Sometimes, one thing leads to another. This is one of them. Mason and I have something in common – we’ve been fooled into thinking we might be able to write. After what might be a long time of talking about it, and half hearted stabs at it, we’ve both agreed to put our words where our mouths are and actually have an almost competition.
Almost. And you can join in if you want!
Here’s the deal: Starting April first, we’ll be posting to each other our writing progress weekly. There might be some manuscript sharing involved, but don’t let that scare you away. Our pseudoscientific method of throwing numbers up in the air and letting a castrated chicken peck out which ones we should use suggests that even with work and unexpected surprises, we should be able to average about 2,500 words a week, which is just over 350 a day. The initial goal is 75,000 words total. More is fine, but at 75,000 we’ve A) hit my normal max and B) gotten to a point that if you aren’t done yet, you’ve written a fair commitments worth and will probably keep on until it is done.
Want to participate? You’re welcome to! Just drop me a line, either in the comments, email, twitter, facebooks, someplace where I read messages addressed to me that isn’t also a creepy revelation of your stalkerness, and we’ll get you setup. If enough people join in, why, it could become its own movement. What would the kids think then?
Yes. I’ve done the math, I realize that at 2,500 words a week, to reach 75,000 words is roughly 7 and a half months of work. That’s when I point out that that 2,500 words is an average minimum, not the upper goal, for a week. Doing less will be frowned on, doing more is fine. There are no rewards, no prizes, not even adulations. Mason thinks he will whip me with this. I think he’s right. This exercise is just to verify that. But it sure would be something if we had another participant join in, a dark horse, an unknown factor….you!
