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Having an Unhappy, Unproductive New Year

Jan 12, 2018

Twelve days into the New Year and I’ve only written 300 words.

I succeeded in writing 50,000 words in one month for NaNoWriMo Nov 2017, and challenged myself to write 50,000 words a month, every month, in 2018.

I am not off to a glorious start.

I need to write 2,485 words a day to complete 50,000 words in January.

I’ll never make it. I just know it.

Of course, if I have a few of those 4,000 word days, like I had during NaNo, I just might make it.

I blame my lack of accomplishment on the flu. I contracted the demon disease a few days after Christmas, and I am not fully recovered yet. During my convalescence I haven’t felt like doing much more than sleep, eat, and watch TV.

I actually started to binge watch The Good Doctor. I’ve heard great reviews on the show, but hadn’t seen it yet. So, I watched the pilot, got all excited about catching up on the series, and realized they skip from S1E1 to S1E7 on Hulu. Argh!

Did binge watch Star Trek: Enterprise on Netflix. Just looking at Scott Bakula made me feel better.

You can learn a lot about writing, and pacing, from a TV show.

TV writers must tell a complete story, with a strong beginning, middle, and end, in only 45 pages. Each page of script usually equals one minute of screen time. Gotta leave room for commercials.

I’m experimenting with writing first drafts in script format. Get the dialogue down first, and then add all the descriptive narrative prose as an afterthought. Wonder if it will speed up my process?

Hey, it’s worth a try.

Maybe I’ll get a little work done tomorrow. We will resume our weekly Rose Rock wRiters’ Brunch meetings. We haven’t met since last year due to the holidays, illness, and Miss Dion’s recent surgery.

We will not be hanging out at the library tomorrow. We’re going to the Gray Owl, on Gray Street. We’ll be there a little after 10 AM until one of us gives out.
Come. Join.

vck



       Next Norman Galaxy of Writers meeting
January 13, 2018
10 a.m. til Noon
University Lutheran Church at 914 Elm.



Writer’s Digest 
Short, Short Story Competition 
Deadline
Jan 15, 2018



      I will be speaking 
January 20, 2018
at OKC Writer’s Meeting,
from 10:00 a.m. to Noon, 
St. Luke’s Methodist Church,
Room 130,
222 N. W. 15th  Street



       OWFI Writer's Contest Deadline
Feb 1, 2018.


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