Two Pages a Day Challenge: Update #2

The further you get away from yourself, the more challenging it is.

Not to be in your comfort zone is great fun.

~ Benedict Cumberbatch

In September, I’m participating in the Sapphire Even Day Blogging Challenge and the Two Pages-A-Day Writing Challenge. 

I

t has been a while since I updated up on my other challenge and there is good reason for that.

I’ve been a very naughty writer.

Two pages a day.  Two stinking pages a day.  That’s it.  So I should now have 56 pages completed.  No biggie, right? 

I have eleven and a half.

Oh God!  The shame of it all!  The only thing worse would be if I’d already written two books of a trilogy and the project I’m now working on was the third and final book.  Well, I now have infinite compassion on authors who get berated for not putting a new book in a series out fast enough.

The Numbers

So where do things stand as of five o’clock yesterday?

Pages:                11 1/2

Word Count:   2,666 (I’m not counting the first 6 pages – it’s claptrap)

Topic:                Collection of Essays

At least now I have a topic!  And in this instance, I have to politely agree yet disagree with Mr. Cumberbatch.  Every time I tried to write fiction, dribble would come out.   Perhaps the problem is that the glorious dialogue and movie-like action that plays in my imagination looks flat and garish when it’s put down in black and white.  But it could also be that writing fiction is not my gift.

Essays however, I love.  Essays are my comfort zone.  And it is sort of what I already do here at La Belle.  So once I accepted that it was okay to write essays, I had a page of possible topics.

I’ll keep you “posted”!

Oremus pro invicem,

~ Mikaela

Have a great weekend!

Two Pages-a-Day Update: Day 3

... I am with fire between my teeth and still nothing but my blank page.

~ Monique Wittig

In September, I’m participating in the Sapphire Even Day Blogging Challenge and the Two Pages-A-Day Writing Challenge. 

E

ven though I’m not required to post on the odd days of September, I thought it only fair that I update y’all on my two pages-a-day challenge on those days.  Since you’re such huge fans of my awesome writing and all that.

Let the eye rolling begin!

Okay, really it’s because I need to make myself accountable and although there’s a great Facebook page/community doing this challenge, you my dears, are the reason I keep coming back here, pounding on the keys until my fingers bleed, my eye are crossed from staring at the screen, and I’ve consumed five Shadowhunters-worth of caffeine and carbs.

This is me with writer's block
Image Credit: Umm, I have no idea.  A co-worker sent it to me.

Just kidding about the blood on the keyboard and the eye thing.

But all true about the coffee and carbs.  And what I said about you!  If it were all about me, I would just pour out all my angst in my journal and let you read it once I’m dead, buried, forgotten, and can’t haunt anyone for rejecting my writing.  As it is, the blogger/writerly/readerly community here that is willing to listen to me, and give me a shout out now and then, reminds me why I write: to touch and encourage hearts.

Time to Confess Because I’m Already Doing Penance

So who caught the Mortal Instruments reference?  Do I sound anything like Jace today?  That’s because I decided to read the first book, City of Bones, since I want to see the movie.  I was so impressed with Cassandra Clare’s writing style (and no poor grammar/spelling/misuse of vocabulary – yay!) that I spent the entire holiday weekend reading the rest of the series.   I’m more than half way through Book 5 and was exceedingly upset to find out that there will be a Book 6 and it won’t be out until May 2014.  But that’s actually good news.

Maybe that means I’ll actually write something!  Say, I don’t know ~ two pages a day?

Yes.  You heard right: I spent the weekend reading.  Not writing.  This is why having to post every day is a good thing: it forces me to write.  However, this challenge is flexible ~ if we miss a day, we just make up the pages the next day.  So my penance has been to write six pages today: the two I missed on Sunday plus the two I missed on Monday plus the two that are due today.

Flexible, yet tough.

The Numbers

So where do things stand as of six o’clock today?

Pages:                4 (+ one paragraph on page 5)

Word Count:     2,216
Topic:                None

Not bad for a slacker.  I mean avid reader.  Except for the no-topic thing.  But as I say often, writing begets writing.  And I do have four pages of random angst.  Hmmmm.

Maybe that means I’ll have a YA novel by January.

Oremus pro invicem,

~ Mikaela

What did you do for Labor Day weekend?  Did you slack off…I mean, relax?

Two Pages-A-Day Writing Challenge Day 1: Setting SMART Goals

The desire to do something because you find it deeply satisfying and personally challenging inspires the highest levels of creativity, whether it's in the arts, sciences, or business.

~ Teresa Amabile

In September, I’m participating in the Sapphire Even Day Blogging Challenge and the Two Pages-A-Day Writing Challenge. 

G

oals are meant to be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely.  As I begin this journey of 122 days of writing, I have no theme or topic I want to write about. 

Strike one.

No worries.  Today’s writing exercise will be to follow the five steps of goal setting to figure out what I want the end product to look like in December.

Specific – Details, Details, Details!

My general goal is become a better writer, and to have a publishable work in 122 days.  Sounds crazy, but writers have written entire novels in 30 days; I have 92 extra days to get it right. 

The question is ~ what do I want to write about?

I love people and figuring out what makes them tick.  That could mean writing about relationships, emotional healing, psychological disorders.  Although I’m not a trained psychologist, I could offer my personal experience.  I could even co-author with a psychologist.  They would provide the scientific background, I would provide the poetic prose.

Or I could write a book of meditations.  That only requires an open heart, a spiritual outlook, and a poetic soul.  Check, check, and check.

Hmmmm.

Measurable – Quantitative, Not Vague!

This is built in ~ two pages a day.  Of course, there’s no limit.  I could write ten pages if the mood strikes me.  But regardless, I have to write two pages minimum.  And we are talking writing, not editing.  I have a kitchen timer, so I may try setting it for an hour today and seeing how far that gets me.  I’ll adjust accordingly. 

Attainable – Challenge Brings About Growth!

Two pages a day is definitely attainable.  I have two blogging challenges under my belt and that was writing a post every day for thirty days.  Granted, the posts may not have been two pages long.  But as I’ve said before, the act of writing begets writing.

Realistic – What Are You Willing to Work Toward?

This relates back to the Specific question: what is my topic going to be?  Is it realistic for me to write about relationships?  Or to write artistic meditations?

Timely – Save the Date!

This is already set for me ~ December 31, 2013.  Done and done.

Now it’s time to put my thinking/writing chapeau on and get those two pages written!

Oremus pro invicem,

~ Mikaela

Have you ever followed the SMART plan to attain your goals?  Did it work?