 - May 8, 2003
Today's words: 1281
Total words: 5950

It was a lovely sake sushi celebration.

Grandmother _____ (needs name)

Susan is dangerous, it's true.

Am v. deserving! Go Me!

I am still a little drunk.

Wiscon soon!

Saturn!!

Edited by author 05-09-2003 12:14 AM
You're a dangerous influence, Susan Marie, but I think Ms. Shaw's sake was well deserved.

Just stopping in to say that I stole Ms Shaw away from her work tonight and got her drunk on sake, so if she doesn't make her word count, it's totally my fault.

Day 8 - May 8, 2003
Today's words: 361
Total words: 10,335

And today's key word: Migraine

Day 8, May 8th.
907 words today. And it's thundering and lightning and I have to get off the internet now so my boyfriend's laptop doesn't bite it.

Total Words: 15274

Hmm... And here I thought all hall trees had eyes that followed you...

Just kidding. Sounds great, Heather. And that is exactly what a hall tree is. In my family, ours was also a treasure chest of sorts--you never knew exactly what you were going to find inside the seat, but at a minimum it was always full of interesting memorabilia and beautiful quilts. It died an untimely and charred death, unfortunately. It may be the only piece of furniture I ever had an emotional attachment to.

It's good to know that I'm going to have to give the hall tree more description than I did; 'course, this is a first draft, so I already knew everything is going to need work when it's done.

A hall tree, at least the one I've seen, is a huge, wooden piece of furniture, maybe 3-4 feet wide, a foot or 2 deep, 8 feet tall? The bottom is a bench with storage under a hinged lid, the back of it holds a mirror, and the sides have hooks upon which you can hang coats and things. The one in my story also has an overhanging bit at the top with animal carvings that stare at you both in the mirror and anywhere you stand in the room, but that part I made up.

Much, much more substantial than a coat rack.

Oh, and thanks Jenn!

Edited by author 05-08-2003 09:13 AM
I'd never heard it before either; I'm guessing it's a coat rack, one of those tall freestanding ones with the many branches for holding coats (and unlike a tree, cursed with a disturbing tendency to fall over, like a drunken ent).

what the hell's a hall tree, you bunch of word-gumming novel-drafters???

You guys have strong gums - everyone did over 1K today! Nice!

Day 7 - May 7, 2003
Today's words: 1147
Total words: 4669

I hear you, Greg. Every word tonight seemed hard won.

Day 7 - May 7, 2003
Today's words: 1237
Total words: 9974

Like pulling teeth tonight. Gummed my way through.

Day 7, May 7

Today's words: 1513
Total words: 14,387

Good night, good night.

Re circulation of words: when I gave my friend G. a Yiddish magnetic poetry set, he found words in it he'd always assumed his parents had just made up.

I love hall trees. I half thought that was just a southerism, because I can't think of any other context in which I've heard it. But growing up in the south, I think you learn to assume about half of what people say is made up and geo-specific; then you grow up and learn it's actually commonplace. It always seems weird. It's a great name for something though: hall tree.

Day 6 - May 6, 2003
Today's words: 562
Total words: 3522

Hmm, so far I have an unusual hall tree and unusual mattress. I think.
Y'all are giving me the warm fuzzies. We have a good crew here; glad to be aboard!

Hah! I haven't met any of you, not even Mary Anne. You're all nothing but words from the void to me. Talented words, to be sure, but still.

Oh yeah, you YA novel-writers have a strong fan base following you, cheering you on and hoping you keep at it.

As Bill Murray said in "Stripes" -- "You can't leave now! All the plants will die!"

Haven't met any of you except Mary Anne. I just like kibbitzing (and inflicting verse on hapless writersby):

The pirates are now on the ocean,
Plotlines all swinging in motion.
With plenty of drinking
They're Dare-ingly thinking
Of ways to create fresh commotion.

And here I thought I was the only one who hasn't met everyone yet.

Glad you decided to stick with it, Heather. Wouldn't be the same without you.

Man, I wish I'd thought of putting an unusual monkey in my story. I might recruit an unusual chicken from one of my other stories, though.

Thanks for the cheers, Jenn!

Day 6, May 6

Today's words: 1552
Total words: 12,874

And today I got to write one of the scenes I've been looking forward to all along, with an unusual monkey in it. (Not that it's that kind of book generally, but y'know, an unusual monkey never hurt a narrative of any kind.)

