Last
week, as Bonnie said, I challenged her to a race to the end, see which one of
us could finish writing our current work in progress by the end of the month.
Her main goal was to get it finished so she’d have a clean slate to start a new
story for Nano next month.
My
motivation is finally getting my mega opus finished. Today I started writing
chapter 137 of these epic story, which is really several stories in one. There
are so many characters in it and even the non-POV characters have a story line.
But I’m oh so much closer. Since at least part of the last few scenes are
already written (I do know how the opus ends) I know I’m almost there. I just
need a few more scenes to wrap up some story lines and set up that final event.
As
I look at what I have now, and the scenes I still need to write, I’m sure I won’t
finish at 140 chapters, in fact, because that last event is so big, I’m pretty
sure I’ll make at least 150.
Which
means I could have 14 more chapters to write in just over a week.
I
have ten days to write about 14 chapters.
Scratch
that.
Due
to plans I have this weekend, I doubt I’ll have any writing time on Saturday.
And
then there’s the paperwork, bills and so forth I have to deal with. The grocery
shopping. My husband’s car is down, at least until we can fix it, which won’t
be until after the first, so guess who gets to do a lot of chauffeuring for the
next ten days to two weeks?
But
having a goal is a good thing.
Both
of us are trying hard to complete our stories.
Most
days we both spend time on our stories either adding to them or editing, tweaking,
what we already had.
One
word at a time we are both getting closer.
She
doesn’t think she’ll make any more than I do, but we’re not giving up.
Although
I don’t do Nano, I rarely have the time to do that much typing, I can see the
value of such challenges. Setting goals with friends, people who will not only
keep you on track, but race you to the finish line.
So
for all those writers who are doing Nano, I support you. Keep fighting to ‘the
end’, and when you reach it, go back and edit, edit, edit, until it’s the best
you can offer.
I’d
write more now, but I’ve got an alarm going off, I need breakfast, and my opus
really wants me to finish that scene I left in the middle of so I could get
this written. And I’m sorry this is late, but I really was trying to write that
scene.
Smile.
Make the day a brighter day.
