An Hour Of Writing A Day: February

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So I decided to do this last month: An hour of new writing a day.

  1. 1017 words, on Thunder Road Book 3.
  2. 1050 words, on a Thunder Road ‘verse short story starring Tilda.
  3. 1062 words, on a Thunder Road ‘verse short story starring Tilda.
  4. 707 words, on an old short story (this one actually goes back to my time as Aqua Books’ Emerging Writer in Residence, July 2011).
  5. 526 words, on an old short story.
  6. 1133 words, on an old short story.
  7. 1200 words, on an old short story.
  8. 860 words, on Thunder Road Book 3.
  9. 784 words, on a Thunder Road ‘verse short story starring Tilda.
  10. 571 words, on a new short story. Might be TR ‘verse. Might not.
  11. 560 words, on a Thunder Road ‘verse short story starring Tilda.
  12. 402 words, on a Thunder Road ‘verse short story starring Tilda.
  13. 531 words, on a new werewolf story.
  14. 599 words, on a Thunder Road ‘verse short story starring Tilda.
  15. 868 words, on Thunder Road Book 3. In a second stint: 865 words, on a Thunder Road ‘verse short story starring Ted.
  16. 1051 words, on Thunder Road Book 3.
  17. 1364 words, on a new second world short story.
  18. 516 words, on a new second world short story.
  19. 442 words, noodling longhand on a new POV voice.
  20. 401 words, noodling longhand on a new POV voice.
  21. 451 words, noodling longhand on a new POV voice.
  22. 1093 words, on a new second world short story.
  23. 1190 words, on a new second world short story. In a second 30 minute stint: 666 words on a Thunder Road ‘verse story starring Ted.
  24. 1104 words, on a new second world short story.
  25. 742 words, noodling longhand on a second new POV voice.
  26. 620 words, noodling longhand on a second new POV voice.
  27. 596 words, on Thunder Road Book 3.
  28. 550 words, on Thunder Road Book 3.

Total words: 24521 (Four short stories started, two potential new novel voices, and three stories achieved first draft status. Plus I kept the wheels turning on Book 3)

What have I learned?

Nothing terribly new. I already knew that I my output was always better if it was the first thing I did in the morning. Most of those four digit word counts come from when I had time to write before work, or on a day off. Those nights were I wrote longhand were the ones where I just couldn’t bear to turn the computer back on. I spent most of my writing time last summer drafting longhand. It’s a nice switch from time to time. It had been years since I wrote that way, and it took some doing before it felt like I was actually writing instead of just making notes. Now that I’ve stretched out those muscles, I’d like to keep them current. It helps me be ready to write anywhere, anytime. It also helped to keep the siren call of the internet at bay.

I was glad I also snuck in a couple extra sessions when I was having a good day. I think I did that so I could justify taking a day off if necessary. I’m glad I didn’t, but going forward I may institute some sort of weekend policy, or have one weeknight where I allow myself to skive off. We’ll see. As spring approaches,  having earlier sunrises should help get me to my desk more often before work too, so that should help the word count.

As for the February output, I made some not insignificant progress on book three, drafted a story about Tilda, and started a new vignette about Ted. In non-Thunder Road related writing, I finished a draft of a piece I’ve wanted to write since 2011 and am hoping to submit to one of the noir anthologies currently open to submissions. The second world story isn’t connected to any of the previous worlds I’ve published in, and I’m curious what may come out of it. I think it will be a novella when I go back to revise it. Both of the pieces that only got one writing session each will probably lay fallow for a while, although never doubt the power of the werewolf as monster to keep me entertained. The longhand piece felt like the beginning of a novel. Actually, I know it wants to be a novel and so I’m going to let it sit too, barring another fully fleshed scene showing up. I’ve already got too many novels mixing around in my brain and in various stages of completion. I need to finish revising some of those drafts before I can allow myself to add one to the queue.

So that was my month of writing. What are you working on creatively? How did February treat you?

4 thoughts on “An Hour Of Writing A Day: February”

  2. This is inspiring, Chad. I’m mired in a rewrite — maybe I need to give myself an hour a day for new work! Are you going to keep this up? Seems to be paying off!

    • Thanks, Eileen! I am keeping it up this month. It helps keep things fun for me, as I prefer drafting to revising. Give it a shot, and good luck to you!

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