Want to write a book with me?

Got 506 words of Dreaming the Dead tonight, and put my MC in a situation where she’s not sure if she’s been captured by friendlies or enemies.

And I realized what I’m doing right now creates a perfect opportunity for folks who want to write a novel but who need a bit of a boost to get it done.

I’m doing between 250 and 500 words per night, Monday through Friday.

If you want to pace me and write a book of your own, I’ll set this up a couple different ways.

BEGINNER: You can do the minimum words every night I write. At 250 words per night, you’ll finish a 100K novel (normal length) before or at the same time I finish my novel.

INTERMEDIATE: You can pace me—get my word count from the blog every day and match that, take days off on the days that for one reason or another I can’t work. You’ll finish a 100K novel way before me.

ADVANCED: You can pick your own wordcount, and just sign in as often as you like to report your progress.

This is a low-pressure gig: The idea is just for you to get the feel of writing a book by doing small amounts consistently. I’ll finish novel, so I’m a good pace rabbit, and for this book, I’m not working at the insane high-pressure speeds that make people think “I could never do that.”

You can do this. So. Want to? If you do, just post a reply to this message, and I’ll set up a thread that you can, if you wish, subscribe to so you’ll get your next day’s word count as soon as I finish my writing every night.

Let me know.

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99 responses to “Want to write a book with me?”

  1. Red_dot Avatar
    Red_dot

    I’m in, I just started writing last week. I made an outline, 17 chapters. I finished chapter 1 with about 4700 words. Chapter 2 has bogged me down 1100 words. Moving onto Chapter 3 going nicely 579 words. Plus I wrote the ending to my book (424) words. So all together for today I wrote (part of CH2) +579+424 = 1241 words for Monday.

  2. Shar Avatar
    Shar

    I’m in! Can’t wait to start.

  3. Johanna Wistrand Avatar

    Johanna in Sweden would like to participate!

  4. Silke Avatar

    Sooo…. where do we update the status? 🙂
    With a comment?

  5. Blair Avatar
    Blair

    This is exactly what I need to get my groove back! Thanks for offering, Holly — I’m in, too!

  6. Patti Avatar
    Patti

    Me, too! I’m in!!

  7. lisa-marie Avatar

    This sounds like exactly what I need!

  8. Rei Avatar
    Rei

    Wow, this sounds like a great idea. 🙂
    That would help me a lot finishing my novel.

  9. Tina Hunter Avatar

    I’m In.

    I have one chapter left to write on my current novel and have Novel #2 waiting patiently in the wings. This is just what I need to finish #1, and continue the momentum right into #2.

    So excited. Thanks.

  10. Nancy Sampson-Bach Avatar
    Nancy Sampson-Bach

    You are just chock full of fabulous ideas. Yes, please, count me in!

  11. Deneice Bausley Avatar
    Deneice Bausley

    That’s just the idea I need. Count me in.

  12. Bren Avatar
    Bren

    yay! Count me in, please. Sounds like a great idea and just the shot in the arm I’m needing.

    BTW, do you ever get discouraged and stall in the middle of a project because you think it’s crap and no one will ever want to read it? Well you probably don’t, but… That’s how I’m feeling about my novel right now (a 5 year labor of love-hate). It’s hard to muster the courage to work on it these days.

    1. Holly Avatar
      Holly

      ROFL. Good God, yes. For a bit of a horror story, start at the beginning of the Wreck of Heaven category, and read from the first post at the bottom of the page up through the writing of that book. You’ll see all freakin’ sorts of discouraged, frustrated, and frequently bewildered, as well as a major love-hate relationship with a novel.

      And the first post (which was my first EVER blog post) starts with the question “Does the book suck?”

      Yeah. I’ve been there.

  13. Virginia Gruver Avatar
    Virginia Gruver

    I think this is great. Count me in.

  14. Brittany Avatar
    Brittany

    I’m in! But I started a new novel yeterday, and I’m 1,000 words into it. Can I use that?

  15. jennifer blanchard Avatar

    Hey Holly,

    Great idea! I was going to hold off on writing my second novel until the end of the summer when my schedule calms down a bit… but you’ve inspired me! I think I’m going to write my second novel with you!

  16. Danielle Avatar
    Danielle

    That sounds like fun!!!

  17. Carol Avatar
    Carol

    Yes, please! And thank you for a great blog and all the fabulous writer crash tests!

  18. Emily Avatar

    Yes Please!

  19. Shia Avatar
    Shia

    Great idea Holly, and tons of positive responce already.

    I’m in too. I want to see if I can handle doing two projects at once, and this would be a great way to help me keep pace on the second one so that it doesn’t become lost.

