Day Eight – December 31, 2025 (Wednesday) (Continued)
By the time I ended my last post, I hadn’t accomplished much. I finally got the engines revving and completed the first chapter of Book 5. YAY!🎉
Day Nine – January 1, 2026 (Thursday)
I realized last night that I needed to add more bulk to chapter one. I spent all morning fleshing it out.
After lunch, I started work on chapter two. I didn’t stop until I finished it.
When it comes to writing a first draft, one chapter a day is about all I can take before my butt gets too numb from sitting. 🤣
Day Ten – January 2, 2026 (Friday)
A rough draft is supposed to be bad. That can mean it either feels like a lump of coal or a diamond in the rough. I’m encouraged by the thought that it’s a rough diamond. It just takes time to dig through the dirt to find it.
Today felt like a slog in the mud.
Even though I know what’s supposed to happen in chapter three, it doesn’t seem to want to roll out of my brain. I spent most of the day organizing my notes. By the time all the moving parts started taking on a semblance of order, I’d lost a lot of “daylight.”
I finally know where this chapter is headed, but this is Day Ten, and I’m losing momentum. I’d love to take tomorrow off, but my invisible audience spurs me on. I refuse to break my promise to them. Even if they don’t exist, and nobody will read this post, I can’t stop this late into the challenge.
Thankfully, by the end of the day, I’d completed the first half of chapter three.
Day Eleven – January 3, 2026 (Saturday)
It doesn’t matter how often I remind myself that I’m writing a rough draft; it’s still hard to let go of my need for perfection.
I started the day with all the notes I needed. It took longer than expected, but chapter three is finished. I even had time to start work on chapter four notes.
Day Twelve – January 4, 2026 (Sunday)
Not much to say, except I ended my twelve days of writing by finishing chapter four of Book 5.
Tonight, I rest. Tomorrow, I begin my online editing course.
Happy writing!
Well done, Aud! It’s impressive how you pushed through and got so much done. You’re a good role model. It inspires me to get more done on my novel. 😊