200 Words A Day

I still want to work on a novel. If only I could come up with a great story. I have a wonderful, encouraging friend who insists that I’m a great writer and could produce an awesome novel.

If only I could find a plot. A story. Something interesting.

I guess I need to bust out the B.I.C. technique. What’s that, you say? Butt In Chair.

My first novel may be terrible. But at least I’ll be writing, right? Two hundred words a day really isn’t that much. It’s building a foundation. I need to just jump in and do it. Maybe the story will find me along the way?

I’ve always wanted to attempt a novel. What writer hasn’t? But between my freelance work, family responsibilities and my home, it’s been tough to get my story on paper. It’s been rolling around in my head for a while. Not yet fully formed, but the basics are there — just waiting to get out.

I wondered how I would find the time to write it. There’s always so much going on in our lives! But I started thinking about it. How can I make progress? Many novelists will tell you that you need to show up every day. No matter how little (or big) your motivation is that day, you need to sit yourself in the chair and write. Every day. Showing up is a major part of the battle.

A novel can be anywhere from 70,000 words to over 100,000 words. If I were to divide that up into a daily goal, like a more reasonably paced NaNoWriMo, what could I accomplish? From my many English classes in college, I know that a double-spaced, typed page is about 250 words. So, a nice round number, like 200, shouldn’t be that hard, should it? One page a day for a year could produce a first draft. Steady progress, instead of fits and starts here and there, could result in a novel.

And I was floored when I realized that I could do this if I just sit down in my chair every day, 365 days. But I’m not content to go it alone. If I post my progress here, my successes and struggles, maybe it can encourage other writers to make slow and steady progress toward their dream. Even better, I’d love others to jump into writing 200 words a day with me. Hold me accountable. Let’s help each other meet our goals and hopefully have a little fun on the way there.

So who’s with me? Who’s ready to take the 200 Words a Day challenge with me?