Tristi's Challenges

One Day Left in the Writing Challenge ...

2009-10-30T21:40:00.002-06:00

... and I haven't added one word to my manuscript since the last time I posted. Now, that's scarier than Halloween!

I've dealt with some health issues this month as well as just simply being screamingly busy. It was my hope to finish my draft this month, and that didn't happen. I'm a little disappointed, but I'm very cheered at hearing of your successes. Some of you have reported some great totals, and I'm so proud of you! It takes the sting out of my own less-than-perfect results.

I look forward to hearing from you tomorrow night as we finish up this challenge. Happy last-minute writing, and Happy Halloween!

Hee Hee Hee ...

2009-10-23T10:59:00.002-06:00

I stayed up late last night so I could have something to blog about, and then I was so tired, I forgot to blog. Silly Tristi!

Well, last night, I wrote 1,068 words and brought my total to 43,309. My goal had been to hit the 50,000 mark this month, and I'm not sure that's going to happen, but I was very delighted to see a 1,068 come out of me. I usually write around 1,400 words a day, but as of late, that has not been happening. So, yay for me, even if I did forget to post it. :)

We've nearing the end of this challenge - I'm challenging myself to pour it on. What about you? What do you want to get done before the clock strikes midnight on Halloween?

Wednesday Night

2009-10-15T01:14:00.000-06:00

When your writing session starts by hacking off half of a chapter, that can't mean anything good, right?

Tonight I opened up my file and realized that the last 541 words just didn't work. So I whacked them off. And watched my word count drop. (sniff) So then I got to work and wrote 1,066 words that worked a little better. I'm now up to 41,903, which really isn't what I'd hoped for, but I'll take it.

I think we should have Traci guest blog about how she manages to crank out so many words in just one day. Whaddya say, Traci? You game?

Monday Check-In

2009-10-12T18:38:00.003-06:00

It's pretty sad when this blog is named "Tristi's Challenges" and Tristi can't manage to keep up. :) But hey, I'm cheering you all on!

I did manage to get a little bit done in the wee small hours this morning, and I plan to get some more done tonight, but thought I'd best take a minute to post so you don't put out an APB on me.

Since we last spoke, I have added 268 words at the end, and by fleshing out throughout the manuscript, I've added another 863 words. So I'm now at 41,378 words, and I've proofed through 56 pages. That's really a lot less than I'd hoped, but life just is that way sometimes. I shall forge ahead!

In the meantime, you all are doing great and you keep me motivated to march onward. Thanks for your support of me as well as of each other!

Wednesday

2009-10-07T23:54:00.000-06:00

Hey all,

I don't have anything to report personally today - it was my husband's birthday and I spent the evening with him, so my WIP has to wait. That's okay, though - we haven't been on enough dates lately so this was well worth it. I plan to have something awesome to report tomorrow, though!!

Monday Night Check-in

2009-10-05T23:48:00.002-06:00

I'm up to page 36 of my readthrough, and I added four hundred words by fleshing out here and there. Hooray!! I hit the 40,000 mark and I'm actually at 40,113 just by adding little touches here and there.

Then I skipped to the end and added on a little more, and yet, by the time I took out some stuff, I had only improved my lot in life by four words. Amazing how that happens - you take out some, you add some, and then you see what you get.

All in all, I'm pleased with my progress, although I have to say, I thought my readthrough would go just a little faster. Oh, well.

We've been joined by a few last-minute signer-uppers. Welcome aboard! We're glad to have you.

So, how did Monday treat all of you?

Friday Night

2009-10-03T00:28:00.002-06:00

I realize that technically, it's Saturday morning. But I haven't been to bed yet, and so to me, it's Friday. The midnight thing doesn't influence me in the slightest - if I haven't been to bed, it's not the next day.

I only read through seven pages of my manuscript, but I had some fun looking up the Dallas/Fort Worth airport online and found a restaurant near the gate I was "using" for my characters and they had a nice meal. :) I added 230 words (we're ignoring the ones I took out) and all in all, I feel good about what I accomplished. Part of my goal was to flesh out what was already written, and that segment got a little flesh on it, so I'm happy.

