A Writer's Life

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  FREE THIS WEEKEND Write That Zombie Story I went back and added up my word count this morning for the month: 46,639 Words for the month of October. I missed 5 days of writing this month.   I have today and tomorrow to write, so I know I will break 50,000 words this month is great for me.   My average word count is 2,000-3,000 words a day.   So it is doable.   10/29/20 Words Written:  2,500 Words Goal:  125,000 Words Deadline:  December 31, 2020 Words left to Write:  78,761 Words Written: 46,639 What is your word count???

 This is what happened to me yesterday: Write 2,000 Words------Delete 2,000 Words------Write 2,000 Words-----Delete 2,000 Words In total I wrote around 4,000 words.  I wrote----Took A Break------Deleted------Wrote Again----Took A Break-----Delete again So I think I am on the right track now, so hopefully I won't have to delete what I write to day. Has this ever happened to you???? 10/10/28/20 Wrote 4,000 Words  Goal:  125,000 Deadline:  December 31,2020 Words Left To Write:119,689 I am not that good at math, but if I am figuring this out, I am doing pretty good.  I know that I have missed 5 days of writing, but the point is to write, writing shouldn't  be hard.  Writing is a choice.   So don't beat yourself up if you don't write everyday or if you have to delete pages or scenes.

  This was taped on my wall when I was writing my  Zombie Series   My goal back in 2015 was to have published 50 E-Books by the end of 2015.  They were short Zombie Stories and a few Non-Fiction books.  I made my goal.   Flash forward to 2020 5 years later.  What happened to me?  I was writing, editting and publishing a short story every month, sometimes two short stories.  There was nothing going to stop me.   Now I have or 70 E-Books and Print Books on Amazon.   Now I want to write longer books.  Books with more depth and substance.   When I was writing a short story every month.  I worked nights, slept during the day.  I did not change my sleep habits when I had days off.  So on my nights off, I still slept during the day and got up around 9:00PM and was up the entire night and went back to bed in the morning around 10:00AM I wrote all night long, sometimes for 12 hours.  On the computer writing, editing or publishing.  While I was at work, I could write a short story in long hand a

As you are publishing your book on Amazon Direct Publishing  KDP   you have a choice, if you want to put your book in Kindle Select. Amazon has a subscription service, for a price you can subscribe and then you are able to read as many books you want in a month, as long as the book is in Kindle Select. So as you publish your book on Amazon, you can choose to put your book into Kindle Select or not to.  If you put your book into Kindle Select and someone downloads your book, you are paid by the page.  If the reader reads two pages, you arepaid for two pages.  If the reader reads all 400 pages, then you are paid for 400 pages.  The reader does not pay for the book, because you enrolled the book into Kindle Select.  They did not buy the book. If your book is in Kindle Select, you can put your book up for FREE up to 5 days every 3 months.  Why would you want to give your book away???? For PROMOTION. Some writers will give the first book in the series free in hope that they will buy the oth

 10/23/20 Words Written Today:2,799 Goal:  125,000 Words Deadline:  December 31, 2020 Words Left to Write:79,015 10/24/20 Words Written Today:  3,126 Goal 125,000 Words Deadline:  December 31, 2020 Words Left to Write:75,889 I printed out the rough draft of the first book in the series. I also printed out what I had written of the 2nd book in the series.  It has 10,000 words written so far.   I like to see what I had written out on paper.  I like to hold it in my hands.  I am old school and don't do everything on the computer.  I don't save anything in the cloud.  have no idea what that is.   I am going to read the hard copy of the first book, make changes on paper before I go back to the computer and rewrite the scenes.  I do use a lot of ink and paper when I am rewriting a book. Do you print out Hard Copies?  Leave a comment

 10/22/20 Words Written:  3,119 Goal:  125,000 Deadline:  December 31,2020 Words Left To Write: 81,814 Total Word Count, 43,186 Book 1: Rough Draft Complete Book 2:  Started Rough Draft Today I started this goal of writing 25,000 Words by the end of the year on 10/7/2020 In the last 16 days I have written 43,186  I am quite surprised by what I have written.  I have never been this productive or focused.  I am not sure why my mindset has changed, but for me, it is now or never. If you follow my Blog, Jesus Is The Way  you would know that I believe that we are living in the last days before the Rapture. So with the Rapture coming, then the Anti-Christ and The Mark of The Beast, time is running out, as we live in these final days, before all the Believers are taken up into Heaven.   So the series that I am writing has to do with living in the last days before the Rapture.  So I have no time to waste.  I have to get these books written and published.  The people who are left behind will ha

 10/21/20 Words Written: 3,000 Goal:  125,000 Words Deadline: December 31, 2020 Words Left To Write:  87,933 Words To Go! I wrote 3,000 words in one sitting.  I knew I had things to do in the afternoon, so I wrote 3,000 words and called it a day. I have the Rough Draft of Book 1 finished.  It is a very rough draft.  But it is finished enough that I can start making major changes in the book.  I can write Rough Drafts with no problem.  Because I am just letting the words flow.  Not thinking, not editing and not caring.  I just let the Characters talk.  Kinda like journaling .  I just write. Now I have a Rough Draft, I am going to have to make changes, add more detail and make the story readable.  This is where the work comes in.   Anyone can write a Rough Draft. A Writer makes the Rough Draft into a Readable Book My goal is still to write 125,000 words by December 31, 2020 so I still have to write at least 3,000 words a day, if I want to publish my 4 Book Series in 2021. There is only 2

