Den of Writers | December SloMo | Activity

Bren joined the group December SloMo

Fri, 25 Oct 2019 12:26:35 +0000

KazG posted an update in the group December SloMo: Hi SloMoers, how's it going? One bit of exciting news from […]

Tue, 16 Apr 2019 00:02:48 +0000

Hi SloMoers, how’s it going? One bit of exciting news from my own endless submission process – Danielle told me that Lisa (the Penguin editor) has confirmed she’s taking When Days Tilt to an acquisitions meeting after Easter!! Hooray! I thought she’d reject it so my gut feel was WRONG. Thank goodness. Still no guarantees of course, but one step in…[Read more]

KazG posted an update in the group December SloMo: OK I'm doing it! IT being Camp NaNo for April. I have to […]

Wed, 27 Mar 2019 01:32:16 +0000

OK I’m doing it! IT being Camp NaNo for April. I have to rewrite the book I did for NaNo anyway, as I’m now condensing what I thought were two more books into one – so this will be the only sequel to the book currently out on submission. I can re-use some of my November words but lots have to be written from scratch, and the structure had changed…[Read more]

Raine posted an update in the group December SloMo: Morning slomoers. I need a KICK goddammit. Please someone put […]

Mon, 18 Mar 2019 11:40:44 +0000

Morning slomoers. I need a KICK goddammit. Please someone put a knife to my throat or something. I am translating agent/publisher silence into a complete inability to motivate myself and GAH. And now the sun has only gone and come out and I have bulbs to plant so I see more procrastination happening…

Philippa East posted an update in the group December SloMo: Hi guys, Hope you're all getting on well. I have been […]

Wed, 13 Mar 2019 18:19:04 +0000

Hi guys,
Hope you’re all getting on well. I have been mostly crying in a corner since getting a further round of edits from the publisher / editor. 😭
I honestly though I was done when I sent her my draft in January, so this really knocked me for six. I am (once again) slowly working through them. Please send writerly fuel and hugs!

Philippa East replied to the topic You'll find us in the "activity" section..... in the forum December SloMo

Wed, 13 Mar 2019 18:15:48 +0000

Oh, thanks for sharing @kazg!

I just put this note up on the December SloMo section, because the forums were empty for it so it looked like there was no one here!

JaneShuff replied to the topic You'll find us in the "activity" section..... in the forum December SloMo

Wed, 13 Mar 2019 14:50:30 +0000

Hopefully it might work for me @kazg. Especially if I don’t have to start until April.

KazG posted an update in the group December SloMo: and thanks @elle! Still NO NEWS and I can't bear it...:-(

Tue, 12 Mar 2019 23:52:25 +0000

and thanks @elle! Still NO NEWS and I can’t bear it…:-(

KazG replied to the topic You'll find us in the "activity" section..... in the forum December SloMo

Tue, 12 Mar 2019 23:50:52 +0000

Is this where we post now? (bit embarrassed to admit I still don’t quite know how to navigate all the Den byroads…)

This popped into my intray and for me its good timing – Camp NaNoWriMo for April. You commit to a personal writing target for a month, much like NaNo but you choose the word count. I’ve been in planning and plotting mode for book…[Read more]

Elle posted an update in the group December SloMo: Thanks @philippaeast about the activity thread post! @kazg - […]

Mon, 11 Mar 2019 18:09:49 +0000

Thanks @philippaeast about the activity thread post! @kazg – sounds like you are on a real rollercoaster, just hang on and fingers crossed about that new editor.

Elle joined the group December SloMo

Mon, 11 Mar 2019 18:06:30 +0000

Philippa East started the topic You'll find us in the "activity" section..... in the forum December SloMo

Fri, 08 Mar 2019 14:48:10 +0000

We are here, just on the activity threads!

KazG posted an update in the group December SloMo: Good for you @philippaeast. You more than deserve that break! […]

Tue, 26 Feb 2019 10:46:55 +0000

Good for you @philippaeast. You more than deserve that break! What a rollercoaster in a whirlwind you’ve been riding, but also, what an awesome result. Do you have an outline for book 2?

