November Update

Melissa:
Sometimes other things dictate what we do... So, by that sentence can you tell how NaNoRe-WriMo went? I don't know if I've shared about it here, but I am a freelance Content Editor. Being the time of year it is and all that is going on, when a job comes, I take it. I need the money. I had a few jobs come in and accepted them. When the opportunity comes knocking, you can't pass it up. And I don't want too.

I did get time in with re-writes and added a nice portion to the story. But then I stopped to clear things off my desk and do my job. I was able to get some re-reading and new words in over lunch hours, but this takes longer as I don't always get a whole section done or get to add them on the computer at night. But they are written!

I don't regret it one bit. This is not a loss for me. I knew going into NaNoWriMo I would not hit the 50k word count. I look at this as a new mountain I'm climbing, and the heart is thumping with adrenaline to do so. I'm excited to see where this path leads me.

I actually learn a lot about what to keep an eye on in my writing with content editing as well.

So, looking at the hard numbers, where do I stand?
Re-writes:  6,234 words added
(This is the hard number of words added including deducts for deletions. Not bad!)
The total number of words read and pondered over:  5,466
(Sounds unbalanced. lol. I added more than I read!)

Now for the goal. I want to finish this stories re-read by the end of the year. Yes, it's going to be a lot to ask for, but I want to get it done. Then I will read it to tweak, add small items, and for phrasing. I hope to get it to a few friends by the end of February. And I will start re-reading my Christmas story I wrote over last Christmas into 2014. That one I hope to have done and ready for Christmas.... it's a tall order, but I can wish - it is the holiday's after all. ;)


Jackie:

Considering I'm taking this creative writing class, you'd think my numbers would be sky-rocketing. The sad fact is, with taking two courses, working, and all the other stuff life throws at you, I can't even seem to find time for simple re-writes on my short stories. I think I'm in much the same boat as Melissa with other things dictating my time. I must admit, I'm feeling the pressure and I think it's being counter-productive to the flow of creative juices, Either that or my muse has up and left on an indefinite vacation.

Here's what my month looked like:
Short story: 1958
In class writing: 400 (-ish)

That brings my sad total to 2358 words. I'll be off school for most of December, so I'm hoping the much-needed rest will encourage the ideas to start surfacing again but as of now, it isn't looking promising. I  have a research short due my first week back to class, so besides the usual holiday chaos, I'll be trying to research a topic and write about it through December.

For the research story, the professor has asked that instead of just looking up topic-related elements in books (or on the internet, I would imagine), she wants us to get out and actively find information. We need to keep a research log to show how we go about gathering the details. We've also been asked to get outside our comfort zones. All this is great advice but the issue I'm struggling with is finding a starting point...and the ability to interview people or find a place that might be potential setting for the story, etc. I think I'd like more time with this one, especially because of the holidays smack dab in the middle of it all but I think it will be a great asset to learn how to do this for future work. She did give us a list of examples of the types of journals writers can benefit from, which I will post separately. Now just to put it all in motion...

In the mean time, if any of you have seen a stray muse out in the world, it's probably mine. Can you ask her to come back my way, please?

Hope you all have a productive month ahead :)