Donna Maree Hanson, Author, Phd in Creative Writing

So it’s officially day four of the writers’ retreat and I have a few observations about myself.

I don’t have too much trouble focusing. In fact, I zone out and miss out on the conversations around the table, particularly the ones about me.

I cannot write anywhere near as fast or as much as I used to. I don’t know why that is. There is RSI, which limits me to about 5000 words a day. However, I’m finding even that hard for some reason.

I have a plot summary for this novel I’m writing, but at times it is not very helpful. I have to invent stuff and then today I found that I had left out a portion of the novel because it was going to wrap up too early. I sort of knew instinctively that I was rushing things  around chapter 7, but when I looked at where I was at today I was certain I had. So I’ve been back there, expanding scenes. I’d completely left out Emmett’s point of view from about chapter 8. He’s important to Sage, and he’s the other point of view character, so smack me on the butt. I guess I got caught up in what is happening to Sage. When I’ve finished the story arc, I’ll have to go back and look at the pacing and the balance of action and character. This has been the most challenging thing I’ve written and I really do want to finish the draft. I think it’s going to be fab. I hope it’s going to be fab.

Nicole Murphy and I were chatting this morning and she said we aren’t normal. Writing 5000 words a day was not normal. 2000 to 3000 words was more normal for a writer. I’m like, but we used to write 10,000 words, 9000 and 8000. Yep, says Nicole that wasn’t normal, either.

The point is my hyperactivity button is broken. It won’t engage. I don’t have the head space to write 10,000 words. I’m finding pushing to 5000 a day a bit draining and really, really hard. Perhaps it’s this book. I don’t know.

But 5000 per day for 10 days will yield 50,000 words and maybe the end of this book. Technically, we have 12 to 13 writing days on this retreat. We usually bugger off for at least one of them for a Kirkpatrick tour.

I’m also trialling revising a draft of another book in the afternoons, evenings. So far this is working out okay. I’m not doing a lot, but I’ve started and that’s usually the hard part-opening up the document and starting the revision/edit. I want this particular novel out to beta readers this month.

Enough of my whinging!

A new interview will be along soon.