No, I won’t be abandoning this one–don’t worry!
I was recently inspired to start a new blog tracking my writing progress. Whether that’s words written for my current WiP or a new one or even just working on an idea or outline, the goal is to keep me writing at least a few hundred words a day.
I got this idea from my other writing friend Corra McFeydon over at From the desk of a writer. She’s doing something similar: blogging each day to let others know about her word progress, whether that’s a novel, short story, poem, etc.
So, here’s my new blog, detailing my writing accomplishments every day–or every few days.
I’ll write a brief summary of what I wrote, the challenges I encountered and the amount of words written that day. It’s also a way to hold me publicly accountable…so if I post “zero” words for my update, you all can get on my case for it. 😛 I’m going to try and update this every other day or so for the indefinite future in order to get me in the habit of writing on a regular basis. I’ll set it up as follows:
Words Written
Time Spent
Difficulties
Goal for Today
That’s pretty much it! I’ve a separate link over on the right side. I hope you’ll follow me and perhaps even be encouraged to start one of your own. 🙂
Tales from the Writing Front 
Comments on: "New Blog!" (21)
Perhaps it would be more helpful to write down ideas for stories instead of thinking about writing and writing about writing? Very frustrating in the long run and you won’t put much on that terrifying white page in front of you.
I use writing prompts to get my creative juices going. It’s fun and will get you into the habit of writing every day.
Try this blog for inspiration: http://first50.wordpress.com
Best wishes.
M
Hmm, something to consider. My goal for the other blog isn’t necessarily to write for my WiP everyday but even other ideas that pop into my head. Today I’m working on a character sketch in order to better understand my MC.
I guess I find that it helps me to write about writing to help get the juices flowing. But everyone’s different! I’ll check out that blog though–writing prompts are always helpful.
How exciting! I’ll check it out.
Hi! I thought I’d pop in to introduce myself since my blog (started last November 4) is following a Journey as well. Perhaps we can follow and support each other!
Something to consider is the commitment to post updates every day. I tried that in the beginning as well, and I discovered that setting such a high expectation was not only difficult for me to sustain, but there weren’t a lot of people who were excited about checking in with me every single day.
So I ended up with once a week, supplemented by comments exchanged with other bloggers in between. I usually have more interesting progress to report after a week than I do from day-to-day.
This is just something for you to think about. Good luck to you, though, regardless of how you proceed!
Cheri
Thanks! It probably will be a few times a week, though the daily thing was to help me keep myself accountable. We’ll see how it works–not entirely sure yet but I suppose I’ll figure it out over time!
Whenever I HAVE to get writing done, I talk about it on my blog because I know it’ll be embarrassing if I don’t!
Good idea!
LOL, exactly. 😛 I just can’t believe I didn’t think of something so simple before.
Well, I think it’s an excellent idea!!
I’m triply motivated, and I’ve only been trying this for two days.
I’m logging my total daily word count in my blog-within-a-blog as I post, then keeping a cumulative log of writing time as well as word count at the bottom of each post. At the top corner of the writing blog, I keep a running total word count since I started the blog (two days ago), as well as the record word count acheived in a session, and the record longest time spent writing since I started:
corra’s writing room
As to the commitment of daily posting, a very good point, but I figure if I’m too busy for a real post, I’ll just pop in with my word count and writing time. I don’t have anyone to impress; I’m writing this blog for myself. The main blog is for everyone else. (I just need to know people could read it if they wanted – which will make me feel accountable to complete a word count daily.)
😉
To Maria’s point:
Keeping a writing log seems far more productive to me than advertising writing ideas in a blog by detailing plot points or character bios? I could be way off there, but I’m very private about what I’m actually writing. It doesn’t seem like a very good plan to give away all your story secrets.
I might just be ultra-careful though. If it gets people’s juices flowing and has never presented a problem, I guess why not? But are you sure folks aren’t trolling your blog and selling your story ideas in their own name??? Maybe keep a story idea list on a private file, and leave the blog for things that could be public without later hurting you?