 10/20/20 Writes Wrote Today:  4,787 Goal:  125,000 Deadline: December 31, 2020 Words Left To Write:  87,933 I have a 5 Book I want to write.  It has been in my head for over a year, but now I have to get it the story on paper and get it published.  The Characters are screaming at me.  I have no choice but to write their story. Each Book will be a Stand Alone Book, but there will a connection mentioned that ties all 4 books together.  I have a general idea of what each book is.  Plots, Characters and Conflict.   So Book 1 I had a rough draft half finished. Then I wanted to write the last book so I would know how it would all end and then I could go back to the other books and add things that make all the books connect. So I decided  to write 125,000 and write the last book, and then go back to the first book.  Are you confused yet???  I am. I have characters screaming in my head. So I stopped working on the last book, because I am having problems with plot problems.  So I went back to

 10/18/20 I wrote 4,175 Words Goal: 125,000 Deadline: December 31, 2020 Words Left to Write: 92,720 I did not write on 10/19/20   I had a terrible headache.  This weather is messing with my Sinus's and it goes into my eyes and it is hard for me to focus.  Right now the rain is coming down with thunder  So I am going to write to day. 10/20/20 Not sure how much I am going to get done, but I am going to try to write today. How is your writing going?  Leave a comment

 On 10/15/20 Words Written:  3,000 Goal:  125,000 Deadline December 31, 2020 Words Left To Write:  96,895 Words I was doing good.  I wrote 9 days straight and my word count was increasing.  Then a terrible headache came upon me, as it usually does, when I begin to think, things are going my way.  I get headaches at least twice a month.  So for me today is Sunday, the 18th.  I didn't write the 16th or 17th of this month.  I couldn't focus on anything. Today the headache is still there, but I can focus.  So I plan on writing 3,000 words today.   If I am going to make my goal of 125,000 and end up with an rough draft of my book, then I need to push myself more and not just coast.  Now, for me, 1,000 words a day is not good enough.  I am going to try and push myself a bit more and not be okay with 1,000 words a day.   So I am off to write.......

 10/14/2020 Words I Wrote Today:  2,357 Goal:  125,000 Deadline: December 31, 2020 Words Left To Write:  99,895 I am now under 100,000 words, that was my goal yesterday I wanted to get under 100,000 words.   I was watching Handmaid's Tale yesterday for 4 episodes of Season 2 when I should of been writing.  I wrote my word count in the morning so I could binge watch a few episodes.   It is a good series, but as I watch the series, I notice that each Episode is Named and it is jus like an episode of any show.  A beginning, A middle and An End.  That is how each scene of the book should be.  Goal, Conflict, Resolution. I am also an Outlander Fan and have all 5 Seasons of that series.  If you want to see the Hero get into conflict after every turn.  Watch this series.  Again, Every Episode is a mini movie.  A Beginning, Middle and End.   So when I binge watch these series, I watch for goal, conflict, resolution.  Just like when I am watching a movie, I am watching for Plot Points.  I c

 10/13/20 Words Written Today: 1,314 Goal:  125,000 Words Deadline:  December 31, 2020 Words Left To Write: 102,252 I didn't get much writing done today.  I forced myself to write, but the words did not come.  I have no excuse except the words did not come. 10/14/20 is a new day and hopefully I will write more words.  I would like to get under 100,000 words today.  That is my goal.  2, 252 words today. Are you following me as I write my rough draft?  I hope you are.  Leave a comment and introduce yourself and which country you are from.  I have viewers from: U.S.A, Portugal, France, Romania, Poland, Bangladesh, India, Russia and Other If I did not mention your country, let me know.  Then I will add you to the list.  You might be under Other, I want you to be counted.   So all over the world, my blog is being read.  How exciting is that? If I can do this, So can you.   Leave a comment.

 10/12/2020 Words Written:  3,134 Goal:  125,000 Words Written Deadline :December 31,2020 Words Left To Write:  103,566 I wasn't able to write in the morning, like I like to.  Life got in the way.  I surprised myself,  I wrote in the afternoon, in front of the TV.   I am doing my best not to skip a day.  I want to write everyday, to keep my mind on the story. I have new ideas for the beginning.  Then I want to change the character's names.  But I am just not going to do that yet.  My goal is to write a rough draft, no matter how terrible it is.  This is what stops me from writing a longer book.  I keep rewriting and rewriting and I never get to the end.  I hope this time I will finish the book.  No matter how bad the rough draft is.  This is a personal goal for me.  No one will see the rough draft except me. I haven't written today.  I got up at 6AM and instead of writing, I watched 4 Episodes of the Handmade Series.  So I am going to have to write this afternoon.   Buy Now

