Young Writers Society

I figured I'd start my own little thread here where I can write about my various projects, in order to monitor my own progress. Also, I reckon I'll start to feel guilty if I keep coming to this thread saying things like "Ya, actually, I'm not writing at all this week..." So hopefully this will work for motivation. I have posted my writing goals for the year in Meep's wonderful thread, but I'll repost them here, just so all my ramblings are together.They are as follows:

1) Edit/rewrite novel. It is in dire need of fixing.
2)journal regularly
3)poem a day (until notebook is full)
4)story a month " " " "
5)always have a piece in the post
6)Type up pieces regularly.

If I seem to be slacking off, I'd appreciate it if peopel felt like tisking at me and telling me crossly to write something before they launch a brutal paper airplane attack on me.Or if they feel like telling me about how they are managing to write so much more than me and how I really have no excuse. Lol.
Jas

Good idea Jasmine. I will be watching your progress. And I'll hopefully have time to e-mail you before I go out tonight.

I'm constructing aforementioned paper assault airplanes in case you fail. Just kidding -- good luck!

Thanks guys. Ok, update;
I have fourteen poems.
I have fourteen and a half pages of the second draft of my novel done.
I am journaling every day.
I have a piece in the post.A couple of pieces, actually.
All my poems for this month have been typed up.
I have two pages of a plotless story.

Ok. So what are the problems?
1)I need to work on my novel more regularly. Would some kind mathematical person care to estimate how many pages I would need to do a week if I want to redraft a whole novel of aproximetely 150 pages (max, I think.)?
2) My story has absolutely no plot and I'm not enjoying writing it. I also don't have a concrete alternative. Any suggestions? (I'm keen to avoid the paper airplane attack.)

Jas

Ok...it's the last day of January, so I figured this would be a good time to review my progress;

1) I've rewritten 16 pages of my novel...less than I would like, though, unless my novel gains considerably in length during this rewrite (not impossible) sixteen pages a month will be enough to get it done.
2)I've journalled every day this month.
3) I have 34 poems, which exceeds my goal, but seven of them are haikus, as sometimes I was too busy/too tired/too lazy and unfocused to do anything more substantial...maybe try for less haikus next month...
4) I wrote two stories, which again exceeds my goal, but at least one of them is very weak.Still, words on paper is always good, right?
5)I have a couple of pieces in the post at the moment.
6) I've typed up all my new material.

Not a bad month, right? Let's hope I can keep this up...

Try reriting about 10 a week, you will have it done in less than four months!

That's great Jasmine, you're doing very well. I wish I had your committment!

Thanks guys. That sounds like a plan aedomir, think I'll give that a shot!

Are you rewriting your whole second draft? Is this on the computer or handwritten? Also, what section are your stories located in? I want to read them, maybe critique if I'm not too lazy to. Good luck with everything else!

Hi khfan. Yes, I'm rewriting most of it, on the computer. Initially the whole first draft was handwritten but I typed it all up, virtually unaltered, at the start of autumn. I was able to keep a couple of pages almost exactly as they were, but now I'm at a point where parts need to be completely done over.
The stories which I wrote last month aren't on this site as I've submitted them to publications, and don't tend to post pieces her until after they've been rejected, so I can see where I've gone wrong.Thanks for the interest and the encouragement. I have a couple of stoires which I wrote last year on here...in fantasy and romanic fiction, I think, but they'll come up if you click my portfolio, so you can read those in the meantime if you like.

Jas

So you've sent some stuff in for publication, huh? Well, that's neat. I'm working on a story I'm going to send in sometime when I get the rest of it written and edited.

I should have thought to look in your portfolio. Sorry, stupid me!

February- 29 poems, a story, pieces still in the post, I've journalled every day,and finished my journal yesterday, so I need to start a fresh one, only five haikus, which is an improovment on January, I've typed up everything...but I haven't written any of the novel...not sure why I can't focus on it...need to improove on that next month.

Forcing yourself to write a novel is not an easy thing. I would start to do an outline, choice scenes and words, then connect them all together. Who says you have to write from beginning to end anyways?

Thanks Vrta. No, I actually have the whole first draft done. I'm trying to do the second draft at the moment. Though, as you can see, I'm not trying all that hard...

1) I've started a whole new rewrite of the novel, from a different perspective. I have 4447 words. I'll never finish it this year at this rate...
2)Still journaling every day
3) Admittedely, I forgot my poem one day but I made it up, so I still have 31, but I have 14 haikus...I wasn't very poetically inspired this month...
4) My story was a mad dash done in a couple of hours and sent away instantly, but hey, it's done.
5) I still have pieces in the post and submitted 3 by email this month.
6) Everything is typed except the novel, which is hand-written.

I need to be more decicated to the novel, and try to avoid haiku.