Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Stay on Target - I Copy, Gold Leader

The home stretch, the final run at the Death Star, Mile 26.2, the end of May, whatever you call it, it's almost upon us. And by IT, I mean the last ten days of #BoNoProMo, of course. 

(Random wacky-but-related aside, when you Google "BoNoProMo," you'll likely come across one or more of my recent blogs in the results, maybe below the fold, but that's still a little cool. But I am particularly amused by the fact that when you click over to search for BoNoProMo Images, you first get various random product brand names painted on walls using that self-same product (Nutella, Colgate). Don't ask why. Then, you may get the image that Grub Street used in Lisa Borders's original article. But what I'm talking about is, if you continue to scroll down a little bit more, you just might find the Transformer image that I appropriated for last week's blog entry. (The self-same image that I am using once again this week because, you know, SEO.)

Apparently, my friends, THIS is the face of BoNoProMo:

End of wacky aside.)

So, how's it going?

Well, thanks to my wonderful wife saying something like "Hey, you want to get some writing done, so how about we go to the airport five hours early and hang out there, instead of having fun sightseeing with my friends?" I am indeed still on track, consistently logging my ten hours a week writing, if not more. And that writing included the above-mentioned airport session being rocked out across a dozen narrow-ruled pages of Old Skool pen-to-paper (and yes, my hand is still tired):

 

So, what do I have to show for all this... activity? (I mean, aside from a hefty pile o' words, which isn't a bad thing in and of itself.)

Well, I already have produced yet another new short story, my second of the month, now ready for my next writer's group meeting. I think this is a stronger story than the previous one I wrote already this month. Why might that be? 

Here's one theory: At the Muse & the Marketplace, Walter Mosley said that each day you write, when you're in the habit of writing every day, you go a little deeper into your own subconscious (and he also noted that each day that you fail to write, you slip a little bit back backwards). I'm not sure if I've gotten very deep under my own thick skin yet, but I think I can see progress.

If my beta readers can't, don't worry. These aren't the droids you're looking for.

I've also produced quite a few pages of something longer, something that, for now, we will only refer to as The Text That Cannot Be Named.

But whatever the results at this point in the month, I know I need to Stay on Target. The upcoming vacation weekend, with us having no serious plans other than to read, write, recover (from traveler's colds), and relax, should help. Which brings me to my...

BoNoProMo Schedule for the Last Full Week of May:
Thursday - Only 1/2 Hour, or possibly Zero (one step back). Because I'm off to hear some live music at the Middle East Upstairs, retro sixties-style rock and more, damn it - anybody with me?
Friday - Two Hours
Saturday, Sunday, and Monday - Five to Six hours, spread out cross the weekend however they fit (Has anyone else noticed these schedules getting less rigid as the month has progressed? Not to mention my increased use of mixed numeric expressions.)
Tuesday - One
Wednesday - One to 1.5, or whatever is needed to add up to the big 1-0. 

That would take us up to the 28th, leaving only the rump end of the month to deal with. I'm not seeing the exhaust port to fire the torpedoes down yet, and that Death Star still looks awful big, but I can tell we're getting close. I'm not going to Use the Force, though.

You're not supposed to Force writing.

Thanks for Reading,

Stephen

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