The last 100m...

In June, I set out writing the first draft of my non-fiction manuscript.  I felt that my final word count would be around the 80,000 to 85,000 word range (though, with only one full novel manuscript behind me, it was still more like just a stab in the dark amount to aim for rather than a proper guess at what the word count would be).

Well, now, just short of two months later, after working on the manuscript close to every single day, my word count has now grown to a couple of hundred words short of 70,000 words.  And, with what I know I still need to write, I'm thinking I did a very good job with that original estimation!

I feel as though I am a track and field athlete. A runner who is running a 400 metre race. I got off to a strong start but now, as I approach the last bend in the track, where the finish line will soon come into sight, I'm tired and energy depleted and am looking to draw upon my reserves to give it my all, to hold my winning position, and bring it all the way cross the line.

I can hear the crowd in the stands cheering, urging me on.  Now, I can feel that burst of energy starting to kick in, right as I want and need it...

Wish me luck... I want to see that finish line any minute now!  It will help. Greatly.

Capturing Ideas, while they strike

As a writer, I always take a pen and small notebook with me in my handbag wherever I go. I have pens and paper within easy reach in various parts of my house too, like my coffee, dining and bedside tables; so I am always able to jot down ideas and or take notes when those ideas come to me. I have a smart phone that has a voice recorder on it, which I put to good, frequent use too; in the middle of the night, I can get back to sleep so much quicker if I just sleepily voice record my idea with my eyes shut rather than having to wake up and turn the light on to write the idea down.

But, my real claim to being 'strange' or 'a writer' is that in my kitchen I have two magnetic whiteboards adhered to my fridge, and marking pens close by on the bench next to the fridge. That way, I don't have to waste precious time to dry or clean my hands when an idea strikes while I'm washing up, or am cooking. 

When I first got those (free-gift) whiteboards a few years ago (almost the size of an A4 sheet of paper, from my local doctors and an expo), the kids and I used to just create our shopping list, and or write important messages to each other in case we missed each other because we all seemed to be on 'different shifts'.  Now, as it is mostly only my Bubbygirl and I at home (and we just send each other free SMS or Facebook messages), we still use the topmost whiteboard to write up our shopping list... and the spare whiteboard didn't get much of a work out, until I started writing again.

Now, I am amazed at how often great ideas and sentences come to me while I am washing up the dishes (I'll get around to fixing the dishwasher, one day!)

... Actually, I'm in the middle of a current writing project... and I'm wondering where I can get another magnetic whiteboard! My handwriting is quite large, and there isn't always enough room to write down everything. 

As soon as I find another one, I'll just have to go and dirty up a few more mugs and some dishes so I can give it a decent workout...