Yesterday's Word Count: 0
Saturday's Word Count: 2,020
Total Word Count: 11,345

Hmm. So yesterday was Sunday, so I didn't write. Between that and Friday, things are looking a little sloppy. Saturday's word count was minimal, but as I think I said in my last post, I got a *lot* of replotting done; I did 1,200 words over in my plotting journal trying to hammer out details, which I am going to have to reread to get me on track. My blog entry today is something of a writing warm-up; in fact, that's basically what these all are. Anyway, it's naptime, everyone is down until 3, and then they'll be outside until 4. I'm transferring some of the things I came up with into my notebook, where it's more organized (I have one page for each section), but it is giving me a headache. Things like, well Jonathan sees something that gives him an idea on what to do in his future, but it's Caroline's past so why when they discuss it doesn't she say, yes, we've discussed that already? I guess they are both very conscious of the paradox issue, but they have to get confused on occasion. I can't be the only one confused here.

Anyway, that is strictly plotting stuff. I did a word count google and found the "go for it" suggestion for a novel is around 80,000 words, if you want to be published. That is kind of daunting. I mean, 40k is an "official" novel but the regular publishing numbers seem to be higher. That's fine. I was counting sections, and I've already got 10k for the introduction. I figure if I write about 10k for each of the next five sections, and another 10k for the last one, that's 70,000 words, which should come in close. And I have also noticed that I am dialogue heavy and action light; I need to fix that and flesh it out but I'm not going to worry so much about it right now. But fleshing out all of the sections should increase the word count; if it ups it by a thousand words a section, well, that's 77k, so that's totally doable.

In terms of writing: I'd really like to see myself hitting 20,000 words a week. That is a-crazy-lot. I figure a five day week, since I don't write on Sunday and there will be odd-times where I, like, spend time with my family (Thanksgiving this Thursday, for instance), but that's about 4,000 words/day. That is doable, I think, if I don't spend a ton of time plotting. That's my only concern. But I am okay with that. I think I am going to hold myself to 4k words/day, and not let myself do "random" things (I will not mention the fact that I am a Warcraft fanatic in this blog) until I hit that goal. And if I miss WoW, I miss it. If I can honestly get this novel finished in a month, I will be happy. Finished being written, that is. Then I can take another month - or two weeks - to revise and edit. Actually, as I said before, I think I'll find the best section to send out, and start sending, and then polish afterward. So I'm only going to give myself maybe a week on that section, and then I'm hitting the mailbox. I'll make crucial decisions after that point - like, editor or agent? But I refuse to think about that right now. <sticks fingers in ears>

So, for today, I am aiming for 4,000 words. That would put my total writing at 15,000 words for the novel. I can do that. I think I can knock out half of this section, probably the whole "getting adjusted to and trusting Jonathan" thing. I need to determine how to drag it out some more, though. I mean, basically...eh plotting. I'll switch in a second. But I can do 4k words in three hours, I believe in it. Of course, I have to go do a little bit of prep work, so I'll head over to "Invalid Item"   by A Guest Visitor and take care of it now. No more than 30 mts, and I can probably make it on 15. Maybe less, actually, I have to re-read what I did Saturday.

edited to add: I am now officially stalling. Okay, it is strange. At some points, I check my word count and it is slooooow. But then sometimes it is fast. After half an hour, I had written (no joke) about 500 words. After an hour and twenty minutes, I had written 1,989 words. So in less than an hour, I wrote three times as much. ?? How does that even happen?

The sad thing is, I am stalling. But you know what? If this was a full-time job, I would have a break. Although I didn't start writing until 1:30, I sat down at the laptop at 1 to put myself in the mood. So that's almost two hours. I think I'm going to get up, walk around, and stretch. It looks like I should be able to hit my goal in close to another hour and a half, that would be 4:30. I think that is managable, especially since it's left over night. So I'm going to take a seven minute break, do nothing, maybe read a little? I think I'll read a chapter of the Three Musketeers and then come back and write some more. I'm rather impressed with myself (I know, sad), that I've gotten so much done today. I just have to do it again. And, did I mention that I am loving this? I forgot how much I love writing. This is the longest I have written in a long time, even back when I was writing consistently, it was all short stories. I'm on 24 single-spaced pages. It's freaking mind-boggling to me. And I am loving it. Even if all the computer time is monotonous.