My update is that backat the end of last year I thought that Penguin Random House had gone too quiet and all was lost (my agent was getting ready to go out on…[Read more]

Philippa East posted an update in the group December SloMo: I am planning to start working in earnest on Book 2 from […]

Fri, 22 Feb 2019 13:49:37 +0000

I am planning to start working in earnest on Book 2 from March onwards, after giving myself a break from writing / editing for all of February.
I hope you will help me my cheerleading / offering tea / kicking my butt, hard.
Hope you are all getting on well with your own writing tasks. xx

Raine posted an update in the group December SloMo: January update from Fife - Last week I thought that a) I'd […]

Mon, 21 Jan 2019 12:40:43 +0000

January update from Fife – Last week I thought that a) I’d never ever in the universe get to the end of the huge wip edits, b) not hit the word count target. And c) not get to write a short for RwaV in time. And d) just meh, really.
But since then, got to end of edits, hitting my word target, and now am mid first RwaV target with DAYS left in…[Read more]

Philippa East posted an update in the group December SloMo: Hey guys, how are you all doing? I am crawling very close to […]

Sun, 20 Jan 2019 16:21:02 +0000

Hey guys, how are you all doing? I am crawling very close to the finish line with this latest round of edits. I don’t honestly know how I’ve done it! Sheer bloody mindedness, I think. I’m hoping to do an overall read through over the next week to check it all hangs together, and then I think I’ll be done. Until the next round begins….
How are…[Read more]

Raine posted an update in the group December SloMo: First day of school hols, which means a final, wonderful end […]

Fri, 21 Dec 2018 13:05:34 +0000

First day of school hols, which means a final, wonderful end to all the school xmas events (slides into exhaustion coma…) AND I am now ALONE till sunday, for which YAAAAAY!!!

I’m half way through the book edit and have cut from 120k to 110k. Which means I’m on target to get to 100k… so far. I want to get to 99k for that subliminal 5figure…[Read more]

JaneShuff posted an update in the group December SloMo: Congratulations to my fellow December SloMo members on all […]

Thu, 20 Dec 2018 08:00:52 +0000

Congratulations to my fellow December SloMo members on all your achievements in December. I know there is a third of the month to go but I am about to disappear in Christmas – ferries permitting. December hasn’t worked out for me quite how I thought it would and has ended up being more of time to reflect. I have written and edited a lot in 2018…[Read more]

Raine posted an update in the group December SloMo: Had a lot of NoMo here recently. But that was to be expected. […]

Mon, 17 Dec 2018 13:47:16 +0000

Had a lot of NoMo here recently. But that was to be expected. And today I have the mini home sick, so am going to attempt to edit against a backdrop of Attenborough programmes!! Actually, despite the painful slowness, I figured out a couple of key plot changes that I think will go miles towards addressing the issue of the final stakes not being…[Read more]

KazG posted an update in the group December SloMo: Still SloMoing along and hitting my very modest targets. […]

Sun, 16 Dec 2018 21:57:43 +0000

Still SloMoing along and hitting my very modest targets. Chip, chip, chip. Over 10,000 words now and it’s been pretty easy going, really, esp after NaNo.

I got some editorial notes from a publisher who’s shown some interest – all of which is gold and so useful – but one of the comments was that a 2 book series would be easier to sell, so I…[Read more]

Hilary posted an update in the group December SloMo: Hello fellow slomoers (?) I've been very slow... but I now […]

Sat, 15 Dec 2018 20:57:12 +0000

Hello fellow slomoers (?)
I’ve been very slow… but I now know how my novel is going to end! I have an outline for the bits I’ve still got left to write. Need to flesh them out a bit and then get on with it. That will be the third draft done, then.
Well done to all of us! And keep going all of us! Might do a Janowrimo!