We'll see you tomorrow night ... keep writing!!

Thursday Night Check-In

2009-10-02T00:55:00.003-06:00

Thanks for your comments, everyone! You all sound chipper and rarin' to go.

My progress report for the day - first of all, I changed the blog template. I was going for something that looked like fall, and instead, it just looked so dark and dreary. I like this one - it's festive and fall and fun.

I also read through the first ten pages of my manuscript. That's not quite 17%, but hey, it works for me and I caught some good changes. I hope to knock off twenty or thirty tomorrow - we'll see how it goes.

Talk to you all tomorrow. Remember, no matter if it's ten words or ten pages, you are making progress. You'll have slow days and you'll have days when the words just pour off your fingers. They're all good. They'll all lead you where you want to be.

Bring It On!

2009-10-01T10:33:00.002-06:00

Our October Writing Challenge is now ten hours and thirty minutes underway! I'm feeling the words on the air!

My goals for this month are as follows:

1. Read through the manuscript for my work in progress, "Targets in Ties." It's been so long since I worked on it, I've forgotten certain plot points and I need to get reacquainted.

2. While I'm doing my read through, plump up the areas that need it, or make note of where they are so I can come back later.

3. Then finish the draft, coming in at around 50,000 words. Yeah, these are short books. I'm just below 40,000 right now, so the goal is adding around 10,000.

Them's my goals this time around. I'm sure my critique group will be much happier if I have something to bring that makes a little more sense than what I have been bringing ...

Don't forget to check in with your progress! The magic behind these challenges is found in teamwork and accountability - be sure to take advantage of the adrenalin that comes from being part of a team.

Welcome to the October 2009 Writing Challenge!

2009-09-27T23:22:00.002-06:00

It's time once again for my quarterly writing challenge, when authors from all over the Internet post their goals and pour out the words for thirty (or in this case, thirty-one) days and see how much they can accomplish. Are you with me?

Sign up in the comment box for this post, and tell me what you'd like to accomplish during the month of October. Then prepare to be amazed as your determination and imagination ignite with the positive vibes of all your fellow challenge participants, and you accomplish more than ever before! See you back here on October 1st, ready to rumble!

Shuttin' Down the Blog

2009-08-14T00:17:00.000-06:00

This blog is going on hiatus until time for the next challenge, which will commence on October 1st. See you all then!

In the meantime, if you miss me you can check me out here ...

Tristi Pinkston, LDS Author

Tristi's Takes

Day to Day with Valor Publishing

Pushing Past the Pounds

She'll Be Comin' 'round the Mountain ...

2009-07-31T22:25:00.003-06:00

And here we are on the last night of the last day of the July writing challenge. How did you do? Did you hit your goals? Did you feel as though you made some progress in areas that were sticking for you? Do you feel good about what you did this month?

Some months, everything falls into place. That's how October and January were for me - golden months where the words just poured out of me. April was a month of catching up - I edited previous manuscripts and got a lot done. But July was different. I'm now working for Valor Publishing Group and loving every minute of it, but realizing that my writing schedule will have to undergo an adjustment. I've been a little hard on myself because I haven't been cranking out a thousand words a day, like I was used to. I felt like a failure, even while doing great other things with my time.

But you know what - it's all good. I've always believed that life comes in cycles. What's best for you now might not be what's best for you later, and you should do what you enjoy until you don't enjoy it any more, and then find something else to fulfill you. Writing is the only activity in my life that I haven't replaced with something else over the years, but it too is going through its adjustment - I'm going to start writing two hours a week, on Saturday nights. It's a different schedule than I've maintained in the past, but that's okay. It's just a shift in perspectives, that's all.

Enough of this rambling! Let's take a look at my goals.

