I’ve been trying Scott Carter’s philosophy of writing 500 words or 30 minutes, whatever comes second. It was rough at first. I found myself writing small chunks, getting distracted, and doing “research” (AKA Facebook). It was taking me hours to hit that word count.
Still, I stuck with it. And after 13 days and 6957 words, I think I’ve finally hit a groove (knock on wood for me!).
I’ve mainly focused on the idea that I should Keep Writing. If I hit a stumbling block, or an area that needs further explanation, I just explain that in parentheses and move on (I figure that’s what the second draft is for!).
As Stephen King said,
“Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.”
So, I’ve been going to work. This, paired with Maren Anderson’s Editing In A Month class, has led me to some serious breakthroughs. More on that later.