December Update

Melissa:

**crickets**
*listening peacefully, looking into the sky*

Oh. Sorry. I'm enjoying a moments peace after the crazy roller coaster ride of the holidays. Getting ready for Christmas this year I remembered how last year I was writing while doing the holiday gathering, setting up, buying, and recouping. And wondered how on Earth I was able to do that!

This year the holidays kicked my keester from here to timbucktoo. As you can guess, I found no words this year. I actually think I was running around like a chicken with it's head cut off for the season. I didn't even feel the holiday spirit much either. (Although I think last year I might have felt it more because the story I was writing at the time was also a Christmas setting.)

So, needless to say, my goal for December in words did not come true. I hate it. I hate those words, 'did not'. It kills me to write that. I've typed it far to many times in the past months that I'm sick of the words.

No words, is not acceptable anymore.

I'm going to get serious in January. I've already started and ripped apart a scene that I was not looking forward to (too much work), but I did it. No more going out and doing anything else. I've got to sit my arse in a chair and get to the job. That is my plan. I am so close to finishing this draft and want to be done with it by the end of January. Then a re-read through to drop a few worldly things in and setting descriptions.

That's what I want to do....

We'll see what happens.


Jackie:

I went into December knowing I would have a short story due my first week back in January. So it only made sense that I would use any extra time through the holiday to get 'er done. But I got the flu and the 'extra time' was decimated by my inability to stay awake for more than a few hours at a time. So much for that.

I did get to do some research towards the end of the month. It was mostly online stuff but I managed to get out to talk to someone about my chosen topic. There was more done after, but that will appear in the January update.

The rest of the time I actually invested in the story was spent trying to figure out how to use the information I gathered into something that would incorporate everything I'd been learning (showing, not telling, layers of meaning, and so on.) THAT was the hard part. I went into things with a limited idea then had to force characters to interact within the confines of it. I think I've learned a lesson in this regard: to at least have an inkling of what to write before heading out in the world to gather materials.

So, no actual words for me either. I have amassed a whole lot of doubt about my future in creative writing at this point and will have to see where the new year takes me in terms of what words may come.

Hope you all did much better than Melissa and I. Bring on January... ;)