When we first began, I was at 111 pages in this book. I stated that I wanted to add another 50 pages this month and another 39 next month. I didn't think I was going to come anywhere near that goal, and yet after taking the time tonight to add another thousand words, I came to the grand total for this challenge of 152 pages, just nine short. Phew! And here I thought I'd be limping in forty-five pages behind. I did crest the 35,000 word mark I feared I would not hit, and I have a clear goal for what to do to finish up the story. I can't consider this a failure in any sense of the word - just a slow process this time.

I look forward to hearing from each of you, not just your totals, but also anything you've learned throughout this month. Did you come to any realizations about your writing? Have you adjusted your thinking as you view yourself as an artist and a creator, and not just a person with a hobby? Share. I'm very interested.

Thursday ...

2009-07-30T22:21:00.003-06:00

It's Thursday night. The clock is ticking. Just one more day, one more chance to squeeeeeeeeaaaaaaak out those last few pages. How much can you get done? Only time will tell ... is time your enemy or your friend?

Can you tell I'm delaying my own report?

I didn't write today, but I got a lot of other stuff done, so while on the personal book front I was a failure, I feel good about what I did accomplish. I'm going to try to get a little more done tomorrow before midnight, but I'm recognizing that I may just have to call it good where I am. And you know, that's okay. Sometimes that happens.

Here is your LOL for tonight, but a dog, not a cat:

Gettin' Close ...

2009-07-29T16:35:00.003-06:00

Just a couple more days, guys ... can you do it? I'm pretty sure you can!

I haven't gotten any new writing done in the last few days, but hey, I'm still feeling good about life. I'm getting a lot of work done, which is a good thing. And I got a few segments ready to take to critique tonight, which is also a very good thing.

So here we are for today's LOL Cat - plus an extra because I didn't post last night:

Monday is Marvelous!

2009-07-27T23:41:00.003-06:00

I haven't written anything myself today - too busy with work projects - but I'm here to cheer you on!! We only have a short amount of time left in this challenge, and I know you can close it out with a bang. I believe in you!

Tonight you're getting an LOL Dog, because it made me laugh. See you tomorrow!

Saturday Catch-up Time

2009-07-25T16:42:00.004-06:00

I'm sorry I've been so neglectful - at least a couple of times since the start of this challenge, I've forgotten to post, and once I even posted an update and an LOL Cat on my book review blog instead of here! Yeah, just slightly distracted. :) However, I wrote 648 words this afternoon, which brings me to 34,358 in this manuscript. It feels like really slow going, but I knocked off the first three in the series pretty quickly, so I shouldn't compare too much.

I'll see you all here on Monday, and I'm giving you three LOL Cats just to make up for my unintentional neglect as of late. I hope you can forgive me.

Wednesday Night

2009-07-22T22:02:00.003-06:00

I'm sorry I didn't post last night - I got caught up in work projects and it wasn't until I was in bed that I realized I hadn't checked in. Just for that, I'll give you two LOL Cats today. How's that?

I only added 447 words to the manuscript tonight, but every little bit is progress. I know now what is going to happen in the last fifty pages, which is a lot more than I knew last week, so it's a good thing.

The remainder of my week should be fairly quiet (Quick! Knock on wood, toss some salt, do whatever you have to) so I'm hoping to crest 35,000 words before Saturday night.

As promised, here are your two LOL Cats:

It Was a Very Strange Day ...

2009-07-21T00:18:00.002-06:00

Well, strange last two days, really.

Yesterday the construction workers out on our street shut off our water for the afternoon. We have a swamp cooler, so for six hours, we had neither water nor air conditioning. I had also woken up with the flu (no, not the swine flu) and so yesterday wasn't the most fun I've ever had. Today I'm still recuperating, kinda weak and sort of spacey, but at least I'm up and around. So there was no writing from me today.

I can't, however, let you pass by a Monday without your LOL Cat.

Saturday Report

2009-07-18T23:03:00.002-06:00

I'm not really sure how to quantify today's progress. You see, late last night when I couldn't sleep, I decided not to kill someone I had previously killed. So tonight I deleted his death scene and turned it into a close call instead, and then I had to change all the reactions to his death, and that led to a string of new events. So this is how my math goes for today:

To start, I had 32,803 words.

I then added some, and came to 32,896 words.

