Progress

One drawback of writing in a notebook instead of on the computer is that I have no idea what my word count is.  This wouldn’t ordinarily be upsetting to me, since I judge progress not by a set number of words but rather by getting out important ideas so I can sleep.  However, I have no fancy stats to post on this blog.  No 1000 words down, 40000 to go.  So I have no NanoWrimo basis for comparison.

Instead I can tell you yesterday was a successful writing day for me because I wrote about 20 pages in my notebook, bringing my total to somewhere around 160.  How that translates to double-spaced 12-point font, I’m not sure.  Still, there’s something incredibly rewarding about being able to hold a stack of pages between your fingers and feel the stack grow.  Even when I type on a computer, I always print out my pages immediately after saving.  There’s a book coming to life in those pages.  Having physical evidence of my progress, not just a word count, compels me to move forward, keep writing.

The motivation trick is something I learned when I first took up knitting.  My first project was a scarf cast in tight stitches with incredibly thin yarn.  I abandoned it two inches in.  For my second project I used thick yarn, loose stitches, and row by row I could see my progress.  I kept knitting and finished the scarf.  It’s very hard to walk away from a physical thing that sits on your desk and begs to be completed.  So it is with my writing.  As the story unfolds and the page count grows, it is harder to ignore.  So I keep writing and measuring my pages and somehow I feel a little closer every day.

Filed under Current Projects, Life | Comment (0)