Day 1: 40k in 14-Days Writing Challenge
Starting Slow but Learning Lots
This Christmas season, I’m giving myself a big, fat, overdue gift: finishing my novel’s first draft. I’ve been dragging it out for over a year, juggling writer’s block, life stuff, and plain ol’ procrastination. But with the holidays and some downtime, I figured, why not go all in? That means cranking out a little over 40,000 words in just 14 days to bring my rough draft up to at least 70k words before the end of the year. I also figured I’d document the process to share with you all so you can see firsthand the ups, downs, breakthroughs, and meltdowns that come with a high word count writing challenge. Spoiler: Day 1 didn’t go perfectly, but hey, it’s all about progress, right? Here’s how it went.
The Numbers
Here are the cold, hard stats:
Date: 18/12/2024
Daily Word Count Goal: 3,102
Words Written: 1,761
Words Left to Write: 41,682
Okay, so I didn’t hit my goal, but I’m counting this as a win. That’s 1,761 words closer to the finish line, and for me, any forward motion is a victory.
How the Day Unfolded
Getting Started (AKA Fighting the Guilt): Honestly, the hardest part was just starting. I had this nagging guilt about writing instead of tackling other things on my to-do list. It was like my brain kept saying, “Are you sure this is the best use of your time?” By the time I finally sat down to write, it was already 2 PM. Not ideal.
The Workflow: Most of Day 1 was spent transcribing handwritten portions of my novel from my notebook to my computer. I’ve always loved writing by hand—it sparks creativity in a way typing doesn’t—but it’s also slow as all holy heck. I decided to switch to all-digital writing for the rest of the challenge.
The Evening Disappeared: My mom, grandma, and I had a planned theatre outing that I completely forgot about when I decided to take on this challenge which then took up the entire evening. It was great, but it also meant no nighttime writing window. Lesson learned: mornings are going to be crucial for this challenge.
The Good Stuff
Creative Wins: I fleshed out a new side character for my story! My FMC (female main character) has this morally gray unofficial “job” as a secret keeper in her town. She uses what she knows about the townsfolk to blackmail people, which keeps her family safe from persecution. Diving into how she ended up in this role gave me so much insight into her character. Big win.
Silent Writing: I usually write with music or background noise, but today, silence was golden. It helped me stay completely immersed in the world of my novel. That said, I’ll probably experiment with different vibes as the challenge goes on.
The Struggles
Editing as I Go: Oh man, I cannot stop tweaking my sentences while transcribing. It took me forever to transcribe this way. I’m hoping I can curb this habit because it’s definitely slowing me down.
Falling Short of My Goal: Not hitting my word count target stung. It’s hard not to feel like I’ve already messed up, but I’m trying to remind myself that it’s just Day 1. There’s plenty of time to catch up.
Lessons Learned
Start Earlier: Tomorrow, I’m setting my alarm for 5 AM. I need those quiet, uninterrupted morning hours to make real progress.
Go Digital: Writing by hand is great for brainstorming, but it’s not cutting it for a time-sensitive challenge like this. From now on, it’s all about typing.
Be Kind to Yourself: Falling short doesn’t mean failing. I’m learning to let go of perfectionism and focus on moving forward, even if it’s slower than I’d like.
My Little Boosts
Ambiance: While I didn’t use it much today, I’m planning to lean on playlists and ambiance tracks to keep me in the zone.
Self-Compassion: Reminding myself that progress is progress, no matter how small, is keeping me from spiraling into self-doubt.
Looking Ahead
Day 1 wasn’t perfect, but it’s a start. I’ve got a plan to adjust my workflow, start earlier, and stay flexible as I go. Tomorrow’s goal is to catch up on today’s shortfall and hit my new 4443-word target (bumping it up from 3102 to accommodate for the words missed today). Wish me luck, and stay tuned for more updates! If you’re thinking about doing something like this yourself, just dive in. It’s messy, it’s hard, but it’s also kind of amazing to watch yourself grow through it.
If you’ve been thinking about starting your own writing journey but you’re holding back, I totally get it—I’ve been there too. If you’re enjoying these updates, subscribe and let’s tackle the ups and downs of writing side by side one day at a time!