Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Writer Wednesday: Writers Need Rewards

Last Wednesday I talked about writing in small spurts, and the irony of that was I was fast drafting last week and I wrote 51,000 words in four days. That's a new record for me. I even broke my daily word count record, hitting a new high of 18K in a single day. It was…well, insane.

I did finish my draft and I was happy about that, but I was exhausted. It's crazy to think that sitting and typing would be so tiring, but it is! So I rewarded myself with a reading day on Monday. I lounged around and read Divergent. (Great book, by the way, and I'll be reviewing it later this month.) I learned something from my crazy week of writing pretty much non-stop. Writers need rewards. And we deserve them too. So don't forget to reward yourself for your hard work.

How will you reward yourself this week?

42 comments:

  1. Geez. I wish I could write half as fast as you.

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    1. If you saw how crazy I get, you'd probably change your mind. ;P

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  2. Reading, definitely reading.
    I so much want to read Divergent and the others in that set so I look forward to what you have to say about it.

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    1. It was really good. I don't know why I put off reading it for so long.

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  3. I can write extremely fast when working on a first draft. Once I'm rewriting, I'm soooooo slooooow. Maybe it's because I'm writing in a language other than my own, I don't know. Any tips? ;-)

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    1. I think drafting is about getting the story down. Rewriting is about perfecting it, so it should take longer. It sounds right to me.

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  4. 18K, I'm still amazed by it. How are you able to do that??!! :D I should write an essay for tomorrow, wish I had part of your writing energy right now! ;)

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    1. My characters take over my brain and hold me hostage. lol Good luck with your essay.

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  5. I completely agree and time spent reading is a definite gift.

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  6. Those are some seriously impressive word counts! And I completely agree--we need to reward ourselves :)

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  7. That's a big word count!

    Chocolate's a good reward. Preferably mixed with peanut butter.

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  8. Girl, you are a powerhouse! 50K+ in under a week? You definitely deserve a reward for that kind of output! I'm lucky to churn out 50K in 4 weeks, never mind 4 days! You are amazing :-)

    P.S. I can't wait for the DIVERGENT movie, can you? :-)

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    1. I've never done that before. I was shocked, but my characters wouldn't stop talking. lol

      Yes, I can't wait to see the movie!

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  9. Anyone reading this post will undoubtedly wonder HOW you manage this intense and prolific output. I hope you describe this someday. Are you surrounded by empty cups of coffee? A Chocolate dispensary? A recoded tape that sings, "Go, Kelly, Go"?
    You deserve a reward. Yup.

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    1. Actually, my trick is silence. I'm home alone with only my characters to listen to. And they are demanding! lol

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  10. Wow. That's an impressive accomplishment. I think I need a book today too.

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  11. Fantastic point! I think life is a mix of working hard and giving yourself treats! The balance can be perfect!

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  12. Now, I need to read Divergent. Sounds interesting from your view point.

    Nas

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  13. Wow, Kelly... 18K is incredible! Like yourself, I have a daily word count I like to reach before I go to work in the afternoons and on the weekends, I usually try to increase it. Writing takes time, dedication and perseverance. And it's not always peaches and cream. Writing in tough work like any art. But the rewards are priceless. I'm glad you rewarded yourself with a well-deserved reading day!

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    1. It was so tempting to try for 20K that day but I didn't want to be a zombie the next day and not meet that day's word count.

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  14. Hope you got yourself a fabulous reward, Kelly! (Besides reading Divergent, of course.) My rewards tend to be food ... like maybe a pie.

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  15. My reward? Well at the moment, the time to write is the reward hehe. When my kids get older i might reevaluate that statement.

    You are crazy! But good for you. My goal is nothing so drastic. So maybe in my house it isn't that the writer needs a reward, it's the writer needs the reward of writing.

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  16. Wow Kelly! I guess you earned a reward. I haven't thought about rewards. I just need time to write. But I'd have to say a walk with my grand daughters would make my heart sing.

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  17. I'm rewarding myself this week by writing more and cleaning less! Oh and that occasional piece of chocolate.

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    1. That occasional piece of chocolate is important!

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  18. No wonder you were tired with all that typing, thinking, and of course, the emotional investment in the story! Glad you rewarded yourself with a good book. Can't wait to hear about it! :)
    ~Jess

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    1. Divergent was great. Definitely a worthy read.

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  19. That's so awesome. I'd like to try fast drafting. The fastest I've written is a draft a month, and that's provided I have some time off.

    Yes, we do need rewards.

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  20. Congrats, Kelly, on the writing frenzy! You are so right about needing rewards. Even something like a little chocolate at the end of a short writing session is important.

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  21. Oh, man! What's your secret? I agree with whomever above that you should reveal your strategies for this crazy kind of output!

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