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Winter Writing Festival: Week Six Check-In
 Posted by Sara Ramsey Feb 22 2012, 12:01 am in check-in Wednesday, motivation, Pep Talk, perserverance, Winter Writing Festival Where has the winter gone? It’s already time for the Winter Writing Festival Week Six check-in, and we’re entering the home stretch. There’s ONE WEEK LEFT (said in a British “Mind the Gap” voice, so as to incite calm progress rather than screaming panic). Some of you have been plugging away at your goals and making consistent daily/weekly progress. If you’re one of those people, stand up and take a bow! I wholeheartedly applaud you (even while wondering how you did it, since ‘making consistent daily progress’ has never been one of my traits). You only have to keep it up another week. And once this week is over, hopefully you’ll carry those great habits into the rest of the year and achieve more than you thought was possible. Some of you have been working in fits and starts, catching up some weeks and falling behind in others. That’s fine too! I’m a big believer in celebrating all progress, whether you technically hit your goal or not. If last week just wasn’t been your week, for any reason, don’t be shy about checking in anyway. No matter how much or how little progress you made, you’re still moving forward. You’re still eligible to win some of the book giveaways below (and get some encouragement/commiseration/motivation in the comments section). And you still have a week to catch up. There will be more sprints to help motivate you, and I’m sure you’re not going to be alone if you’re chained to your desk writing frantically this weekend. We’re in the home stretch. The best part of this week is that it’s not quite the end — so you still have some time to catch up, wrap up, and end on a high note! And no matter whether you “win” or not, I would encourage you to think about what worked for you over the past few weeks and replicate it whenever you write, not just during the festival. If you love sprints, use Twitter to meet up with other writers and sprint there. If you like the accountability of a points system, suggest doing something similar with your critique partners. I would love to hear any strategies you’ve found useful for meeting your daily/weekly goals, whether you’ve applied them consistently or not! Anyone who checks in today (on the Ruby blog – check in there if you’re reading this on the WWF site!) is eligible to win one of the following:
In addition, if you report in and say I MET MY WEEKLY GOAL (in all caps), you’re eligible for the drawing for any of these awesome prizes:
Best of luck, everyone! Here’s hoping we all meet our goals by February 29!
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Moving right along, and enjoying it so much. Found another contrary time line I need to unravel, but it’s doable. Thank goodness for the sprints! I’m sure I’ll be writing this weekend, I’d love to make it to that 50 mark!
Yay, Gillian! I enjoyed sprinting with you earlier this week…or was it last week? Man, time goes quickly sometimes!
You’ll make that 50k mark.
You can do it, Gillian! See you in the sprints!!
Yay Gillian! You can make it! I’m working through all sorts of timeline issues myself, so I feel your pain
I MADE MY GOAL!!
I barely made my goal this week, but got there! Most of my word count came in writing a synopsis and query for a submission, so wish me luck on those
Congrats to everyone who made their goal and keep working hard to those who didn’t! You’ll get there!
Thanks!
I had to write a synopsis, too. Ugh. Hooray on getting it done and out on submission!!
Yay, Jennifer!! Good luck with the submission!!
Congrats Jennifer! And best of luck with the submission – that’s fantastic progress!
I made my weekly goal and AVENGING ANGEL is now in production. No more edits – yay!! Now I get to work on the cover fact sheet. Which means I’ve spent the last few days paring down a lengthy synopsis to 1-2 paragraphs. It’s currently at about 8 paragraphs, so I’ll meet that goal today and send it out the door.
That’s so cool, Anne Marie! Ruby heels clicking away for you!
Yay!
Congratulations, Anne Marie! So happy for you! I just turned in my 1st set of Carina edits last week and am biting my nails to see if they’re accepted.
Congratulations, Anne Marie – so happy for you that AVENGING ANGEL is done
I’m actually heading straight off to do some sprints!
We should be at 44 points by the end of today if we’re 100% on target, and I’m at 41. But I think I may actually get there if my kids stay asleep a little longer and I stay in the sprints!
Good luck with the sprints – I hope they work for you! I swear next year I’ll try them – I’m such a bad Ruby. It sounds like they’ve been a lot of fun and very productive at the same time!
So good! I just couldn’t get my writing butt in gear this morning until I signed in to the sprints–and then I wrote pretty much solid for a little more than an hour and got the remaining points I needed to be up to 44!! It felt great!
I MADE MY GOAL!!! The best part was hitting my points on top of writing a synopsis (which I hadn’t listed as a point possibility, because at the start of the festival, I didn’t have a contract requiring one in less than a month). A shout out to my fellow 10 pm sprinters.