 I have started writing this morning.  But while I was sleeping, I came up with other ideas for the story.  So I have to decide, to keep writing the rough draft without going back and doing some rewrite, or make some changes. I am not sure yet.  But I am writing today.  I will let you know how it goes today.   I do think I am going to put my ideas in the Book, but will continue on with the rough draft. Have to go to town in a few minutes,   Talk to ya later

 10/11/20 I was in a writing mood, and I was typing away, then I was interrupted.  I had to go and clean the chicken coop.  Yes I probably clean the coup out more often than I should.  It was getting a bet smelly in there.  Then there were leaves to be blown and put into the garden area.  My writing stalled.  I did manage to write this after noon Word Count: 1,792 Goal  125,000 Words Deadline December 31, 2020 Words Left To Write:  106,708 I need to print out a hard copy of what I have written so far and do a bit more plotting.   How did you do with your writing today?

  10/10/20  Word Count: 3, 000 Words Goal 125,000 Words Deadline:  December 31, 2020 I wrote 3,000 words in the morning.  I didn't write in the afternoon. I do not sit at a desk.  I sit in bed, with my laptop on my legs and type for 2-4 hours.  I blog before I start writing and do somethings on the internet before I start writing, so I am not thinking about other things when I write. So I write in bed or in my recliner  in front of the TV. I have an office.  I have a nice office, but when I sit at the desk, I feel all my creative juices drain from my body.  I feel that I need to be perfect and produce something. When I write in bed, I can just let my mind go and just write.  I know that it is all in my head, but I can write, edit and publish in bed, so that is where I do most of my writing. My bed is my desk.  I have notebooks, hard copy of what I am working on next to me. I know that it does not work for most people but we are all different.  So write where you want.  You don'

 Yesterday, 10/9/2020 I wrote 3,131 Goal: 125,000 Words Deadline December 31,2020 Words Left To Write:111,634 I did real well writing.  I didn't write all the words, at once.  I wrote 1,000 words in the morning.  I then had to go and check on the chickens.  I have 14 chickens that are a bit spoiled.  Then I wrote, another 1,000 words in front of the TV, and then the last 1,000 words later in front of the TV.  I am trying to write at least 1,000 words in one sitting. I also wrote a summary of how I want the book to end. If you don't know where you are going. how are you going to know when you get there? I also wrote a brief summary of the Prologue.  I like Prologues.  I know writing books tell you not to write them, but in my books I have Prologue. So I know how the story starts.  I know how the story ends.   I do not stop to make any corrections.  I have misspelled words and places I want to edit.  I will type in CAPITAL LETTERS to make notes: Example:  DESCRIBE HOUSE, NEED MOR

 Day 2 of Writing 125,000 Words I didn't write as much as I wanted to.  But I did write. Yesterday I wrote: 1,470 words. Goal: 125,000 words Deadline December 31,2020 Words Left to write. 114,765 I know I can do better.  I am own worse enemy. I have self-doubt.  I think whatever I write is terrible.  In my head, I hear "You are stupid and no one is going to read this.  Stupid, Stupid, Stupid" My mind keeps going back to when I was in grade school.  I wrote a short story.  I stood in the bathroom doorway and asked my mother if she would read my story.  She was on her knees, cleaning the toilet, and her reply was.  "I am to busy for that." To this day, she has never read anything I wrote.  that is in my head and can't get it out.  so I am going to write this book for me and no one else.  It is my personal goal.  No one cares if I write or not.  God cares.  God gave me this gift of writing and I am not going to waste it.  If  you have a story to write, don'

 You have heard it before, it is the journey not the destination. That is probably true.   I have an idea for a big book.  500 page book.  4 Characters viewpoint in each chapter..  That means that I will have 4 major character Arks.  That means that I will have 4 main characters in every chapter. It is a Road trip book with a map, a goal and destination.  Every character will have a different goal.   Why do I want to write this book.  Because it is in my head.  I want this book out of my head. So I have took a step yesterday on this journey. Yesterday I wrote 2,168 words Goal is to write 125,000 words Deadline December 31,2020 Words left to write, 116,235 I will be blogging on my progress on my word count. I know in another post I said that I was not going to keep track on word count.  I can write 1,000-3,000 words a day and they might just be starting a new story or working on a story, but not being focused on one book. This word count is for one book.  I want to write everyday at lea

  Buy Now When I started self-publishing back in 2011, it was not as popular.  I could write a short story and sell them with no problem.  That is when I wrote the  Me VS Zombie Series   I was writing a short story once a month and published one episode every month.  My writing Schedule is in the Book Serialize Your Fiction.  That is all I did for a year.  I was on a mission.  So I can write short fiction.  That is not my problem. Buy Now I wrote this book in one week.  I think it was about 15,000 words when I was finished.   So I can write and publish with no problem. The Problem Is: I want to write a 500 Page Novel. I have made my Character charts, and placed pictures on my wall.   It is a Road Trip Novel. I have the idea in my head.  I have the beginning.  I have an ending. I have unique characters. So what is my problem???? My scenes are too short. I am just intimadated by the fact that I have to come up with enough conflict, drama, character growth to cover 500 pages. Why did I de