Mar 25, 2010

50k in 50 Days! - Day Fourteen

Word Count: 5,823/50,000
It's day fourteen and I've been stuck in the 5,000's for days now. I think my head is getting into the game too much. I keep reread and editing. I just can't stop myself. The whole point of this challenge was for me to get past that and just write. But here I am still editing. Will I ever learn?

12 comments:

Alex Bennett from Electrifying Reviews said...

I am having the same problem. Sadness

Krystalyn Drown said...

I do the same thing. What helps me sometimes, if it's not a major edit, is to highlight it in word and leave a comment for what I want to change. I also have a notebook if I know there's something I need to go back and do. Of course, sometimes I still go back and change stuff, but I make sure to keep adding to the end as well.

Anonymous said...

If it makes you feel any better, it took me a l-o-n-g time to stop doing that. Looking back, I can't tell you how I stopped, only that I finally did.

Unknown said...

Sometimes I think it would be best if I went back and edited before moving on but I'm the exact opposite I haven't even looked back at my current WIP, 61K very rough words. I'm sure I'll have a mess on my hands when I start to revise/rewrite!

Swimmer said...

Oh I know what your going through but I still dont know how to fix it!! Sorry!! Good job though 5000 words is alot!!

zz said...

I recommend the book "No Plot, no problems" by the guy that started NaNoWriMo. I'm writing a post about this very issue as we speak... um post...

porcelaine said...

I was guilty of the same and have to remind myself on occasion to keep going. I've noticed when I don't it's because I don't trust what I've written and I'm second guessing the text, not myself. You will get past it.

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
sarah darlington said...

zz--I've heard that several times. I'll have to try to find it. Thanks for the recommendation.

Charity Bradford said...

Sarah, try this. Take 5 minutes to read what you wrote the day before. Close the document, open a new blank one and start writing. That makes it harder to go back and edit. When you stop you can cut and paste it into the original document.

Sometimes I also pull out a notebook and pen. It is easier for me to just write with a pen.

Good luck, and don't give up. You just need one good weekend. My record was 5000 words in 2 hours during Nanowrimo. I sat at the library with some other writers and their clickety clack helped my fingers keep moving.

Laurel-Rain Snow said...

Good ideas from everyone! I do reread a couple of pages from the day before, but I don't get hung up on redoing it...because I know that when I finally go through from beginning to end, there will be a lot more to do!

But I like to reread a little to get in the momentum.

Hey, Sarah, I haven't been here for a few days, and your blog has a whole new look. Cool!

Anonymous said...

I have a hard time shutting off the editor in me, too. Just do the best you can and don't give up! Even if you don't make it to 50,000, you'll have the experience of trying. And that's just as good.

Good luck!