project hammer echo

Daily updates on manuscript progress, warts and all.

current manuscript size

72,156

includes the outline as I absorb it into the prose

first draft wordcount

71,400

in theory, these two numbers will match in the end
Jun 19
742
Light first day back at the manuscript. Aiming to be back to full-speed next week. So close to the finish line.
Jun 5
1134
Finally back into a scene, and it feels good. Now I take the writing back on the road for the next week and a half, so we'll see how I do.
Jun 4
635
Wading back into the draft, and my brain feels like scrambled eggs—you know, the runny kind. Do better tomorrow.
Jun 3
3091
Dumped a lot of outline notes into the draft. Tomorrow, start drafting over them. Feels like I've been away from the book for a LONG time.
May 27
711
Found more notes, so into the rough outline they go. Next I'll copy and paste all of this into the manuscript. Finally!
May 24
0
Can I get a Mulligan?
May 23
957
Found a bunch of notes and added them to the outline. The preparation continues.
May 22
0
Work intervened with my plans.
May 21
466
I think I finished the outline. Tomorrow, I'll add the pieces to the manuscript and get back to the draft. Won't lie, I'm a bit anxious.
May 20
929
Back to wrap up the outline after a two-week road trip break. Should get back to the draft this week.
May 1
0
Outline and timeline work.
Apr 30
0
Outline and timeline work.
Apr 29
0
Outline and timeline work.
Apr 28
0
Weeknd off
Apr 27
0
Weekend off
Apr 26
0
Client work, but mad a little step on the outline.
Apr 25
0
Client work logjam.
Apr 24
0
Client work all day and night, but I was super productive on my walk, and figured out a lot of necessary character an timeline elements.
Apr 23
0
On hold. Sidelined with client work.
Apr 22
0
Mired in timeline maddness.
Apr 21
0
Weekend off.
Apr 20
0
Weekend off
Apr 19
0
Timeline, outline, and character development.
Apr 18
0
Timeline, outline, and character development.
Apr 17
0
Timeline, outline, and character development.
Apr 16
0
Digging into the outline.
Apr 15
1536
Looks like I ran out of outline track to run at high speed.
Apr 14
0
Day off.
Apr 6
0
My weekly pace empties my writing tank, so I'm talking the weekend off.
Apr 12
2030
Another solid week of writing. Will work some more on the outline. The more I write, the more I see the holes.
Apr 11
2185
Writing a reflective chapter. You throw enough crap at a character, they deserve these every so often.
Apr 10
2094
Another rainy morning of words. Finished one chapter, wrote another, then began a third. Happy to pass the 60k mark.
Apr 9
2063
Good day of rainy writing.
Apr 8
2052
My trick for drafting is, don't worry about the things you don't know the answer to for now. Make a note and solve the problem when you know more.
Apr 7
0
Writing day off.
Apr 6
0
Attended monthly writing group, and took a swing at the logline for the new book.
Apr 5
2002
Woke up fuzzy and achy and things didn't improve. Took an afternoon swing and motored through to a personal best week of drafting.
Apr 4
2093
Another quick chapter, plus the beginning of a big event for the protagonist! Can't wait to write it tomorrow.
Apr 3
2108
Started a new chapter, got two sentences in, and realized I needed to write an intermediary chapter—so I did.
Apr 2
2024
When it's not brutally hard to write a mystery, it's really fun.
Apr 1
2032
Felt like my fingers were glued together at the start, then "POOF" a bunch of words appeared.
Mar 31
693
Nice light weekend writing. Still writing about food, not sure why.
Mar 30
783
Some late night inspiration.
Mar 29
1602
Solid day at the keyboard.
Mar 28
1581
Late start after a productive meeting with critique partner.
Mar 27
1719
Keeping the ball rolling. I wonder what's easier. Building-up writing stamina, improving my typing speed/accuracy, or developing a clearer image in my head of what I'm writing?
Mar 26
1618
Short, but productive day at the keybaord.
Mar 25
1890
A good day of writing. Hope I can increase my daily numbers, but I seem to hover between 1,500 and 2,000.
Mar 24
0
Taking the weekend off.
Mar 23
0
Taking the weekend off.
Mar 22
1087
Tripping and stumbling to the end of the week. Need to recalibrate and clear my head.
Mar 20
421
An unproductive day all around.
Mar 19
1105
Turns out I'm a delicate flower. I go to bed too late, I wake up late, and my day falls behind. There's always tomorrow.
Mar 18
1575
Tons to do today, so have to cut it short.
Mar 17
595
Perfect weather to write on the porch.
Mar 16
531
Easy weekend session before we head off to some live music and then watch Dune Part 2
Mar 15
2366
A full day to make up for some travel days.
Mar 14
1032
First meeting with critique partner since beginning this project. Worth every word I didn't write.
Mar 13
1517
More jet lagged writing, from the other direction. Hit the mark, now onto other things.
Mar 12
1678
Up at 3:15 for a day of travel and reentry home. Wrote on both plane rides and mushed my fingers over the keyboard before calling it a night
Mar 11
650
Snuck some words in before the troops woke.
Mar 10
0
family time continues and away from keyboard
Mar 9
0
Kneed deep in family and trying to accept the being on vacation.
Mar 8
284
Lite day at the keyboard, but heavy with family.
Mar 7
2204
Two-leg flight across the country makes for good writing.
Mar 6
1617
Feeling out a pivotal scene, and breaking 20k!
Mar 5
1800
Two new scenes. Writing about a deli, makes me hungry.
Mar 4
1821
No sleep last night, but hit the keys hard.
Mar 3
632
Chill weekend writing.
Mar 2
547
Morning weekend writing time.
Mar 1
1164
A long, broken-up day of writing.
Feb 29
1264
Jet lagged and back at the desk.
Feb 28
1672
Made it back home and hammered out the words.
Feb 27
321
Packing, housecleaning, snowstorm, and family dinner won.
Feb 26
790
Big day of skiing, lite day of writing.
Feb 25
1113
In-between ski days is a great time to write in the Rockies.
Feb 24
543
Short weekend day of family and driving.
Feb 23
1032
Hit my minimum, despite a day of skiing.
Feb 22
1372
AM bed session & afternoon car session.
Feb 21
1038
Two plane leg travel day to our ski getaway.
Feb 20
1121
Short day, good words.
Feb 19
1189
First full-day at the writing desk.
Feb 18
532
Short weekend day at the manuscript.
Feb 17
548
One-hour first [weekend] day of drafting.
Feb 16
1866
Entered hand edits into manuscript
Feb 15
1713
Entered hand notes into manuscript
Feb 14
1768
Input hand notes into manuscript
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