Hi friends. Today we will write 1000 words. Because we’re trying to entertain ourselves, entertain our minds. It’s always an adventure, when you’re writing, whether you inventing something from scratch or are already immersed in a story. There’s always a way to surprise yourself. You get to make up your own goddamn world. One thousand words of something brand new. I find that exhilarating, don’t you?
Today I feel it as work. Good work. But work. And that is my victory. Its not the hallway in 7th grade where my whole self felt on trial. I won't ruin my life if I mess up. I have work to do. What a threshold to cross over.
I'm working on screenplay revisions. I really want to say I wrote 1000 words each day so far, as I've done in the past, but so much of where I'm at right now is just thinking and studying... like I'm in the middle of a giant puzzle. The emotional and philosophical stuff is there...it's the actual events of my script and basic "what happens when" I need to clarify today. I feel my project's growth this week in a deep way, but I'm not looking at it just yet...It's still materializing. Today I am committing to returning to it as a writer writer writer and eliminating the idea that my editing process isn't writing, while still choosing STORYTELLING over story editing today. xoxoxox
I made it past 1,000 words of something completely unrelated to what I am working on or even to the kinds of notes I take down. Coming back after decades away from writing, the tides of doubt and are rising up around me - but I just decided to sit down and practice with narrative with very low stakes. Just write, regardless. Glad I did it.
wasn’t sure if i was going to make it today, but i ended up getting almost to 2,000 words in a fun writing session with some friends tonight! i usually write in the morning for an hour alone, so this was really nice.
Thank you, Jami. 1000 new words exist in my story. They would not be there if not for this mini 1000 and the shared experience of those of you commenting here. I'm grateful for it all (and for learning about Maggie Shipstead.)
had an incredibly long work day and wasn't sure i'd get the time to do this but i showed up and got out 1005 words on my love of a new word i learned: tailhook (look it up, fascinating history) and how my mother's clutter tendencies are also verbal and a way she makes up for the space she wasn't allowed to take up as a child.
Thank you, Jami, for the hair idea. On this day when I hadn't slept well and had to work my job all day, this allowed me to get a foothold, writing by hand and then in the document. Cruising the document with the word "hair" as my guide, I was able to add about 415 words (which weren't all about hair, phew!).
My tarot cards today were like : you better quit your job and answer your calling, girl. I was thinking back on all the "novels" (fan fiction, serial projects) I wrote in my youth. I never had to edit, finish, complete. This one is different. I'm combing its hair.
phew....Hello, day 4. Thanks for being here and letting me spool out a new idea. I'd thought I would work on a draft that needs tinkering but instead journaling on something that someday could turn into something. An idea inspired by a book I didn't like at all and I thought instead of being really grumpy about that, what would it have looked like for me to like it? And what if I actually worked on bringing that story into the world? I hope everyone's having sparks of fun and imagination during this week!
The good: I had another project idea come to me in the middle of the night that I felt I had to write down. The bad: that means I was awake in the middle of the night for two nights in a row, oof. So my brain is a bit fried. I decided to journal my words today in hopes that a little brain dump will ease my mind, and I ended up writing about writing a fair amount in that. Since I journal by hand I don’t have an exact word count for today but I’m saying it makes the count based on how long it took, how many pages I wrote, and on vibes.
Didn't quite make it today - about 900. Cutting myself some slack (if I can't, who will?) Will give it an extra push tomorrow! Hope everyone had a great writing day!
Wait--I think I will enjoy finishing first. This was three drafts in a year and half and it is a much better book than when I started. How awful if it got worse in every draft, right? K'm just--I did this. I wasn't sure I could when I started. Thanks to #1000 words & Jami!
I got feedback from a blind peer review for an academic book project, so todays words (929, so close!) was stream of consciousness brainstorming in response; thinking through an approach to revisions. I’ve been enjoying using my 1,000 words for creative writing that has nothing to do with work these past few days, but alas, the book with a contract is academic. Thanks for the community and inspiration everyone!
I missed writing yesterday due to what I call "Extremely Sad Tummy" - which is in a way funny, because I had was choosing between 2 projects for this 1000 words a day - a book about my father & or a personal essay on the concept of healthy as a construct (and not always a good one). Apparently Extremely Sad Tummy decided that this 1000 word project now needs to be about her and about how "healthy" can harm and today I wrote 1077 words of the essay.
