December 5

No writing progress made. The post-NaNo slump is still going on. I managed to push through it for a few days, but I think that drained my energy reserves even more. I’m trying not to be too hard on myself while I recharge.

December 6

• Project: Inbetween
• Total word count: 20,429
• Today’s word count: 37
• Thoughts: I wrote a bit, but I’m still in my post-NaNo slump. A couple words is progress, though. It is a stepping stone and I can move forward from here.
• Tomorrow’s goal: More writing. If I can get a good writing day out there I can declare this slump over.

December 7

• Project: Inbetween
• Total word count: 20,672
• Today’s word count: 243
• Thoughts: Well, it’s not epic, NaNoWriMo levels of writing, but it is an improvement over the last few days. I guess I shouldn’t complain.
• Tomorrow’s goal: Revision time. I’m a little scared to revise because it will be the last chapter of The Dreams. Endings are important and I don’t want to ruin it. I know I’m not ruining it, but that thought has wormed its way into my head and it won’t let go.

December 8

• Project: The Dreams
• Total word count: 218,915
• Today’s word count: -740
• Thoughts: There’s a ton of unnecessary words stuffed into this chapter. I’m trying to keep everything from spiraling out of control, but I was so nervous about leaving something out that might need to be included that I included too much in the ending. Now I’m trying to decide which parts need to be cut and which parts deserve to stay. It’s a tedious process and I’m battling self doubt at least as much as I’m battling these paragraphs.
• Tomorrow’s goal: More revisions. I will get this chapter out on time!

December 9

• Project: The Dreams
• Total word count: 218,672
• Today’s word count: -243
• Thoughts: More revising. I want to say I can’t believe how long this is taking, but I know this is the last chapter so it makes sense that I would pick and pick at it.
• Tomorrow’s goal: Finishing revising and post the final chapter of The Dreams!

December 10

• Project: The Dreams
• Total word count: 218,463
• Today’s word count: -209
• Thoughts: I finished the revisions on the final chapter of The Dreams!  It’s amazing how much of a relief I feel now that I know that’s done. I was too exhausted to format the chapter though so that will have to be done tomorrow. I’m not sure how I expected to feel once I reached this point in the project, so I can’t say I’m surprised by the mix of pride, relief, and dissatisfaction I’m feeling now.
• Tomorrow’s goal: Post the final chapter! After that I hope to focus solely on Inbetween for a month or two before I look at The Dreams again.

December 11

I posted the final chapter of The Dreams today. Then I did nothing. I told myself I would work on Inbetween as well, but it didn’t happen. I read for a while and watched some TV and didn’t touch my writing after posting the chapter. It was my birthday so I decided not to pressure myself to work. I’ll go back to work tomorrow.