Hi friends. Today you will write 1000 words, and so will I. We are going to sit down, clear our heads for a moment, maybe close our eyes and take a deep breath, hold that breath, shut out all the noise, and then exhale. Find that center point where all the words and ideas live, really hone in to that place, and then tap into it, and let it flow.
Last week was hectic for me but I promised myself to do this one week later, saving all these newsletters as my treat for doing so. Today I finally started a new short story idea, 1,036 words down. Thank you for doing this!
The first 500 words were a bear, but then I wrote about 900 more all in a rush. Are they good? Who can say! But there are 1439 of them where there weren’t any before. I think this is normal for me. It’s like running – if I can get through a mile or two, it feels less like I’m dying. I also decided I’d do the Pomodoro method today, using pomofocus.io for the first time, which I liked, mostly for its tomatoey red background. Thanks for the motivation and encouragement!
It took me until after the day job, then trying to fix a washer that wouldn't drain (I didn't fix it), some dinner, and I finally sat down, did my best to clear my head, took that deep breath, poured a glass of wine, and wrote 1142 words. I'm in Los Angeles, so it's still Monday, Feb 7 here. Thanks for the words of encouragement and motivation, Jami.
do you recommend writing with hand - with pen and paper? I ahve read jotting down words with hand makes mind more creative. Or does it not matter between typing and writing with hand?
Fucketyfuck. I lost track of the date! Oddly, though, I spent a lot of very absorbed time making notes--about a character's grief process over time; about what my narrator knows/believes/feels that's part of how I understand her character but is not on the page yet; about shrinking my time line to six months from a year; and about the throughline, the aboutness, as you mentioned the other day, Jamie. I got nothing like 1000 words, I don't think--and yet, it feels like the work is opening up in front of me in a new way. I hope to hold my head up tomorrow!
Feb 8, 2022·edited Feb 8, 2022Liked by Jami Attenberg
I didn't mean to but I got 2268 words written. It's amazing how great it feels when the story finally gets started! I decided to walk up the road, a half mile from my mom's house to the humble QPL (Queens Public Library), the one I worked at for my first after-school job. On my way there I passed the old red fire alarm that I nearly knocked myself out on -- I remember I actually saw stars, and thought, oh this is why they say that! -- while daydreaming of John Devine who lived nearby; he was the guy everyone had a crush on because he was the first to look like a man in junior high, poor slob. It was a very unoriginal crush and I still bear the scar on the front middle of my head, and so can't part my hair in the middle, doomed to look old (according to TikTok) forever. Anyway, that's where I sat for a couple hours, and wrote more than I thought! I hope everyone else is having a great first day of the Mini 1000!
Thank you for the push today, Jami! I never write in the evenings—I'm usually too spent from the day. But we had a deal so I sat down and hammered out 997 fresh words AFTER dinner, after feeding children and driving them to things. Just in the last hour. Really grateful for the camaraderie.
I am so blown away by everyone's commitment. So in awe of all these WIPs, these novels, these short stories that y'all are churning out. Wow. Once upon a time, I wrote a book that was published and was even a bestseller in my area. But that was a long time ago, before children, before dogs, before crappy health issues, before Trump, all of which have made tired and constantly at a loss for words. But ... here I am. Now, some 1000 words later, I've given myself a tiny space to listen to my voice again. But sheesh, she sure has been quiet for so long. Not sure she's going to talk very much, or even at all.
Day 1, Winter 2022 Mini 1000
Last week was hectic for me but I promised myself to do this one week later, saving all these newsletters as my treat for doing so. Today I finally started a new short story idea, 1,036 words down. Thank you for doing this!
A little bit late but 1068!
Okay, 1012, ten minutes before midnight. What a slog.
Got just over 1000 today, it's progress.
The first 500 words were a bear, but then I wrote about 900 more all in a rush. Are they good? Who can say! But there are 1439 of them where there weren’t any before. I think this is normal for me. It’s like running – if I can get through a mile or two, it feels less like I’m dying. I also decided I’d do the Pomodoro method today, using pomofocus.io for the first time, which I liked, mostly for its tomatoey red background. Thanks for the motivation and encouragement!
It took me until after the day job, then trying to fix a washer that wouldn't drain (I didn't fix it), some dinner, and I finally sat down, did my best to clear my head, took that deep breath, poured a glass of wine, and wrote 1142 words. I'm in Los Angeles, so it's still Monday, Feb 7 here. Thanks for the words of encouragement and motivation, Jami.
Does starting at 11:57pm still count as "today?" Either way, here I go! Looking forward to this mini 1000.
do you recommend writing with hand - with pen and paper? I ahve read jotting down words with hand makes mind more creative. Or does it not matter between typing and writing with hand?
Motivation from your message: Words for making change. A trickle is all I need. Thanks.
I'm editing and revising and and and - not sure of the word count, but I wrote!! Thanks for the belief that I can do it!
Fucketyfuck. I lost track of the date! Oddly, though, I spent a lot of very absorbed time making notes--about a character's grief process over time; about what my narrator knows/believes/feels that's part of how I understand her character but is not on the page yet; about shrinking my time line to six months from a year; and about the throughline, the aboutness, as you mentioned the other day, Jamie. I got nothing like 1000 words, I don't think--and yet, it feels like the work is opening up in front of me in a new way. I hope to hold my head up tomorrow!
1103. Ooooof! but proud
I didn't mean to but I got 2268 words written. It's amazing how great it feels when the story finally gets started! I decided to walk up the road, a half mile from my mom's house to the humble QPL (Queens Public Library), the one I worked at for my first after-school job. On my way there I passed the old red fire alarm that I nearly knocked myself out on -- I remember I actually saw stars, and thought, oh this is why they say that! -- while daydreaming of John Devine who lived nearby; he was the guy everyone had a crush on because he was the first to look like a man in junior high, poor slob. It was a very unoriginal crush and I still bear the scar on the front middle of my head, and so can't part my hair in the middle, doomed to look old (according to TikTok) forever. Anyway, that's where I sat for a couple hours, and wrote more than I thought! I hope everyone else is having a great first day of the Mini 1000!
500 this AM and sitting back down in the evening ✨ It was nice to know others are doing the same 🐋
Thank you for the push today, Jami! I never write in the evenings—I'm usually too spent from the day. But we had a deal so I sat down and hammered out 997 fresh words AFTER dinner, after feeding children and driving them to things. Just in the last hour. Really grateful for the camaraderie.
I am so blown away by everyone's commitment. So in awe of all these WIPs, these novels, these short stories that y'all are churning out. Wow. Once upon a time, I wrote a book that was published and was even a bestseller in my area. But that was a long time ago, before children, before dogs, before crappy health issues, before Trump, all of which have made tired and constantly at a loss for words. But ... here I am. Now, some 1000 words later, I've given myself a tiny space to listen to my voice again. But sheesh, she sure has been quiet for so long. Not sure she's going to talk very much, or even at all.