100 Day Project No. Two: Week One – Novel X

Week One
Monday, September 11th – Sunday, September 17th

Novel X

My original plan for my second 100 day project, as far as Novel X was concerned, was to post my daily writing to this blog.

I’ve since reconsidered this idea. I feel that posting my novel in tiny chunks like that isn’t wise. I suppose I’m a bit concerned that my ideas might get plagiarized. I feel less concerned about this for my poetry, perhaps because the poems feel more or less complete, while the novel, at the word count that I’ve set for myself, will take at least a couple of years to complete, and having it out in the wild for that long before it’s finished just isn’t smart.

In lieu of posting my actual work, I’m going post my word counts, maybe a sentence or two from the writing, the current state of affairs, and any thoughts or reflections I may have on the process itself.

Without further ado, let’s begin!

WORD COUNT FOR THIS WEEK

Day 1 (Monday, 9/11): 175 Words
Day 2 (Tuesday, 9/12): 148 Words
Day 3 (Wednesday, 9/13): 187 Words
Day 4 (Thursday, 9/14): 146 Words
Total Words: 656

Not too shabby! The minimum I’ve set for this 100 day project is 125 words for four days a week. It is a modest goal, to be sure, but attainable. And I will likely increase my word counts in subsequent projects as I become more accustomed to the daily practice of writing.

KNOW WHAT TO WRITE NEXT

This is some advice from none other than Ernest Hemingway:

The best way is always to stop when you are going good and when you know what will happen next. If you do that every day when you are writing a novel you will never be stuck. That is the most valuable thing I can tell you so try to remember it.

I’ve been a bit more conscious of this idea as I’ve been writing daily. It helps immensely to know that when you sit down to write, you’ll have something to write.

WHEN

This week I’ve written most of my words during my lunch break.

CONCLUSION

Well, that’s about it! So far, so good. This weekend I’ll be working on poetry!


The 100 Day Project

The 100 Day Project

The 100 Day Project is a creativity excavation. It’s about unearthing dormant or unrealized creativity by committing to a daily practice everyday for 100 days.
Creativity is a skill. The more we practice, the more skilled we become. Practice takes time. Practice takes commitment. Practice is a radical act in this speeded up world. Through practice, we develop a creative habit. Through habit, we reconnect with and know ourselves again as a creative being.

I started this 100 Day Project (my second one) on September 11th. Each week, I will write at least five hundred words of my novel. These words don’t necessarily have to be a polished product, but should, at least, be coherent and grammatically sound. I’ll also post two poems a week. These poems will be a bit more polished than first drafts. Most of the material will come from poetry that I wrote in my first 100 day project. In addition to writing the poems, I’m also going to read them, so that you may hear how they sound in my head. I’ve been told I have a pleasant voice, so I’m sure you won’t be disappointed. Lastly, I’ll create one blog post where I read a famous poem written by a real poet! I will also include a little history and fun facts about the poet.

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