The words of encouragement are much appreciated Jenn--even if we don't know each other! I haven't met Heather or Greg yet either, so I get to be all faux-nonymous and junk.

Thanks, Jenn! It means a lot to me, to have you (and the rest of you) cheering me on. Tim can confirm that I'm being pretty damn diligent about this dare, and I was almost letting it stress me out, the need to write "enough" on it every day. The feeling of being behind these "cheaters" (hee) is additional motivation -- my word counts are so small in comparison!

I'm glad of all this, though. If there were 20 people doing this dare, I'd have quit on Sunday when I had to stop and outline again, knowing that I could slip away unnoticed. And I've always liked to match myself against faster runners -- it's an old trick from the days of Presidential Physical testing during high school gym class; I always got better times when I took my turn at the same time as the fastest runner in the class -- seeing him or her ahead of me made me work that much harder. Funny how it works in novel-writing, too!

Ok, enough with the metaphors! Back to work!

Wow. I need that skill. That's really f-ing impressive, Greg.

And Heather, you are kicking butt, woman! I know how hard just 120 words are when you don't feel like writing. Hell, even 50!! I'm rooting for every single word of yours (and not just because I want to read the novel when you're done). If you can do it, it gives me hope that I can!

And I don't know Gwenda, but Gwenda, you are clearly kicking ass and taking names. Woo!

This has been a public service announcement from Jenn, amateur cheerleader. Please go about your business.

Edited by author 05-06-2003 05:04 PM
Day 6 - May 6, 2003
Today's words: 1366
Total words: 8737

Decided a scene from chapter 3 needed to be delayed and replaced with a different scene. Didn't do it, though. Maintained forward motion instead. Just made some notes for Future Second Draft Writing Greg. Hope he appreciates it some time next month.

Day 5 - May 5, 2003
Today's words: 800
Total words: 2960

I typed these 800 instead of handwriting them on the train, and they went a lot faster. Going to try to do it that way more often.
Considering dragging laptop to work so I can *type* on the train, but I have to see if the new battery holds up first.

I also started typing in some of my handwritten stuff. I might have to adjust my total words after I get it all in. Sigh.

Day 5 - May 5, 2003
Today's words: 1059
Total words: 7371

Ah, Cinco de Mayo. I believe I still have some Modelo Especial in the fridge.

Day Five (Happy Cinco de Mayo darers!)

Today's Words: 935
Total Words: 11, 322

re: plotting, this is probably a lie because one thing I'm finding is that the compressed structure is similar to a script re: pacing of events, etc., but when I'm worrying too much about plot I just stop and try to do the following: Tell myself a story so I don't get bored. Not that it stops the panic:)

Cool, Mike. Feel free, of course, to post whatever progress you make on them here.

Just because youse guys are having so much fun, I've started plotting out the two sequels to my YA urban fantasy novel. Not sure when I'll get 'round to writing 'em, but it sure is fun!

Keep up the great work! Just keep plugging away, one word at a time.

Day 3 - May 3, 2003
Today: 120 words (v. busy day)
Total: 2160

Day 4 - May 4, 2003
Today: panicked and stuck partway into Chapter 2, I sat down and figured out the next 6 chapters. Feel more secure, though still nervous about structuring novel. Deep breath, deep breath.
Total: 2160

Day 4

Today's words: 1166
Total words: 10,387

Day 4 - May 4, 2003
Today: 1700 words
Total: 6312

Go, go guilt!

Day Three

Today: 1459 words
Total: 9221 words

(Good day, but I had to guilt myself into doing the words after getting home from X-2--which I never would have done were we not posting these totals.)

Day 3 - May 3, 2003
Today's words: 1036
Total: 4612

Had moments of doubt, urges to go back and take a Mulligan, but managed to resist. V. pleased with self.

Day 2 - May 2, 2003
Today's words: 840
Total: 2040

Day 2 - May 2, 2003
Today's words: 1380
Total: 3576

Edited by author 05-02-2003 03:35 PM
Hello all... Daily report time, as I seriously doubt I'll touch this again before tomorrow.

I did 1,337 words today, bringing "The Girl Gang" to 7,762.

And this is so much damn fun. Even if it's, y'know, as always hard work.

My main concern is actually that I need to make a bunch of art for WisCon in May. :-) Aside from that, I have no real commitments, so it shouldn't be so bad. Oh, except for getting a draft of my dissertation to my committee. But that's mostly done already.