Then I deleted some, and went down to 32,791 words.

And then I added some more, and I'm now at 33,261 words.

That looks to me like a profit of 458 words, even though I actually wrote more than that, but with the stuff I took out, that's the grand total.

See you all on Monday. I'll now leave you with an LOL Cat.

Friday Night

2009-07-17T22:59:00.001-06:00

Today I accomplished just over 400 words, which isn't a lot, but I am very happy about something else I did ... I solved one of my biggest writing problems. You see, I have really sensitive skin, and as the weather gets hotter, I start to stick to my keyboard and the edge of my desk. My wrists and forearms get very sore from sticking and then being peeled off and then sticking again. So tonight, I hot-glued a wide satin ribbon to the edge of my desk and to my keyboard. No more sticking! I'll post pictures on my regular blog in a day or two. Really, I'm quite proud of myself.

Hopefully there will be more writing tomorrow. In the meantime, here is your LOL Cat for the day:

Thursday Night Update

2009-07-16T23:36:00.001-06:00

I wrote 1,036 words tonight. I knew you guys were good for me - I wasn't going to write at all, but I knew you'd be waiting for an update. Well, there it is, for whatever it's worth!

I've been feeling a little draggy today, so I have a special treat for you. In addition to your LOL Cat, I give you:

I play this whenever we feel the need to inject some energy into our flagging selves. Enjoy!

Tuesday Night

2009-07-14T19:52:00.003-06:00

There's just something about a Tuesday that makes me say ... hooray, it's over. Perhaps it's because tomorrow is Wednesday, which of course marks our halfway point in the week. Maybe it's because Tuesday is one of those days - well, it's like Thursday. Nothing ever really happens on Tuesdays and Thursdays. You have to go out of your way to make a Tuesday or a Thursday exciting - by themselves, they just aren't.

I did, however, meet my goal of adding 1,000 words to my WIP. In fact, I added 1,258 words, which puts me over 30,000 on this rough draft. Not bad ...

Here is today's cat:

What can I say? It made me laugh.

Keep it up, guys ... I'm really proud of the progress you're reporting and I can't wait to see the stuff you're writing now in print.

Monday

2009-07-13T18:18:00.002-06:00

Mondays usually rock. See, I spend Sunday having all these great ideas come to me, but I can't do anything about them because I've made a personal decision not to write on Sundays, so by the time Monday morning hits, I'm rarin' to go. My kids had some other ideas today, though, namely my four-year-old who is really going on thirteen. But ... all that notwithstanding, I did just write a tiny little bit. A tiny, tiny little bit. To the tune of 354 words. But hey, it's progress, right??

Here is your LOL Cat for the day:

See you tomorrow ... I'm going to totally smoke it with 1,000 words tomorrow. Just watch me!

Saturday Night Fever

2009-07-11T22:49:00.003-06:00

I'm a little warm because it's hot outside, but I don't find myself particularly feverish. Therefore, the title of this blog is a misnomer, except for the fact that it is Saturday night. I'm only lying to you 50%, in case like that.

I just hammered out 1,059 words and while I'm not sure if they're any good, they're 1,059 words I didn't have before. It's progress.

Thanks for your updates, guys - I'm glad to know things are going well for you. And for those of you for whom it's not ... well, all I can say it, keep plugging away. It will level out if you keep at it long enough. That's what makes the difference between a finished book and an unfinished book - the determination of the writer.

Rukia sent me over some great LOLCats specifically for this writing challenge blog. Here's one of them for your enjoyment.

Thursday Night Update

2009-07-09T23:38:00.003-06:00

I just added another 986 words to the manuscript, bringing me up to 27,771. Go, Tristi! I also came to the end of all the stuff I'd already written, so when I sit down at the computer tomorrow, I'll be forging out into the unknown. Well, not entirely unknown - I have the remainder of the plot roughed out in my mind. Now to put it to paper!

Hope you're all doing well. Keep up the good work!

And, I promised you an LOL Cat a day ... here you go. I hope it's okay to throw in a bunny once in a while.