Today I feel it as work. Good work. But work. And that is my victory. Its not the hallway in 7th grade where my whole self felt on trial. I won't ruin my life if I mess up. I have work to do. What a threshold to cross over.
I'm working on screenplay revisions. I really want to say I wrote 1000 words each day so far, as I've done in the past, but so much of where I'm at right now is just thinking and studying... like I'm in the middle of a giant puzzle. The emotional and philosophical stuff is there...it's the actual events of my script and basic "what happens when" I need to clarify today. I feel my project's growth this week in a deep way, but I'm not looking at it just yet...It's still materializing. Today I am committing to returning to it as a writer writer writer and eliminating the idea that my editing process isn't writing, while still choosing STORYTELLING over story editing today. xoxoxox
Thank you. Thank you. I'm just happy that I made it to day 4 successfully, even with life continuing on.
1000 words and finished off another scene. Phew! Did I really write 4,000 words in 4 days? That's just wild
I made it past 1,000 words of something completely unrelated to what I am working on or even to the kinds of notes I take down. Coming back after decades away from writing, the tides of doubt and are rising up around me - but I just decided to sit down and practice with narrative with very low stakes. Just write, regardless. Glad I did it.
wasn’t sure if i was going to make it today, but i ended up getting almost to 2,000 words in a fun writing session with some friends tonight! i usually write in the morning for an hour alone, so this was really nice.
Thank you, Jami. 1000 new words exist in my story. They would not be there if not for this mini 1000 and the shared experience of those of you commenting here. I'm grateful for it all (and for learning about Maggie Shipstead.)
had an incredibly long work day and wasn't sure i'd get the time to do this but i showed up and got out 1005 words on my love of a new word i learned: tailhook (look it up, fascinating history) and how my mother's clutter tendencies are also verbal and a way she makes up for the space she wasn't allowed to take up as a child.
Thank you, Jami, for the hair idea. On this day when I hadn't slept well and had to work my job all day, this allowed me to get a foothold, writing by hand and then in the document. Cruising the document with the word "hair" as my guide, I was able to add about 415 words (which weren't all about hair, phew!).
My tarot cards today were like : you better quit your job and answer your calling, girl. I was thinking back on all the "novels" (fan fiction, serial projects) I wrote in my youth. I never had to edit, finish, complete. This one is different. I'm combing its hair.
phew....Hello, day 4. Thanks for being here and letting me spool out a new idea. I'd thought I would work on a draft that needs tinkering but instead journaling on something that someday could turn into something. An idea inspired by a book I didn't like at all and I thought instead of being really grumpy about that, what would it have looked like for me to like it? And what if I actually worked on bringing that story into the world? I hope everyone's having sparks of fun and imagination during this week!
1163. I didn't know if I could do it when I started out, but I kept going and made a chapter stronger than I made it yesterday. That is enough.
The good: I had another project idea come to me in the middle of the night that I felt I had to write down. The bad: that means I was awake in the middle of the night for two nights in a row, oof. So my brain is a bit fried. I decided to journal my words today in hopes that a little brain dump will ease my mind, and I ended up writing about writing a fair amount in that. Since I journal by hand I don’t have an exact word count for today but I’m saying it makes the count based on how long it took, how many pages I wrote, and on vibes.
Didn't quite make it today - about 900. Cutting myself some slack (if I can't, who will?) Will give it an extra push tomorrow! Hope everyone had a great writing day!
FINISHED. THIS. DRAFT.
Um. Now what?
Wait--I think I will enjoy finishing first. This was three drafts in a year and half and it is a much better book than when I started. How awful if it got worse in every draft, right? K'm just--I did this. I wasn't sure I could when I started. Thanks to #1000 words & Jami!
I got feedback from a blind peer review for an academic book project, so todays words (929, so close!) was stream of consciousness brainstorming in response; thinking through an approach to revisions. I’ve been enjoying using my 1,000 words for creative writing that has nothing to do with work these past few days, but alas, the book with a contract is academic. Thanks for the community and inspiration everyone!
I missed writing yesterday due to what I call "Extremely Sad Tummy" - which is in a way funny, because I had was choosing between 2 projects for this 1000 words a day - a book about my father & or a personal essay on the concept of healthy as a construct (and not always a good one). Apparently Extremely Sad Tummy decided that this 1000 word project now needs to be about her and about how "healthy" can harm and today I wrote 1077 words of the essay.