Woo-hoo, Christi!!!!
Yay Christi!! Synopses should really count double – they’re evil enough to deserve their own special point category. Congrats on hitting your goal!
I MADE MY GOAL – but just barely – I caught a cold or flu or something this last week. UGH.
Still hoping to finish my WIP by the end of February… Baby stepping to the end.
Go, go, go, Lynn!!!
You’ll make it! I hope you feel better soon.
Get well soon, Lyn!
I made my Goal!! I can’t tell you how much I love the sprints and how much fun it’s been getting to know some of the Rubies better. I’ve learned that lots of you will be in Anaheim and I’m so looking forward to seeing you in person! Can you tell I’m a total people person? Who cares about the WIP? LOL – that’s not true, of course, but I’ve kept moving this month because of the festival, and I thank you, RSS!
I’m at 47 points and my final goal of the festival is to finish my WIP this week. It’s supposed to be turned in to my agent by March 15. Can you see the humor in this? But, I aim to give it my best shot and come as close as I can. Fortunately, editing is easier for me than creating.
Thanks again — it’s been a really fun 44 days so far!
Awesome, Liz!!!!
Congrats on making your goal! I’ll be in Anaheim too – can’t wait to meet you there!
I’ve forgotten to check in the past two weeks but finally (after how long it seems aha?) I managed to meet my goals these past three weeks. It’s felt great and while I’m no where near where I want to be in my WIP I know I’ll eventually get there.
Crap! Forgot to put I MET MY WEEKLY GOAL. You can see I’m on top of things can’t you lol
Congrats, Tia!!!!
lol – you’re still eligible to win
So glad that you’re meeting your goals and that you’re seeing progress! Good luck with finishing this project!
I MADE MY GOALS!!!
And then some. LOL. I got my FULL request sub’d this week. Now I’m gearing up for an editor pitch. Am going back through different story to up the conflict. Can never have enough of that stuff. *G* Don’t know if I’ll have the edits done by the end of the festival but I’ll be well on my way thanks to the wonderful sprints and the great company.
Now, must go update my points. Sheesh. Everything fell behind in my rush to get the ms out the door. *G*
That’s awesome that you got your full request out!! Congrats!
The points are the least of it, Jenn. I update when I think about it (which isn’t terribly often!) because the points are our personal barometer. Nobody is checking up to see if you’ve been a good girl. We’ll leave being wardens to those trained for the job. (Oops. That’s right; most of us are moms. Delete that last bit. *G*)
The big deal is YOU’VE MADE YOUR GOALS!! So very happy for you. Good luck with the sub! Keep us posted.
Hurray! So glad you got it done and out, Jennifer! That’s a huge step–and I hope a quick step to a sale!!
I MADE MY GOAL. I did more brainstorming/plotting and editing this week than actual writing. However, I hope all of that plotting and editing makes writing so much easier this week
Brainstorming/plotting is super important – as someone who has rewritten vast chunks of every project she’s worked on, I’ll never again underestimate the importance of spending some quiet time brainstorming rather than just jumping into the deep end
Congrats on meeting your goal!
Don’t downplay the importance of brainstorming, delia. It’s as much a part of writing as setting words down. Without the ideas, the understanding of where we’re headed, we’d all be writing gibberish!
Even a tempest in a teacup is better than no storm at all, so it all counts toward you writing goals. Huzzah for you!!!
I MADE MY GOAL. But sadly have not been able to make up the points I lost in the early going. But I do think the revisions to the current book will be finished this afternoon and off to the editor — A WHOLE WEEK EARLY.
impressive! congrats!
Awesome! Congrats on finishing the book!
WOOT!!!
So cool! That’s awesome!
I have not made my goal this week. I’ve been working every day, just somehow I never get to my WIP. Very frustrating.
Sigh – I know how that feels. I’ve been working nonstop, it feels like, but so much of it has been on marketing/promo/publishing stuff. Hopefully I’ll start writing new stuff again next week. Best of luck to you! And I hope THE GOOD DAUGHTER does amazingly well!
Jump in to a sprint, sister! Really, just half an hour and you’ll get something meaningful done!
Thanks, Sara, and back at you! Thanks, Elisa, I’m running a sprint in the morning at oh-dark-hundred. That would be 5 am EST. Hoping to get some writing done then! Hm, is there a sprint tonight? I’m doing a critique but my little brain keeps wandering off to inconsequential things like cooking dinner, such a bother. Just checked, there’s a sprint going on now, I’ll go throw some food at the family and try to catch the last of it.
