Information about the WIPMarathon can be found here.
Other Marathoners’ updates can be found here.
Last Check-In Word Count: 22,985
Current WC: 27,762. So I’ve done about 4800 words for the week, and I’m still on track with my modest goal of 15k for the month.
WIP Issues this week: I haven’t been writing this MS linearly (not a word, but work with me, people). I was having problems in the middle and my critique partner suggested I bounce around a little more. So, I wrote the end, then wrote a little in between the middle and the end, and then a little between those, and so on. And I have to make sure I tie up any of my loose ends.
What I learned this week in writing: I’m close to done with this rough draft. Part of me feels like that’s impossible! my word count’s too low! but then I remind myself that it is middle grade, and a manuscript of 30k+/- words is okay. By the time it’s all wrapped up and polished, I expect it to be closer to 40k.
What distracted me this week while writing: Yeah, I’m going to blame that #WriteOnCon, like some of my fellow WIPM’s. But giving crit is always a good exercise for a writer, and I learned some awesome things at the con itself, so this was worth it.
Last 200 words:
If I thought things would be much different in school after becoming our top sprinter, well, I was wrong. Track stars don’t get much attention, unless it’s the Olympics. My ego was pumped, though, which made all the difference.
When I saw Claire in the halls, I started smiling at her first, and she smiled wider when she saw me. She left me a note in my locker “just to say hi.” My guy friends looked to me for my opinion on stuff. My grades for the first marking period were almost all A’s. I couldn’t ask for much more–I had reached all the markers of success. I was at the top of my game, settling right in to being one of the popular guys of 7th grade.
But it’s Murphy’s Law, right? Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong?
Maybe that should be amended to, anytime it seems like things are going right, it will all start to go wrong.
I should have been prepared. Known better than to think that I could really start over and be happy in Massachusetts. Understood that this life was too good to be true.
Going in Circles 
I think it’s great you found a way to get “unstuck.” I’ve never tried the bouncing around technique. Usually I hit the wall, stop writing for a bit, then push through it.
I like the voice in your excerpt! 🙂
Looks like you are in the right path! I jump around a lot too on my drafts when I get stuck. I seem to always write the ending first. LOL.
You’ll be finished soon! That’s exciting! ^_^
I think it’s totally okay to bounce around. I’ve done that in the past and have gone back and had the scenes I skipped turn out so much better than if I had forced my way through them earlier.
Congrats! I’ve been bouncing around my ms a bit too – not something I’ve ever done before – and it’s actually working!
Sounds like you’re making great progress! It can sometimes help to jump to the parts you really want to write.
Thanks so much, everyone! I’m feeling pretty positive right now. And it helps so much to have the support of all of you. This has been such a great experience.
Everyone works differently, it’s just a matter of finding out what works for you. I’ve found myself stuck trying to get to certain scenes and people have told me just to skip ahead and write what I know but I just can’t do it.
Really like the voice in your excerpt and hope that the words keep on coming this week!
Thank you! I need all of the good wishes I can get.
You’re going to smash that goal!
I really like the voice in your excerpt. 🙂 Nicely done!