A Different Kind of 750 Words

In addition to writing every morning on 750words.com, this month I’m also tackling a different kind of 750 words each day.

In order to get my MPub project report out of the way, I’ve broken the word count into a goal of writing 750 words per day, which should allow me to get an official first draft submitted by the end of January!

The final word count needs to be between 12,000-15,000 words including all notes and bibliography. I’ll also need time to work the text into the InDesign layout, and copyedit the document to house style. After being separated for several months, my lovely desk (above) is back to playing its former role as constant companion and trusty sidekick. (Sorry, Atticus! It’s only temporary.)

Big writing projects are challenging for everyone, and I am no different—large word counts overwhelm me and anxiety can start tempting me down a procrastinatingy route (read: hey, let’s write a blog post!). If not that, my brain might hyperfocus on something else—perhaps another problem that I am too impatient to wait for to resolve itself. (Hint: that one has been particularly problematic this time. More than I care to admit.) Once my brain’s focus has been successfully wrestled back to the task at hand things go pretty well. In the meantime though, it’s a tough wall to break through. (Glad I have more success at conquering these challenges than Hyperbole and a Half!)

If you’re interested in charting my progress this month, I’ve created a Google Calendar called “HA’s Project Report Word Count.” I’ve also asked many friends to keep me accountable by checking in with me over the next few weeks about how it’s going.

With your support I can get this thing done!