RichardB posted an update in the group December SloMo: Visiting EmmaD's blog last night for the first time in a […]

Wed, 12 Dec 2018 08:41:57 +0000

Visiting EmmaD’s blog last night for the first time in a while, I found a delightful phrase that could be the motto for this group, though it’s actually from Jenn Ashworth rather than Emma herself. Anyway, I love it.
No word count boot camp, no productivity porn.

JaneShuff posted an update in the group December SloMo: I've had a few days off as we went to London to see children […]

Tue, 11 Dec 2018 16:17:28 +0000

I’ve had a few days off as we went to London to see children and grandchildren as far as Mr Janeshuff was concerned although I’d organised two surprise birthday celebrations for him as well. We’re back now after a wonderful but exhausting time and I’m hoping to restart tomorrow. I’ve spent the best part of a month planning this WIP and after only…[Read more]

Raine posted an update in the group December SloMo: I’ve a few NoMo days (xmas, health, rubbish stuff), but m […]

Tue, 11 Dec 2018 12:44:47 +0000

I’ve a few NoMo days (xmas, health, rubbish stuff), but managed to edit two chapters yesterday and transcribe them today. I am checking my % cut after each chapter, and making a graph. Yes I know. I’m a scientist, don’t @ me, as they say. It’s actually really encouraging, as well as being pretty…

Hoping for two more chapters edited this pm

Libby posted an update in the group December SloMo: I've changed my profile pic to something less bot-like. […]

Tue, 11 Dec 2018 10:25:17 +0000

I’ve changed my profile pic to something less bot-like. These are the leaves of a whitebeam, one of my favourite trees. I was thinking of growth, hope, aspiration. You know, general upwardsness. Fingers crossed.

The past few days have been very slowmo/slowgo. Max of 1,000 words a day editing by hand when really I should accomplish 2,000 or at…[Read more]

Philippa East posted an update in the group December SloMo: Ug. Today I feel like I’ve gone backwards in my editing p […]

Sun, 09 Dec 2018 16:56:52 +0000

Ug. Today I feel like I’ve gone backwards in my editing process. I’ve put in my three hours, but most of that was spent unearthing problems in my “back-plot” (or lack thereof) that have now thrown the other plot threads out of whack.
I feel like I’ve discovered dry rot and woodworm in a house I’m trying to redecorate.
How much backstory…[Read more]

RichardB posted an update in the group December SloMo: Nice post, @kazg, and one that resonates with me. I've […]

Thu, 06 Dec 2018 23:02:43 +0000

Nice post, @kazg, and one that resonates with me. I’ve always worked by chipping away, little by little. I don’t set myself targets, and I try not to think about how far I still have to go, in case I get discouraged, something I’m far too prone to. The night driving analogy puts it in a nutshell. Surprising how those few metres at a time mount up.…[Read more]

KazG posted an update in the group December SloMo: Well done all SloMoers and it looks like gentle forward […]

Thu, 06 Dec 2018 22:41:42 +0000

Well done all SloMoers and it looks like gentle forward motion is happening for everyone, even if it might not feel like it (@daedalus – I’m a firm believer in the power of mental gathering and composting, even if no actual words are landing on the page).

I’m finding SloMo a lifesaver – it’s slow enough to feel like a break from the frenetic…[Read more]

Philippa East posted an update in the group December SloMo: Well, I'm sure glad for this SloMo month... until the start […]

Thu, 06 Dec 2018 20:40:36 +0000

Well, I’m sure glad for this SloMo month… until the start of this week, I had too many distractions to focus on writing and the lack of progress was just making me increasingly panicked. But for the last three days, I’ve managed my plan of a few hours a day. I feel less panicked now, because I feel sort of ‘back in the familiar groove’ and I can…[Read more]

Daedalus posted an update in the group December SloMo: My SloMo has virtually been NoMo so far. Interrupted sleep […]

Thu, 06 Dec 2018 08:56:35 +0000

My SloMo has virtually been NoMo so far. Interrupted sleep patterns and disruption from house repairs, not to mention preparations for puppy, have just left me with little mental energy in the evenings. Nice to hear about and vicariously enjoy other people’s progress though!

