I've brought chapter one kicking and screaming into the cold, gray light of an Oregon winter. It's not many words, mind you, but it's a start. I have direction after so much busy work and avoidance (aka brainstorming).

I also made a little chart made of graph paper. Actually two, November and December. I now know how many days I have to write this thing. I wanted to submit this for a novel workshop in March, which means it has to be submitted a month in advance to give everyone time to read it. So we're looking at February, the second week. However, I need to have a first draft done so some first readers can read, and then I can make changes before the workshop, AND (this is the important part) I'd like to get it in the mail before being critiqued. It's important to me to do that and it's probably good for me.

I give myself a deadline of January 15, 2005. I might have a little extra time, but not much. Starting tomorrow I have 61 days to write this novel by my deadline. It's a YA fantasy novel and indeed might be on the short side, 60,000 words or under. I could be wrong. I don't know how long this novel will be, I'm only just starting it. It could turn into a 90,000 word YA contemporary fantasy.

If I can write between a thousand and two thousand words a day, I think I can get it done. I need to realize the cold, hard truth so my ass will stick to the chair and my fingers will gravitate to the keyboard.

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Just for fun, check out Monkey Bicycle. Ray Vukcevich says they just posted one of his sentences. His sentence is based on reality. Or at least reality from Ray's eye.