*Throws my hands in the air and screams victoriously*

After several months of making next to no progress on my current WIP, The Dream (The Ballad of Emery Brooks, #3), I finally got back into giving this sweet little fifth novel of mine the attention she deserves over the past month. Praise the Lord, and thank you for your prayers!

So, here’s the juicy details…

First, I *Finally* Typed Everything Up

Since I started writing The Dream by hand in a notebook and had no desire to type up what I had written since June 2020 until basically late April 2021, I wanted to get those estimated 17,500+ words at least saved in a document file before continuing on, because 1) It’s been a heavy burden on me, to be honest, and 2) Before I continue writing from where I left off chronologically, I’d like to go back and add a new Chapters One and Two to incite a better hook and to get the rest of the book’s timeline better aligned from where readers are left at the end of The Fall.

So, I’ve spent around two or three weeks typing up all the words within the notebook, finishing on May 13th, and then spent May 14th adding plot annotations within the draft document so I’ll know what to add and/or move around with each chapter. By the end of the typing spree, The Dream was up to almost 42,500 words. Like with the two previous books in the trilogy, I’m estimating it will end up being at or just under 80k when it’s done, so I’ve still got a ways to go. Please continue praying that I can keep it up!

Then, I Got Back to Writing

On Monday, May 17th, I started back from the beginning of the book, working on the new Chapter One. For full disclosure, even though I’ve gotten into the habit of writing by hand with my last three WIPs, (Speak Your Mind, The Crush, and The Fall), while I was bulking up The Fall during my last round of edits, I found I like adding the random additions on Google Docs, so that’s what I plan to use until I can resume writing the last chapter I left off on.

In the past, I’ve aimed to write ten thousand words a month. I’ve mentioned earlier this year that I’ve found I’m a long-term writer, meaning it’s difficult for me to write a first draft I’m satisfied with in a small timeframe. I was considering stepping away from word count goals, but in April when I was adding scenes to The Fall during edits, I found an app that really got me motivated to keep going while still using word count goals.

The app is called Word Tracker, and it allows writers to add different projects, set their desired word count, and then add a deadline they would like to reach the goal by. The app then breaks down your word count into daily targets, which, when I started out, were super achievable, at 200-500 words each day. If you miss a day, it gets added to the next day’s goal. It also provides a graph of your progress, which is, in a semi-nerdy way, really motivating.

For May, since I got back to writing midway through the month, I only set my goal for 5,000 words by May 31st. Check back here soon to see if I met that goal! ❤

Talk to Me, Arrowheads!

If you’re a writer, how is your current WIP going? Do you have any writing tools that have helped your productivity?

If you’re a reader and are a fan of young adult romance with Christian themes, check out book one of The Ballad of Emery Brooks trilogy, The Crush!

Aim high, stay strong, and always hit your mark.

-Allyson 😀