Ah, Mary Anne catches the madness. Eexxxceleeeent ...

Day 1 - May 1, 2003
Todays words: 1200 (approx. -- handwritten)
Total: 1200 approx.

(Following your lead on daily updates, Greg :-)

Mary Anne, of *course* you're joining us! Sweetie, you can't help but take on more projects -- I don't think you function if you're not trying to do at least thirty thousand things at once ;-) 'Tis simply the nature of Mary Annes.

Oh, and my protagonist is 16, too. Still counts as a YA (according to Tim) because I'm treating her like a real person. No working title on mine yet (the YA novel) but my protag's name is Sienna.

Whee! Fun!

< replied-to message removed by QT >

Hey, Greg -- I'm gonna join y'all, I think. I can't start for a few days, but I already have the first chapter of my YA novel (working title "Swati", my protagonist's name), about 8000 words. I need to take my written exam in the next few days, and I may need a day or two off from writing after that, but by 5/7 or so, expect me to join in.

I'm not entirely sure that it'll end up a YA novel per se, but the protagonist is about sixteen or so, so close enough, no?

This from the man who wrote 40,000 words last month. You know how many words I wrote in April? 450.

All these lovely word counts are making me jealousssss...

Day 1 - May 1, 2003
Todays words: 1396
Total: 2196

Byzantine invoices and pirate verse. You have a rich inner life, Peg.

And thank you, Heather and Gwenda, for playing along.

Edited by author 05-01-2003 06:00 PM
Oh, there once was a dare-ing pirate
declining to frolic in private:
He mustered a crew
with pretzels and brew -
all panting to rewrite the climate.

(sorry - it popped out unbidden after a duel with a byzantine invoice)

seriously - good going, y'all. :-)

Wow. Congratulations, guys.

I did right at 1,000 words, which brings me to a grand total of (cheater, cheater) 6,425.

I'm really glad to be working on this again. Thanks, Greg, for the excuse.

Looks like you're off to a great start, Heather!

I met my quota this morning, but I'll probably do some more tonight and will post my word count after that.

Hey, reporting in on my first day. I wrote 420 words (approximately) on BART this morning and not only was it easy, it was fun! I'm even *more* excited about this dare, now and I'm going to attempt another 580 on the way home to meet that 1000 a day you other two are aiming for.

Thanks again for coming up with this idea, Greg!

When I quilt it involves shopping.

I will also be shooting for 1,000 words or around four pages a day, and must confess I'm a little bit ahead, because I already have a few thousand done. (I've been finishing up a screenplay and will look at what I've got tomorrow... before I start on the new stuff. And somehow, it will turn out to be less than I thought it was, because life is like that.) Yes, I'm a cheater.

And, I've been told, we get cool pirate scars in the process. (Is it wrong that with no sleep, I am tempted to make a genuinely ouch-worthy pun along the lines of "Da-rrrrre, there, mateys"? Yes, yes it is. Puns are never okay.)

This is going to be fun.

Hm. I'm now seriously tempted to write a piece about a boy who quilts.

Must first finish the stuff started during Mike's April Dare.

Looking forward to peeking in on everyone's progress.

Ah, you folks will be great.

Hey Greg, thanks for making a QuickTopic message board for this! I'll be able to keep up better, what with the email updates and all!

I haven't actually set a goal yet. I guess I've been thinking along the lines of "write on it some every day, at the very least during the commute to or from work" instead of a word-limit goal. I'm also hoping to have a couple of nights a week where I sit down and just make myself work on it, maybe catch up if I've been lazy other days . . .

I'm a bit nervous, especially because there are stories that are half-begun that I should really spiff into shape (and send out) before May is up. I'm just going to try my best, I guess, and let this writing excitement I've been experiencing lately fuel my momentum.

Edited by author 04-30-2003 05:52 PM
So here's what's going on. I'm writing a YA novel this month. The goal is 1,000 words a day, every day. If the book's not finished by the end of the month (in other words, if the book ends up needing to be longer than 31,000 words) I'll keep doing 1,000 words a day until it's done.

Anyone can join, and anyone can determine their own conditions. It's not a contest. It's not a race (and if it were, it'd be a marathon). It's more like a quilting circle. I guess. I'm a boy. I don't quilt.

So, whether you're a participant, commentator, or lurker, welcome aboard.