Clarion UCSD Write-a-Thon: Update -- Week 1

I was going to wait until the end of week 1 before reporting on my Write-a-Thon progress, but I may be out of town for the holiday weekend, and there is no better time than the present!

As far as my personal writing goals are concerned, here is what I've accomplished thus far:

1) I have written, for at least an hour, every day since the Write-a-Thon began on June 26 (or, 4 whole days in a row);

2) I have written 5,587 words (or 22 pages, going by the novel standard of 250 words per page), which means I am a little more than halfway to my stated goal of 36 pages by the end of the Write-a-Thon;

3) I have completed one rough outline of the main plot (which may be split into two or more novels);

4) I have not begun work on the secondary plot lines on paper, but they are developing in my head;

5) I have worked a bit on character backgrounds for the protagonist and antagonist, and I have ideas for at least four secondary characters.

I would like to clarify that of the 22 pages I've written so far, much of it has been work on backstory, world-building, plot, and character development -- very little writing of the actual narrative has been accomplished. Originally I had wanted to get at least 36 pages of SOMETHING written down; now that I find that to be coming so easily, I am hoping to accomplish a minimum of 40 pages of narrative (that is, actual writing of the story) by the end of the Write-a-Thon, not just 40 pages of any old thing. I believe I can do that much.

I encourage anyone following along with this blog to please consider, if you have not done so already, supporting my participation in this Write-a-Thon with a small donation to Clarion. Even $5 will go a long way if enough people are willing to give.

If you have already donated, you have my deepest thanks! And if you are unable to donate, simply reading my blog and offering feedback or encouragement would be wonderful support!

Thanks for reading!

Clarion UCSD Write-a-Thon: Update

My Write-a-Thon Participant page is now up and accessible for those interested in sponsoring me with a donation, or just checking out my poorly written bio.

All money goes towards keeping the annual Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy writing workshop up and running. Anything you can donate would be appreciated! (Also, there are prizes for the writers for donations received -- like mugs, t-shirts, and even an iPad2!) And if you can't give your financial support, I invite you to continue reading my blog anyway -- every writer needs an audience, and it should start with YOU, my dear friends and family!

Also, if you are a writer or aspiring writer who needs that extra push, please consider signing up to participate (it's free!)

Please keep watching my blog for more updates in the coming days -- only 11 days remain before the Write-a-Thon begins! I am (metaphorically) sharpening my (imaginary) pencils in anticipation!

Thanks for reading!

Another year gone

So, it appears my enthusiasm for "updating with new content weekly" was a bit... overstated. And so, we see the root of my problem with writing: I don't write. I have no discipline. It is my hope and intention that this change.

On that note, I'd like to announce that I've just signed up for the Clarion UCSD Write-a-Thon. This is a six week fund-raising event in which participants pledge to write x number of pages, or y hours per day for monetary donation to Clarion to support it's writing program. More information can be found at The Clarion Foundation, and Clarion UCSD Write-a-Thon.

As soon as my application for participation is processed, I will provide the link to my Write-a-Thon writer's page.

Additionally, I've applied for admission with College of Southern Nevada, in the hopes of taking a writing course or two this fall, if any seats are left by the time my application is processed. I applied in November for the Spring semester, but it took a month for my application to be processed and by then classes were full.

Good things are in the works. I just need to learn to follow through.