My Ten Day Challenge – Day 5

If only every day were like today. Awoke at 7 a.m., started writing at 7.30 and by lunchtime I’d written 3700 words of highly dramatic lesbian erotic romance. I took a long lunch break because I thought I deserved it and watched The Good Wife (best show on US network TV, hands down… this episode was so good, I may have to watch it again tonight) and Homeland (not too shabby either but I always get very stressed when Carrie stops taking her meds!) Then I took a nap while ‘watching’ Elementary, which is actually a show I quite enjoy, but somehow it has the same effect on me as a sleeping pill.

I sat back down to write at 3 p.m. and wrote another 2300 words to reach today’s grand total of 6000 words. Needless to say, I’m quite ecstatic. I’ve never before written more than 4000 words in one day and today I broke my record by a really nice percentage (I’d tell you exactly but my brain is not really working anymore at this point.)

I’m in the middle of the story now (13.000 words in) and I’m enjoying it so much. It’s been a while since I wrote something of novella-length and it’s quite satisfying to take more time to delve into the characters motivation and (troubled) past. Also, when you write 6000 words a day, you enter what is called ‘the zone’ and there’s nothing quite like it. It’s a kind of rush that propels you forward and gives your fingers a life of their own. I am the very definition of a pantser (which is why I usually don’t write very quickly because I really do make it up as I go along and that requires a lot of gazing through my window) and when the story starts flowing it’s such a buzz.

I wish this was my window (also, I must stop taking pictures of my TV)

You must wonder how a self-proclaimed internet addict stays focused though (or maybe not, but I’ll tell you anyway). It’s with the help of this little (and cheap) piece of software called Anti-Social. You see, it turns the internet off for as long as you like (except dictionaries and Wikipedia, which are quite handy tools when writing.) I usually choose 45 minutes and then take a 15 minute internet break. I’m telling you, it’s magic!

I wish I could say I left the house today because it would make me look like a saner person, but I haven’t. (This is why I need my wife. She makes me leave the house!) But I’ll go out tomorrow, I promise.

So, an excellent writing day. Let’s see if I can repeat this tomorrow.

The numbers:
Day 1: 1000 words
Day 2: 3600 words
Day 3: 2400 words
Day 4: 0 words
Day 5: 6000 words
Total: 13.000 words