Squidge posted an update in the group December SloMo: My slomo so far has been to draft a Christmas newsletter […]

Wed, 05 Dec 2018 15:12:21 +0000

My slomo so far has been to draft a Christmas newsletter (rather a Marmite thing, I’ve found, for the recipients), planned a few writing exercises for a group I’m talking to tonight (which I will also be using for NIBS next week), and about 150 words of something I like for Room with a View (although I have no idea where it’s heading or why I’ve…[Read more]

Raine posted an update in the group December SloMo: I've decided, in light of switching to editing, that I'm to […]

Wed, 05 Dec 2018 12:47:47 +0000

I’ve decided, in light of switching to editing, that I’m to spend 1-2 hours a (writing) day editing, and the rest working on short stories or transcribing. Should help me keep my editing focus, fingers crossed. Did my first two chapters yesterday…

JaneShuff posted an update in the group December SloMo: Got my 500 words done. The first 500 words of a new WIP. Had […]

Tue, 04 Dec 2018 10:07:58 +0000

Got my 500 words done. The first 500 words of a new WIP. Had to remind myself several time – Don’t get it right, get it written! Suspect it might show that I loved doing my research a bit much! Tomorrow’s target is the same – 500 words. Then I’m off to London for a big weekend so won’t get anything written until I get back. Hope you’re all doing…[Read more]

Daedalus posted an update in the group December SloMo: All I did today was trim 500 words from a short story so I […]

Mon, 03 Dec 2018 23:27:11 +0000

All I did today was trim 500 words from a short story so I could submit it to Barren magazine, which has an upper limit of 4000 words. It was worth doing as it tightened the prose a bit, and I spotted a few mistakes as well, which was unsettling as I’d submitted that version a couple of times. I’m pleased I did that much tbh, as it’s been a diffi…[Read more]

KazG posted an update in the group December SloMo: So I managed 203 words yesterday. That's a little too Slo Mo […]

Mon, 03 Dec 2018 22:38:54 +0000

So I managed 203 words yesterday. That’s a little too Slo Mo for my liking. I think I need to embrace the theme of this group a little less enthusiastically.

In my defence, it was the day after said music festival, kids had music performance of their own AND husband back in the house after a month away. So not a normal day…

Have to get…[Read more]

Hilary posted an update in the group December SloMo: Sorry I'm late, but here now for mutual encouragement. I'm […]

Mon, 03 Dec 2018 20:56:47 +0000

Sorry I’m late, but here now for mutual encouragement. I’m working on structural edit of novel, having done one and two-thirds drafts. Have been trying to hone and clarify main story arc and am now trying to work out how and where the subplots intersect/have an impact on the main plot. Like some of you, I am feeling the fear, mainly because it’s…[Read more]

Hilary joined the group December SloMo

Mon, 03 Dec 2018 20:47:03 +0000

Libby posted an update in the group December SloMo: Thanks for setting up this group @raine. A great idea. I […]

Mon, 03 Dec 2018 17:40:13 +0000

Thanks for setting up this group @raine. A great idea.

I work slowly most of the time so every month is a SloMo. Printing out is definitely required for serious editing, as is reading aloud though that comes nearer the end of whatever section I’m working on. Until the reading out, I live with lots of clunky connections and sentences. And…[Read more]

JaneShuff posted an update in the group December SloMo: I didn't have a lot of time today but I think I have got the […]

Mon, 03 Dec 2018 13:33:14 +0000

I didn’t have a lot of time today but I think I have got the planning to the stage where I need to start writing. So that’s the plan for tomorrow. Although I won’t have a lot of time, so I’m going to do the background research for it tonight and set myself a gentle target of 500 words.

Squidge posted an update in the group December SloMo: Very late to this - two days gone already! - but I blame it […]

Mon, 03 Dec 2018 12:23:12 +0000

Very late to this – two days gone already! – but I blame it on an overnight visit to Germany to see friends and celebrate Advent.