I MADE MY GOAL despite spending a long weekend at the beach with college girlfriends. I kept to my usual first-thing-in-the-morning writing schedule, and had most of my BICHOK time in before anyone else even woke up.
That’s dedication
I’m massively impressed that you were disciplined enough to write while on vacation. I bow to you, good woman
Sounds pretty perfect to me!!
Just thinking about this is making me crave coffee! You’re a better woman than I!
This was the first week that I didn’t get 7 points or more
I’m sitting at 49 points right now because of all the days early on when I doubled down. I have done *something* related to writing every day, so I’ve met that particular goal, but I’ve just had a hard time getting my momentum back since I’m done with my draft and shifting between two different MS in editing.And life, especially grading, has just kicked my behind this week. Am making it to a sprint today come heck or high grading 
That’s so great that you doubled down early, though – ‘winning’ is still totally within reach! And I do think it takes some time to shift from writing mode to editing mode – you’ll probably be better off for it if you have a few days’ perspective. Good luck with the edits! (and the grading – ugh)
Sara’s right, Annabeth. Let it “cook” for a bit so you can look at it with fresh eyes. This is where those extra points will serve you well.
Congrats on finishing the manuscript. There are a gazillion unfinished manuscripts under half that number (that is a number, isn’t it?) beds. You’ve won that particular battle. Keep up the good work!
Absolutely, Annabeth–get into a sprint, and before too long you’ll find the magic in the manuscripts you put aside to finish the other.
And 49 is amazing!
a big YIPPEE to everyone who made their goals. You are amazing.
seconded! I’m in awe!
I almost made my goal, but had two slacker days that put me behind. I’m looking to catch up this next week!
You can do it! And two slacker days isn’t really that bad – it could be a slacker month like I had over the holidays
Good luck finishing the festival!
I MADE MY GOAL!!!! I’m so excited!!! During this festival I’ve woven a full 8,000 additional words into my WIP, I’ve finished the deep revisions, done my first run edits, AND will start my final run tomorrow. And best part….I love my story even more! And never fear, if I finish that before the end of the festival…there’s another book warming up in the bull pen! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS EVENT!!
WOOT! CONGRATS! that’s awesome that you’ve made so much progress and are getting so close to finishing. And thank YOU for participating – the more people involved, the more motivating (and more fun!) the event is! Best of luck as you finish!
Lovely to hear it, Lisa!!!
I did not make my goals this week. Yesterday was one of those awful days where I felt like I was off kilter all day and I realized that since last year’s RSSWWF if I go more than two days without writing I get CRANKY! So thanks for helping me establish my habit. So even if I don’t “win” I know I am reinforcing that habit that will move my writing forward.
I did get to enjoy the long weekend with college friends and our kids. I also figured out what scenes I need between where I am now and when I get to the end. So, sometimes not being able to work frees up that creative part of the brain that gets stuck from staring a problem in the face too long.
You’ve just had an epiphany, Kristina! It’s one that seems counterintuitive, yet I don’t know a single writer who doesn’t need that “down time” to let the brain wander where it will.
I garden in the summer for just that reason–well, not just. I also like to play in the dirt
–and in the winter, fold laundry, mop a floor, anything I can pretty much do on autopilot. It’s healthy and necessary. Now, you’ve truly made the “sit in a room and stare at the walls” club!
We all have those weekend (or days, or weeks), Kristina – but I’m so glad to hear that the WWF hardwired you to need writing time at least every couple of days
Hopefully now that the long weekend is over you can get back in gear!
I MADE MY GOALS—-and finished my love scene that gave me fits. I can see the faint outline of THE END in the distance. Onward and upward!
Woo-hoo, Gwynlyn!!!! You’re nearly there!!
Yay – congrats Gwynlyn! Good luck turning that faint outline of ‘the end’ into reality!
While I’m doing MUCH better, I still only met my goal like twice this week. Sigh… Congrats to EVERYONE who met their goals!!! *throws confetti!*
I do love confetti
*throws more confetti*
You just had a book come out – makes sense that hitting the goals is hard. Fingers crossed for you, though – and I can’t wait for your YA books! (which may not be what you want to hear right now, but good luck anyway
I MADE MY GOAL THIS WEEK – just. Still a sprint virgin, but I’ve got a week to go!
Congrats Cia! I’ve never done a sprint either – as I said, I’m a bad Ruby
But the points count whether you sprint or not, thank goodness.