edited to add: First, I'm stalling. Second, this would have worked significantly better if Caroline had also skipped around in time. Of course, that would have negated the need for her project, and thus I would've had to come up with another motive. But they could've gotten older. But also, I would be dead now from the brain hemorrhage that would have occurred. Alright, I'm good. I am really stalling right now. This whole no-trust thing is a real pain. I just want to yell at Caroline, get over it! LOL But also, I have to string it out, because this is a big thing, and Caroline overanalyzes. Anyway, at the moment, I'm up to 2,757 words, cruising, if I would stop getting distracted. ARGH.

edited to add: Alright, it is 7 o'clock, the kids are heading to bed. I'm trying to decide if I am going to write the last three hundred words - really 250, which is only, like, half a page. I mean, really, why shouldn't I? So I'm doing some warmups - enter blog - trying to limber up. I don't actually think I like where I left them, but I think I'm going to mess with that on the edit. It does show a nice little slice of Caroline's life, although I could, as usual, do more with the setting. I could go back now and change it just a bit. I might do that, set the stage. I'm not sure how I feel about Jonathan sitting there for half an hour. Then again, it's only 150 words. Maybe I'll just delete it and have him catch her as she is leaving. That seems like a better plan, actually. I have plenty of time to set the stage for her life. They could take a walk - just what Caroline needs after being on her feet all day. But then again, Jonathan probably doesn't think about that initially. But...maybe he would. The good news is, I am not getting the crossover I worried about, in part because Jonathan was written so long ago in my head, so said crossover is minimal. Did I mention crossover here or in the novel rambling? Probably the novel rambling. Anyway, Jonathan is so old in my head - I wrote him either before or just after Jimmy was born (I think I was pregnant, so probably before), and Jimmy is four now, almost five. Wow, talk about delay fish.

So, challenges to me hitting my goal. First is my tendency to delay, but second is kid distraction. Although, actually, I came so close today it is unreal. If I had gotten naptime moving sooner, or had written faster, I would have hit 4,000 words during naptime. When I was setting the goal, I was doing it emperically - that is, I wasn't certain I would make it, I wasn't certain how realistic it is. Now, I'm going to have days where I am seriously asking myself about plot points, and try to remember what Jonathan knows that I haven't written yet, but it's hard.

Incidentally, if you haven't figured it out from my ramblings, here is a basic summary of the book, in one paragraph of dialogue. This is Jonathan speaking to Caroline:

“But between your trip and mine, we had adjusted the machine, trying to determine how to aim it precisely. Something went wrong – I’m still not sure what – and so my trip through time is different from yours. You were sent back one time, and you’re going to continue on a regular path, as if you had been born in this time. But me, well, I skip around. About every fifty years, I disappear from whatever time I’m in and get sent to a different point. I always appear in this forest, in this clearing.” He gave a quick smile. “And you’re always here.”

So basically, Caroline has been sent back in time and is traveling in a linear path towards the future, but Jonathan skips around. So her A-B-C is his B-A-C, or something. Actually, technically, her A-B-C-D-E is his um C-B-E-A-D. They are totally out of synch. That means that I am writing scenes where Jonathan has a past that I haven't written yet, because I'm following Caroline's (less confusing) perspective. And *that* is why I have a headache.

Anyway, I am going to go back and write more about this distrust. I've gotten, what, 5k out of this section? I may have misinterpreted and may wind up with more than 10k words/section, which is awesome. I just have to watch that I don't go too far over that 80k, especially once I get back to the editing and adding. Of course, I'll do a lot of cutting with the editing, too; I'm vicious with the red pen. Not thinking about editing. Going to write. Although I'm changing out the last scene I wrote, deleting that 150 words, and changing it around. So if I wind up backtracking, well, don't fault me, but I am actually swearing not to get up from this computer - and not to let myself be distracted on the computer. I am so easily distracted, how sad is that?