Stephanie Gunn

Today’s progress:

Project: Thought and Memory v5.

New words: 2,116

Total words: 11,113

Goal: 100k

Writing:

And another day like the last two.  I’m gonna blame it on the meds that I’m currently on.  Concentration is all over the place, and writing is like pulling teeth.  If this carries on, I’m going to have to resort to drastic measures, like cutting myself off from the internet.  Horror.

Real life:

Two loads of laundry.  Contemplated the garden.

Total words for 2009: 32,557

Today’s progress:

Project: Thought and Memory v5.

New words: 2,502

Total words: 9,523

Goal: 100k

Writing:

Another day much like yesterday.  I’m writing in fits and starts, which always makes me feel like I’m not doing much of anything.  But I am.  I need to remind myself that not every day is going to go smoothly.  Therein lies the hardest part of writing – the need to keep going on days when it doesn’t feel easy.

Real life:

Managed a walk this morning, which felt really good.  Did the grocery shopping.

Total words for 2009: 31,441

Today’s progress:

Project: Thought and Memory v5.

New words: 2,036

Total words: 7,075

Goal: 100k

Writing:

Concentration has been a bit awol today, but I got decent words written.  That’s all I can ask for

Real life:

Not much, since I am exhausted (damn infections).  I did manage to henna my hair, though.  Oh, the glamour!

Total words for 2009: 27,939

Today’s progress:

Project: Thought and Memory v5.

New words: 2,412

Total words: 5,058

Goal: 100k

Writing:

I am finding, to my pleasant surprise, that I really like this book.  And am doubly keen to write its companion book.  This is a vast difference from muddling around with Reqiuem.  I guess the writerbrain knows what it wants to do.

I’m actually merging two different drafts on this one – I’d changed one character in the last draft, and it never really worked.  I think she’s happy to be back as a major player

Real life:

Doctor’s appointment which ate up a chunk of my day.  Despite that, I still managed to get a decent amount of work done.

The weather is much better today, though still a bit humid.  I like the warm weather, but you can keep the humidity, thanks.

Total words for 2009: 25,903

Today’s progress:

Project: Thought and Memory v5 (which is really only version 2 after a major change).

New words: 2,641

Total words: 2,641

Goal: 100k

Writing:

I am really excited about working on this novel again, which is a good sign.  There are some major holes that need to be fixed, and my mind is spinning with all the different options right now.

It’s been a while since I’ve looked at this manuscript, and I’m pleased that I still like the concept and the characters.  That makes me a happy writer girl.

It’s weird to look at it as draft five.  Originally, I had two different stories intertwining in this novel.  Last draft, I yanked out one entirely.  I hope to be able to write a companion book to this one with that storyline.  And maybe a third book where the two meet.  I’m a sucker for trilogies, it seems.

Also, this novel needs a new name.  I have no idea what it is yet.

Real life:

Getting up early failed this morning, mostly due to sleep interruptions due to the husband getting called out to work.  I won’t complain, because I wasn’t the one who had to actually go *out* and work.  Poor guy hasn’t had hardly any sleep all weekend.  It sucks.

The weather is continuing to suck, too.  Really hot and humid today.  Our air con (evaporative) is just barely working, and allowing me to not melt completely.  Cleaning the house this morning was an interesting exercise, though.  I kind of want to put in a separate reverse cycle cooling unit somewhere on days like today.

Tomorrow is going to be not fun, too.  Weather will be not quite as hot, but just as humid.  And I have a doctor’s appointment smack in the middle of the day.  I don’t know if any decent work is going to get done tomorrow.  We’ll see.  Maybe I can keep my brain cool enough

Total words for 2009: 23,491

There will possibly be a break in my usual word counts.

I spent today making a few minor fixes to the draft of Thought and Memory which is being sent out to beta readers. It still needs some serious work, but I think I’m too close to the work right now to be able to make the changes needed. And so, Thought and Memory will be laid to rest for a while.

Where to now? My first order of business is to read through the manuscript of Shaede (since it’s been at least a year since I last looked at it), perhaps make minor changes and then work up a query letter. And then query as many agents as humanly possible. And then wait.

I don’t expect to be working on Shaede for too long, though. Which means that I need to decide on the next project.

I do have a sequel to Shaede, Daemon, which is in very rought draft form. I also have a sequel/companion to Thought and Memory, of which I have something like six chapters. I also have the vampire novel, Requiem, which is mostly existing only in my head right now.

Or I could just work on some short stories. Which, if I’m completely honest, is something I rarely like I to do. Novels are where it’s at for me.

Decisions, decisions.

Thought and Memory

New words: 2,691

Total words: 90,692

Listening/watching: Tea Party – Edges of Twilight

Total words for the year: 264,392

And it’s done.

This draft is now complete. I definitely need to work on the ending, as well as go back and do some minor edits to the earlier sections. But it is finished, and I wrote “The End” with great satisfaction.

I think I’ll set it aside for a few weeks and go back and work on Shaede a little (just doing some minor edits to the beginning as well as proofing it again) and get some queries for that winging their way out into the world. Then I’ll come back to Thought and Memory and do those minor edits and send it out to a few beta readers.

But for now, it’s done.

Thought and Memory

New words: 2,062

Total words: 88,002

Listening/watching: Doctor Who soundtrack, Sunshine soundtrack

Total words for the year: 261,701

Made word count, only just, because I kept on distracting myself with other stuff. So close to the end of this draft. I could push on and finish it today, but I am lacking motivation.

Thought and Memory

New words: 2,195

Total words: 85,940

Listening/watching: Doctor Who soundtrack

Total words for the year: 259,639

Manic writing day, in which all of those words were written in less than an hour, thanks to needing to take some of my usual writing time to deal with a repairman. I’m really over the idea of home ownership right now. And money in general, and not making any personally.

Thought and Memory

New words: 2,362

Total words: 84,755

Listening/watching: Doctor Who soundtrack

Total words for the year: 257,444

Another good day. I actually got most of my words done in a one-hour burst, and then a couple of slower sessions interrupted by lunch. It’s nice to have a working brain again.

Though I’m still hanging out for the end of this draft. I’m getting a bit sick of this one and want to work on something else, dammit.