Some of my friends are doing Nano -- setting themselves the challenge of writing 50K in a month.
I'm not so brave. I've set myself the challenge of writing 25K, a Mini Nano.
I could list my excuses but I won't. We all have work and families.
I've started a new job and find it eats into my time, much more than 'two days a week' should. So I've started carrying around a little laptop. I call it 'Baby Bug'. My sons laugh at me. But it helps having a lap top that's small enough to fit in my bag. I can pull it out anywhere and start writing.
I know a friend who goes to a coffee shop, so she has coffee on tap, and no family interruptions.
What do you do to keep up your word count? Do you set mini goals, like my Mini Nano? Do you carry around a note pad, or a lap top? Do you run away to write?
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I run away. Coffee shop, park, anywhere but home. When I'm home there's TV, and neighbors being noisy, and books that I still need to read... too many distractions. And in the evenings it's easier to run out somewhere and write rather than sit down in my "comfy chair" and promptly fall asleep.
Rowena, I tried the NaNo thing a couple of years ago and failed miserably. This year I'm trying something a bit different. A local author has set up a yahoo group and is currently running what she calls a first draft challenge. Each day she lists a target number of words -- and the number changes daily. If you do more, you "bank" the extra. The goal is to make sure you write daily. The twist on it is that if you are doing edits, you have a target number of pages per day. To keep things interesting, you post your daily totals which brings in a bit of competition to keep hitting the goals since others are as well.
That said, I also have a netbook I carry with me, along with a journal. Add in my Kindle that has anything I might be editing on it. Basically, I guess I try to do all you asked about, including running away whenever I have the chance. Of course, I also have Sarah and Kate standing behind me, threatening to kick me if I don't write, so.... ;-p
The Empty Nest is a writer friendly environment. I tend to den up and write. When I'm out, I get ideas, or organize scenes that I'll commit to electrons later.
I keep up my word count by threatening to make myself clean something, or read slush.
I'm actually looking forward to my offices mandatory shutdown over Christmas and New Years. I'm flying home to California where there is going to be a nice fire place going every night. I sit cross-legged in front of that and write. :)
Kelsey, I have been so tempted to run away. A couple of times Residencies have come up and I've seriously considered them.
Amanda,
I'd rather be editing, than writing first draft for Nano. I find first draft a bit like bungee jumping without the rope.
Matapam,
I'd love an empty nest, or at least an emptier nest. At the moment we have all 6 children still at home and an extra!
Kelsey,
One of these days I'd love to have a cold Christmas. Here, in Australia, we have Christmas in July so people can enjoy hot food and snuggling!
My goal, such as it is, is to write something every day.
The something can be pretty small some days, depending on what else hits me, but it accumulates.
I usually sneak time in between other stuff.
Rowena, The fire place is amazing. You ever make it to the States in December let me know and I'll find some place nice and cold for Christmas for you. ;)
Kate, writing something every day adds up.
The only problem is maintaining that 'head-space' if you know what I mean.
Ooh, Kelsey, that is sooo tempting!
Actually Rowena, unless things are really bad my biggest issue is keeping the head-space from bleeding out elsewhere. It's a tad awkward to try to explain to your co-worker that it really isn't what it looked like and you were just working on a battle scene during your lunch break!
I can't write the ::ahem:: warmer scenes at work. It's far too dangerous.
Oh dear, Kate.
If a story is that powerful, it needs to be written!
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