(Like a running report of your writing progress! Ha!)
Great job, Dara!!
~ Corra
from the desk of a writer
Accountability definitely helps. It’s like losing weight. If you have to tell everyone in a group how you ate that day. You’re bound to do better. I’ll check out your new blog.
Cool way to keep yourself accountable! I’m with the other commenter too, be careful posting story ideas. Other than that, have fun! You’ll have to let us know whether it helps or just becomes another chore.
That’s a great idea! Making yourself accountable is a wonderful way to make yourself write.
P.S. I’ve just received your package. THANK YOU SO MUCH. The chocolates are delicious, the tiny journal so cute, and I’m looking forward to reading the book! ❤
YAY! Sorry it took so long…:( But I’m glad you like it!
I am rather amused by the two comments where people are worried about posting story ideas…do you have so few ideas for stories that you need to guard them that much?
Since I’m a writer with no shortage of ideas, I couldn’t care less if my ideas help people on the way of writing something worthwhile: a potential good read for me in the future. Every story has been told at least once or twice before, I’m not so arrogant to believe I’m unique or extraordinary in my ideas and story telling.
Even if I gave away an idea, the execution of that idea will always be totally different according to who writes the story. My story told in my voice, that sort of thing.
Reading some of the writers’ comments on this blog reminds me of one of my past writing classes, where people only ever talked about writing but never got anything down on a page.
I’m not terribly concerned about the whole “idea stealing” thing. I don’t know that it happens as often as many of us writers tend to think. Or if it does, the stories don’t make it to publication so we wouldn’t know if our idea was taken or not.
*… do you have so few ideas for stories that you need to guard them that much?… Since I’m a writer with no shortage of ideas, I couldn’t care less if my ideas help people on the way of writing something worthwhile: a potential good read for me in the future. *
Perhaps you have yet to hit upon a unique idea.
(I’d say I earned that.)
Insults aside, I freely admit my lack of experience might be talking in my post from Jan 22. I’m a very new writer, and as I understand things, it’s a symptom of the very new writer to desire to protect her work at all costs. I don’t know the industry or what to expect as a writer, so it stands to reason I would protect my commodity?
I definitely fear running out of ideas. I fear having ideas taken, and I fear spending all my time fiddling with writing rather than getting down to the business of writing. I’m terrified as a writer; not at all certain I’m ready.
I don’t disagree with your logic. (That a writer should write rather than waste time.) I simply question your suggestion that your method isn’t a waste of time.
I think, with all due respect, it is no more logical (and no less logical) as an aspiring author to take part in countless writing sprints than it is to track one’s progress each day with a short post — focusing upon self-imposed goals rather than those suggested by well-meaning blog hosts.
Writers come aligned with a great many approaches, and when one gets solidified in the technique that works best for her, she runs the risk of “helping” the percentage of people who match her in approach — and steering off-course the ones who are different.
*Reading some of the writers’ comments on this blog reminds me of one of my past writing classes, where people only ever talked about writing but never got anything down on a page.*
And yet here you are. Not particularly focused, are you?
~ Corra
from the desk of a writer
You are one brave woman! I look forward to seeing your progress. Once I’m done with my current list of crits, I hope to join you, so you’re my inspiration. (Cue Peter Cetera.)
I’m gonna visit it now!
Well, I’ll just have to pop over and see what you are up to. 🙂
Taking on another blog is so daunting! You have a lot of energy there. Good luck and hope this gives you some extra motivation to keep going.
I also have another blog that I was using both to catalogue my characters as well as to outline their part in the story I was supposed to be writing for NaNo. That blog I call Characters Unleashed. 🙂
That particular story hasn’t gotten off the ground yet, but now that I’m close to wrapping up another project, it might be a good idea to revisit those characters.
Oh, fun! Hope it goes well and helps motivate you!