50k in 30days Starts

Yes, it's that time of year again. 50k in 30days is run every June by RWA. Along the lines of Nanowrimo, we pledge a goal for the month and then write our socks off to meet it. There is plenty of support and sprints are run regularly (I lurv the sprints *grin* - and have blogged about them previously).

This year I'm going for broke and am aiming high. I don't think I'll get there (life invariably gets in the way) but I firmly believe the higher I aim the better the outcome. Besides, even if I don't reach my goal I will have a lot more words come the end of  June then I would have otherwise.

I'll be updating my word counter regularly throughout the month - nothing like keeping it in the public eye to feed my motivation *grin*.  Wish me luck!!

Tweeting

I confess, I'm a Twitter convert.

I joined with a bit of a twist of the arm by my CP, because RWA now Tweet. But I hadn't expected the benefits I would find.

It's kinda like sprinting, but a little bit broader. And anyone who has followed my blog would know how much I love to sprint.

Yes, I'm using Twitter as a sprinting board. I tweet my goal, and because I now have a grand total of 15 people following me, I report in how I went in achieving it - I feel like I'm being watched. I still get support, and a bit of a chat if I want, but because I can post more general goals (eg for the hour, the day, the week) it's more flexible than the sprint room on the RWA site.

I will still be sprinting. But this is a great alternative!

Sprinting + Away

Sprinting. Not the kind that involves sweat and pain. The kind that involves you and a bunch of other like-minded writers all writing together at the same time.

When I first heard about sprinting I have to confess I was a little sceptical. How could sprinting be any different from any other time I am writing? How could it possibly help get more words out?

During 2008 NaNoWriMo I joined in, not wanting to disregard it completely. Confession time. I was wrong. I was pushing out numbers in 30 minutes that I had no hope of doing on my own. I am a convert.

So over the past week I have been sprinting. Not as often as I would like, but the few occasions I could spare. And in those few nights of sprinting I managed 30 pages. THIRTY pages. I was stunned when I sat back and counted. Thank you to those wonderful ladies who have been sprinting with me.

Why does it work? Because it's a short burst, separated by chatting with the other sprinters in a chat room. To know others are writing with you, trying their hardest to get as many words out pushes you along. At the end you report back, congratulate or commiserate. Chat about how it is going or ask for help. But above all there is a feeling of companionship, understanding and friendship.

I love Sprinting. I just wish it burnt calories like the other kind.

Please forgive me if I don't respond to any comments to this blog for a week or so. As of tomorrow I will be internet-less (eek) for week while the family and I are on holidays.