Wednesday – Writing Update

Last week I posted a word count of 7,424 words on my draft. As of today, I have written 8,468 words. So, no too bad. It’s not the 1,000 a day I needed to get to 25,000 by the end of this month, but there is no set deadline. I am the only one telling myself I need to get it done. No one else. Just me. From time to time I remind myself to breathe.

I wrote all of those words in one sitting, and I did not write a single word the rest of the week. When this happens, I try to break down the reasons I avoided writing after having a great night of writing. I changed the locks on the doors. I painted the front door. I cut the grass. I cleaned up the outdoor furniture. During all of these tasks, the writing called to me. So, why did I literally do everything else?

Here’s what happened. I realized I needed a stronger catalyst to push the story forward. My MC needs to make a decision and cannot stay in her present way of life. My initial catalyst was a decision for her to stay in her contract or go back to her previous life prior to the contract. This was not enough. My MC says, “I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing then. It’s not ideal, but I’m used to it now.” Okay, end of book. So I had to up the stakes. Now, her choice is to stay in the contract with a slight change or go back to her previous life also with a slight change, but those “slight” changes were enough to make this a real debate. When I realized the choices my MC would now need to make, my stomach dropped. Can I even write something like this? I know it can be written. I’ve read much worse, but can I write it?

Then I just stopped writing. I stared at my screen for an eternity, pushed away from the desk, and went to bed. I have been thinking about what came out of the last writing session, and, deep down, I know this is how it has to be. My MC is braver than I am.