Still ahead of schedule
Sitting at 3,463 at the moment, which is above today's goal of 3,334. It's _awesome_ I'm already ahead this early in the day. I think I'll absolutely be able to get to 4k by the end of tonight.
I seem to have discovered the trick. This story, apparently, refuses to be composed at a keyboard (sigh). And trying to write in my notebook _at_ my computer desk results in me transcribing and checking my word count about every three sentences. So I've migrated to the dining table. Wow, no electronic distractions, and it's amazing how quickly the pages fill up. Also of note: my handwriting is getting smaller and neater, which is kind of backwards: you'd think it'd get bigger and sloppier as my speed increases. Maybe I've subconsciously realized how many pieces of paper I'm going to take up, and am thus trying to conserve. I don't know. But it makes transcribing easier because it's easier to read and I turn pages less frequently. So, neato!
_Although_ the characters who are showing up are not the ones I have created and re-created and profiled in advance and all that jazz. Sure, they start that way, but one of them just introduced me to his dead fiancee. WTF? I never wrote you with a dead fiancee! Who are you and what have you done with my Smith? And, Empress, you're not supposed to be that old. Also who is this suicidal basketcase? The Crone? You're too young! And there are two who have spoken up (though the briefest so far) whom I can't even identify. They refused to tell me any more about themselves but maybe they're the Judge and the Maiden. Maybe?
Oh yes, and since none of them are _quite_ who I thought they would be, I don't know any of their names. My notebook is littered with red "someone" and "she" and "the other man."
Which reminds me of another trick I have discovered, and this one actually works better with hand-writing. I am not allowing myself time to obsess over individual names and words, 'cause historically that's a big problem for me. So when I need a proper noun and one doesn't come instantly to mind, I use a red pen (am writing the main text in black, which is itself unusual because I don't like black) to write a filler word like those above. Other nouns are in dark blue and usually "blah." I've had a few green "adjective"s show up, as well as purple "verbed" and "verbing." It's... interesting, and actually quicker to pick up a different pen than to highlight and change the color in Word. So my transcribed version doesn't have these handy signals. I'll probably go through a printed version with a highlighter (or four) when it's all done. _That's_ going to be interesting to see, with all the editing marks and corrections and margin notes. I'm looking forward to it.
Just checked the word count scoreboard, since the widgets are still down.
Finland is beating us, so far, with an average words-per-writer of 2,553.
Sactown has 2,363.
Pittsburgh only has 2,145.
All really really close, and all in the top 50 (out of 484). Woot! Double-woot that my personal count is above my regional average. :DD
I seem to have discovered the trick. This story, apparently, refuses to be composed at a keyboard (sigh). And trying to write in my notebook _at_ my computer desk results in me transcribing and checking my word count about every three sentences. So I've migrated to the dining table. Wow, no electronic distractions, and it's amazing how quickly the pages fill up. Also of note: my handwriting is getting smaller and neater, which is kind of backwards: you'd think it'd get bigger and sloppier as my speed increases. Maybe I've subconsciously realized how many pieces of paper I'm going to take up, and am thus trying to conserve. I don't know. But it makes transcribing easier because it's easier to read and I turn pages less frequently. So, neato!
_Although_ the characters who are showing up are not the ones I have created and re-created and profiled in advance and all that jazz. Sure, they start that way, but one of them just introduced me to his dead fiancee. WTF? I never wrote you with a dead fiancee! Who are you and what have you done with my Smith? And, Empress, you're not supposed to be that old. Also who is this suicidal basketcase? The Crone? You're too young! And there are two who have spoken up (though the briefest so far) whom I can't even identify. They refused to tell me any more about themselves but maybe they're the Judge and the Maiden. Maybe?
Oh yes, and since none of them are _quite_ who I thought they would be, I don't know any of their names. My notebook is littered with red "someone" and "she" and "the other man."
Which reminds me of another trick I have discovered, and this one actually works better with hand-writing. I am not allowing myself time to obsess over individual names and words, 'cause historically that's a big problem for me. So when I need a proper noun and one doesn't come instantly to mind, I use a red pen (am writing the main text in black, which is itself unusual because I don't like black) to write a filler word like those above. Other nouns are in dark blue and usually "blah." I've had a few green "adjective"s show up, as well as purple "verbed" and "verbing." It's... interesting, and actually quicker to pick up a different pen than to highlight and change the color in Word. So my transcribed version doesn't have these handy signals. I'll probably go through a printed version with a highlighter (or four) when it's all done. _That's_ going to be interesting to see, with all the editing marks and corrections and margin notes. I'm looking forward to it.
Just checked the word count scoreboard, since the widgets are still down.
Finland is beating us, so far, with an average words-per-writer of 2,553.
Sactown has 2,363.
Pittsburgh only has 2,145.
All really really close, and all in the top 50 (out of 484). Woot! Double-woot that my personal count is above my regional average. :DD