Goals? What are they? I’m working like a dog, but the goal I set for myself at the beginning of the WWF are but a distant memory. Next year, I’m setting myself a flat number of hours a day of working at my career.
lol – that’s a good idea. I actually do a pretty good job of meeting my overall yearly goals, but if I set daily goals, I’m such a perfectionist/procrastinator that I’m never satisfied with myself. Which is why the WWF isn’t my best friend – but I’m on track with what I intended to accomplish for the last six weeks, even if writing down daily goals might have made me cry. Good luck with everything, Laurie!
I MADE MY GOAL!!!
Cue huge sigh. Trying to balance my writing with my kids’ basketball seasons has been an adventure. Tomorrow my oldest competes in the quarter-finals for his high school’s division, and I’m biting my nails.
Congratulations, Heidi!! And good luck to your son’s team – I’m sure balancing the writing with all the demands of chauffeuring (if he’s not old enough to drive), attending, etc., has been rough! Great job getting your writing in despite the craziness
Congrats to everyone who made their goal! I fell behind last week, due to ‘real life’ (didn’t even make it to the check in) but I’m making up for it this week, and catching up, thanks to the sprints, it’s amazing the difference they make. Thanks to the lovely ladies who’ve been hosting them!
Great job, Lyn! There’s still time to catch up, so good luck finishing strong.
I MET MY GOAL!
Despite broken refrigerators, Lousy Maintenance, and the sprint to finish this contest entry. However, since I’m still working on that last part, and really need to get a move on, I can’t make a long post this time!
Congrats to all who made their goal, and to those who didn’t, it’s not ever with yet, keep writing, you’ll catch up!
~Tiana~
Congrats again, Tiana–you’re rocking it!!
I MADE MY GOAL. I’m not sure how or than pure determination. No new words just edits and maybe if I’m really lucky my newest book might be live by this weekend.
Everyone talks about getting lucky. It’s true that there is an element of luck to finding your readership. Only a very few are lucky and take off with a bang. But if you look closely you will often find that those lucky ones write for a niche market where there is an established readership. But the vast majority of authors just plug away, cross their fingers and celebrate a few sales.
Determination is what allows us to meet our goals.
Determination to write the book is what gets us through the writing process. Determination to create the best possible product is what gets us through the edits. Determination to create or find the best possible cover. Determination to format it correctly. Determination to succeed will force us to promote what we’ve written. Determination is the force behind success.
If you are determined, you will find the time to succeed.
E.
What fabulous advice!!!!
Good luck getting the new book live! We’ll be pulling for you!
I MADE MY GOAL! If I remember correctly, I’m either 1 or 2 points away from 50
This Festival has been awesome!! Met so many great writers that I hope to keep in contact with.
I’ve been chatting with a few people about either getting another chat room going or see if this one could be left open and keep sprinting. Set a few times, but no scheduled moderators. I know I for one am really going to miss these sprints when they’re over next week. (NOOOOOOO)I don’t know who we need to talk to, but my interest is out there Rubies!!
Congrats to those who made their goals and you still have a week for those just a little behind.
Melanie
Congrats again, Melanie!!
I’m still working on the chat room question–I agree it would be great!
I did it! Another week where I wrote on four different days. Very cool.
I’m close to making the full Winter Festival points, but I missed making one week…so next week I’ll have to write five times if I want to make up for it.
That’s going to be tough, given my insane schedule for the next week (umm…crunch week at work, anyone?), but I’m going to try.
Either way, though, I’m already feeling like a winner, given how much I’ve gotten done over the past 6 weeks. Whoo-hoo!
Hurray, Elise! What great winter progress!
I MADE MY GOALS!
Wow! Can’t believe it’s week six already. I’m really going to miss everyone when the Festival is over. Not only are the Sprints productive, they’re heartwarming. Between the crazy writing sessions, I’ve met so many wonderful writers and made a number of new friends too. Love the generosity of everyone I’ve met and I’m proud to share vicariously in what each of you has achieved!
Hopefully the Rubies will be able to keep the Sprints open during the remainder of the year.
~Hugs All Around!!~
Patti
Awesome, Patti!! And yes, the sprints are invaluable!!
I MET MY WEEKLY GOAL! Though a bit late checking in.
Cheers to one more week!
Congrats, Colleen!! Let’s hope we all have a super-productive week ahead!!
Hey all – just so you know, I haven’t forgotten about the prizes, and everyone checking in before this post is eligible
I’ll draw them tomorrow and get in contact with the winners! And congrats for finishing another week – just one more to go!