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Colds, Caffeine, and Counts

Posted on November 18, 2015 by Loni Townsend

I took a week off! Did you miss me?

After a week of holing up in my garage with my computer, several cans of Red Bull, and space heater to avoid the children, I’ve managed to get a decent amount of words dedicated to Isto:

Though my word count looks good, I’m actually behind. That image shows the added word count of two documents: Stuff I’m going to keep, and stuff I wrote but will probably throw out.

The stuff I’m going to keep is sitting at 28034. That means I need to get 2K in today to be on point.

Unfortunately, I caught a cold this past weekend and that’s tanked my productivity in the creative areas. Oh sure, work is happy I’m back, and I’ve been pounding out code like a beast. But this battle with the shadow monster is taking a bit of effort to think about. If I stick to the “plan” I made, then I have about six scenes left to write in this POV I’m working in. That should be enough to make my 50K.

If you haven’t read Thanmir War or This World Bites, please consider picking up a copy while they are on sale for 99 cents. Thanmir War is an epic fantasy, and This World Bites is a humor fantasy novella (making it a quick read). Thanmir War is book 1 in the Niniers series, and Isto is book 2.

Here are the sale links:

Thanmir War
This World Bites

Then you can check out the other titles on sale for Milo Fowler’s #99centnovember event!

Here’s a sample of my NaNoWriMo keep file (name removed for spoiler sake):

He stood on the edge of a cliff, looking over at the dizzying drop below. He swallowed hard and scooted away. “You want me to transform?”
“Yes.” Ocher scratched the back of her head, making her short spiky hair stand up more. “We have covered using Nature’s energy externally by soothing beasts—”
“When you trapped Terrance in a cave with a rabid bear.”
“—connecting to the land to find what you seek—”
“When you abducted Mika and buried her underground where she nearly suffocated.”
“—and changing another being physically by healing.”
“After you sliced Satch’s thigh open.” He glanced again at the cliff, and his stomach twisted tighter. This idea looked worse by the moment.

Have you been productive in your writing lately? Where do you hide to get writing done? Have you found mice in your garage like I have?

24 thoughts on “Colds, Caffeine, and Counts”

  1. CD Gallant-King says:
    November 18, 2015 at 8:45 AM

    Of course we missed you!

    I’m glad to hear someone is staying productive. My output has tanked this month, I’m extra glad I didn’t sign up for NaNo. Kids sick, wife sick, there just hasn’t been a time to sit down and get anything done. I wrote all of 2000 words last week (usually I write that a day) and I was excited to have gotten at least that much in.

    You’re on the home stretch! Keep pumping out those words!

    Reply
  2. Madeline Mora-Summonte says:
    November 18, 2015 at 8:45 AM

    Keep going with NaNo – you can do it!

    I’m aiming for 65,000 words since I’m using some previous work. This way, I’ll be covered word count-wise and can – and will! – declare myself a winner when the time comes. 🙂

    Reply
  3. Southpaw HR Sinclair says:
    November 18, 2015 at 9:28 AM

    Hiding away in the garage with only a space heater sounds chilly. Sounds like your hip-hopping along despite your cold. I was doing pretty good but the last few days have been less fruitful. 🙂

    Reply
  4. Chrys Fey says:
    November 18, 2015 at 11:13 AM

    Ugh. I hate it when I get a cold because I can’t write a single sentence until I’m better and well rested. I hope this cold doesn’t stick around and that you’re feeling better so you can reach your word count. Good luck!

    Reply
  5. Beth says:
    November 18, 2015 at 11:53 AM

    missed you!! I’ve been taking a break as well. I miss blogging but I NEED to focus on my WIP and that just doesnt get done when I’m actively blogging…but I’ll be back soon! and feel better!! 🙂

    Reply
  6. Alex J. Cavanaugh says:
    November 18, 2015 at 12:07 PM

    You can do it, Loni! Fight off that cold and any interfering children and make it happen.

    Reply
  7. Crystal Collier says:
    November 18, 2015 at 1:38 PM

    I missed you! I’ve been consumed by this book I’m drafting. 47K and rising. It seems to be going slow though, and that kills me. (So impatient.)

    LOVE that little teaser from your NaNo. Hilarious!

    Reply
  8. Pat Hatt says:
    November 18, 2015 at 1:55 PM

    Colds sure can sink creativity. But keep on pumping out the words.

    Reply
  9. J.C. Jackson says:
    November 18, 2015 at 2:02 PM

    There is no hiding for me. Most of the time I have a 3 year old in my face while I’m trying to write. Or work. Or do something that obviously is far more interesting than anything she was previously doing.

    Yay! Go on NaNo!

    Reply
  10. Mary Pax says:
    November 18, 2015 at 2:49 PM

    Get better soon! Of course, you were missed. Sounds like you’re making good progress.

    I started my next book , then erased it and started over. Now I’m in ‘final produciton’ of my next book, and everything else has been shoved to the side.