SloMo… I jotted a few ideas down for Room with a View, then decided I didn’t like them and another idea popped into my head this morning. Not sure it’ll work, but might play around with it this afternoon. I shan’t…[Read more]

Squidge joined the group December SloMo

Mon, 03 Dec 2018 12:19:22 +0000

Philippa East posted an update in the group December SloMo: Okay, well today has gone well, I think. I managed about two […]

Mon, 03 Dec 2018 12:10:49 +0000

Okay, well today has gone well, I think. I managed about two hours, working on balancing the various twists, climaxes and (false) resolutions in the book. I think I’ve managed to pin down the problem more clearly and sketch out a general solution.
I still have to work out the specific details I’ll need to add into the story MS itself to pull…[Read more]

Raine posted an update in the group December SloMo: Goal of 1k words today have mutated into a goal of just […]

Mon, 03 Dec 2018 11:27:12 +0000

Goal of 1k words today have mutated into a goal of just getting through the day in one piece. And possibly printing out an MS. I’ve been told I need to trim it back by 10-15k. Which is a little daunting, and like @philippaeast with her more esoteric edits, I need to make sure I am doing this in short enough bursts that I am genuinely paying…[Read more]

KazG posted an update in the group December SloMo: Thanks for setting this up @raine, great idea, and inspiring […]

Sun, 02 Dec 2018 22:45:02 +0000

Thanks for setting this up @raine, great idea, and inspiring to read about all the gentle but still moving forward targets in here.

I’m in dire need of SloMo December, especially after coming back from a brain-and-soul-rejuvenating music festival in the beautiful middle of nowhere. Which was fabulous on every level but very lacking in sleep…[Read more]

JaneShuff posted an update in the group December SloMo: I am loving redaing what you're all planning to do in […]

Sun, 02 Dec 2018 20:48:49 +0000

I am loving redaing what you’re all planning to do in December.

Having spent yesterday and today running and manning the local twinning committee’s ‘sell English products to the French’ Christmas stall in between dodging the Gilets Jaunes to take my OH to the airport, my aim tonight is to do enough RL work to free up tomorrow morning for a bit…[Read more]

RichardB posted an update in the group December SloMo: A good last few days. This weekend I have sorted two probs […]

Sun, 02 Dec 2018 20:33:17 +0000

A good last few days. This weekend I have sorted two probs with my revived MS, the ghost story A Record of Sin.

The first was the paragraph formatting. which was in a mess inherited from the days when I didn’t know how to do it properly. I’ve been through the whole MS and put it right.

The second was a last, rather tricky POV change. Tricky…[Read more]

KazG joined the group December SloMo

Sun, 02 Dec 2018 19:43:02 +0000

Philippa East posted an update in the group December SloMo: I've been inspired by the goals your guys are setting […]

Sun, 02 Dec 2018 19:35:19 +0000

I’ve been inspired by the goals your guys are setting yourselves. I think I’m going to set myself the SloMo goal of doing (up to) three hours’ editorial work a day (on the days I’m not at work). That, for me, is enough time to get some solid work done, but hopefully not so long that I panic myself with how much I should be achieving. And I plan to…[Read more]

Daedalus posted an update in the group December SloMo: True to form I am late to the party with this. I had a very […]

Sun, 02 Dec 2018 19:23:40 +0000

True to form I am late to the party with this. I had a very good start to NaNo and a terrible end – but the good start enabled me to finish the first draft of a novel I’d been working on since 2013. It’s currently a 178,000 word monster, but I will use SloMo to start the long editing process, and also to write a couple of shorts.

Raine posted an update in the group December SloMo: So my aim for today was to post this month's challenge and […]

Sun, 02 Dec 2018 15:30:47 +0000

So my aim for today was to post this month’s challenge and get the shopping done. And I have just done both. So now I am covered in cats and physically unable to get myself more tea. *weeps*

Tmrw, I am hoping for 1000 words…