    Reply
  11. Christine Rains says:
    November 18, 2015 at 6:34 PM

    I hope you’re better soon. And that’s awesome progress! I’ve been having a good writing week too. The mice around here like to get into the wall behind my stove for some reason. We rarely get them. It’s the moles in the backyard that are the biggest pests.

    Reply
  12. Elizabeth Seckman says:
    November 18, 2015 at 8:27 PM

    You are a trooper!! I can’t stand the cold. I’d have to try to write with the kids. Which is impossible, so I’d end up staring at the screen and nagging at people for some peace and quiet.

    I hope you feel better!

    Reply
  13. Roland Clarke says:
    November 19, 2015 at 5:57 AM

    You’re doing great considering everything – and I know what the weather has been like in Boise recently. Sense that you can do it – and you sound inspired. Go for it.

    I’ve got no reason not to be writing so ahead of target, on 43,823 words… and the plot is heading away frim the outline.

    Reply
  14. Leandra Wallace says:
    November 19, 2015 at 6:11 AM

    I had to smile at your description of what you must do to get writing in. Hiding from the little beasties in the garage, lol! 😉 You’re doing amazing though, I would never have 20K+ words in this amount of time, ever. Hope your cold gets better!

    Reply
  15. Elizabeth Otten says:
    November 19, 2015 at 10:43 AM

    Colds can be very distracting and kill creativity, I had some severe cold or allergy symptoms last week and all I wanted to do was lie down and do nothing. When I really want to focus on my writing, I hide in my bedroom and lock the cats out.

    Reply
  16. Lexa Cain says:
    November 19, 2015 at 3:20 PM

    So sorry you haven’t been feeling well, but yay for all the progress you’ve made! I’m a NoNo NaNo person — it’s way too hard for me to write that fast. Giant kudos to you for doing it. You rock!! 🙂

    Reply
  17. C.G.Coppola says:
    November 19, 2015 at 5:10 PM

    Lady, the fact that you have children AND mice AND a cold AND are still writing is a feat in itself. Be proud of all your awesomeness! The rest of us are 🙂 And of course we missed you!

    When are we going to see some more steam punk pics of you?! Or was that a one time thing?

    Reply
  18. Sarah says:
    November 19, 2015 at 9:03 PM

    Loved the excerpt. 🙂 Nice word count. I know, I know. It’s not what it seems… Well I’m not doing NaNo at all so you’re way ahead of me. And the count looks great. Hope you feel better very soon. (Or, since I’m late in replying, that you already are.) Keep going! No pressure but…when is the next Cera Chronicles coming out? 😉

    Reply
    1. Loni Townsend says:
      November 20, 2015 at 7:40 AM

      The next Cera Chronicle (Murder Most Fowl) needs a lot of work. I need to add more to it and smooth out some incoherent thoughts, but hopefully it’ll be ready in 2016. 🙂

      Reply
  19. Aldrea Alien says:
    November 19, 2015 at 9:26 PM

    I’m doing okay, partly because I pushed myself to do 2k every day that I could. Just as well seeing my family’s got me running ragged lately, especially my daughter. Still got the better part of 15k to do, but I will. I… Will…

    Reply
  20. Lori L. MacLaughlin says:
    November 20, 2015 at 11:08 AM

    Sorry to hear about your cold. Hope it’s getting better. Congrats on your writing progress! Great excerpt! It made me laugh. I get the most writing done when my kids are in school. I downloaded a copy of Thanmir War. It’s on my TBR list. Someday I’ll get a review written of This World Bites. And I have mice in my shed. Good luck with NaNo! You can make it!

    Reply
  21. Mason T. Matchak says:
    November 22, 2015 at 10:22 PM

    One of the advantages of living alone is that I don’t have to hide away to find writing time – I can sit here at my monolith of a desk and no one will bother me, because no one else is around. ^_^ But even if you have to hide, it’s good to hear that the writing’s going well for you. Hope you make your 50K by the month’s end.

    As for me, my writing’s been going all right, or at least my plotting has; last night, I figured out the basic plots for two different projects, both things I’ve had tucked away for at least a year. Everything kind of hit me all at once for both of them. O_o Now I just need to figure out the actual stories and make everything work. Gah.

    Reply
  22. Nicola says:
    November 25, 2015 at 12:48 AM

    Hope you are feeling better, Loni. Sounds like you are doing really well. Go Girl!! Just wanted to pop by to wish you a happy Thanksgiving. Hope you have lots of fun.

    Reply
  23. cathrina constantine says:
    November 25, 2015 at 6:15 PM

    Loni, I hope you’re feeling better. Sometimes we’ll do just about anything to find peace so we can write, even a chilly garage!!! Good Luck with Isto!!

    Reply

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Welcome to my blog. I post here on Wednesdays most of the time, but you can find me on social media any day of the week. My topics include my stories and writing, life at the Town's End, creating and tinkering with graphics, things I learn and think might be helpful to others, and the occasional amateur photo. Thanks for stopping by! I hope to see you around.

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