  20. Patrick Avatar
    Patrick

    I short, yes, in long…ummm…definitely yes!

  21. Ann Avatar
    Ann

    I’ll be there! Excellent idea!!!

  22. Anna Nilsson Avatar

    Yes! I`ll be with you in your writing!

  23. Erin Turbitt Avatar
    Erin Turbitt

    Count me in, Holly! Looking forward to a kick in the pants.

  24. Anambika Avatar
    Anambika

    Holly, I like to boast! E.g. Day before yesterday, after writing my comment on your ‘Men-Women-Sex’ post, I really dived into my writing and finished 1200 words in three hours. Afterwards I spent about two hours proof reading, just spelling mistakes and word omissions. My typing could not keep pace with my thoughts. However I am not satisfied with some parts of it. I would sleep over it, get back to it, and retouch it. I am already at 22500 words / 5 chapters. See? Boasting! Yuck! So you be the pace rabbit, I’ll be the boasting rabbit (of that Rabbit Tortoise story). Let’s see!!! I’m not joking, I’m serious. Can you tell me, if I am doing the right thing by sleeping over my words and retouching them later?

  25. MistriHelen Avatar

    This sounds like a great idea. I’m right at the beginning of a novel and 250 words a day as the bare minimum is just what I need to motivate myself and get back into the writing regularly business 🙂

  26. Dewayne Avatar
    Dewayne

    Absolutely Holly,
    Been wanting (and failing) to do a minimumwordaday thing for a while, this may be just what I need! 🙂

  27. Maryse Avatar

    I was already doing this unofficially 🙂 Following your example, I lowered my wordcount to a minimum of 250 words a day for the past week. For the moment, I really like it. It’s easier to find time and to keep up with the pace. I end up writing more than when I HAD to write at least a thousand words or I wouldn’t bother to sit and write. And the time I spent writing is more enjoyable. The best I had in a long time.

    So yeah, it would be great to do it officially 😉

  28. Imke Avatar
    Imke

    I would love to, thanks!

  29. Sam Avatar
    Sam

    I’m in too. I need to get a rhythm going after about 2 years off writing!

  30. tamlyn Avatar

    Count me in for the intermediate schedule 😀

  31. Gerhi Janse van Vuuren Avatar

    Like Tori I am already doing the Sideways course so effectively I am already writing a book in the next six months or so, right?

    But since I am an over ambitious eager beaver that could do with twenty kicks in the backside every day I am going to figure out how to do this. I’ll be doing the basic 250 words a day figuring that this will be a second book I am working on.

    But the fact that you are already at 506 words puts us at a disadvantage. How long should we take to plan our writing project before we start matching word counts?

  32. Pat Avatar
    Pat

    Please, and thank you. 🙂

  33. Rhiannon Avatar
    Rhiannon

    Not sure how this could work for me because I’ve got several ideas but am fairly blank on, y’know, plots for them, but… maybe instead of novel words I can do planning words initially. Good timing, too, it’s the mid-year break between semesters starting *today*!

  34. Brian M. Avatar
    Brian M.

    I’d love the kick in the pants, count me in. I work midnight to eight sitting at a desk all night and have the time, but not the motivation. I’m taking the TS course as well, so I’m looking forward to this.

  35. Ieva Avatar

    As if I wasn’t measurin’ up anyway 😉
    (Sadly, I’m out since I’ve set up my own wordcounts to meet. But I’m keeping an eye on your project nevertheless.)

  36. Minze Avatar
    Minze

    Thanks for the offer, Holly. I’m in.

  37. Brian P. Avatar
    Brian P.

    Excellent! I’ll work in the Beginner category, but I love this idea!

  38. Michelle Avatar

    Crawling out of lurkerdom to say…I’m in too! 🙂

  39. Tyler D. Avatar
    Tyler D.

    This is a great idea! I’d love to do this!

  40. Julia GD Avatar
    Julia GD

    Since I am already trying to do just that, I’d love to join. I am sure it would be a great motivation to do some writing every night.
    I probably would not be very consistent, but 250 words/day sounds like a necessary minimum.
    So please, sign me it!

  41. Jamie D. Avatar

    Sounds like great motivation for a WIP I just started. Thanks for offering to be our “pace rabbit” – I’m in! 🙂

  42. Sharon Avatar
    Sharon

    I’m in, too!

  43. Andreas Avatar
    Andreas

    Great idea! I’m in too 🙂

  44. Tori Avatar
    Tori

    I would love to do this with you Holly! Although…technically I already am because I am taking your Thinking Sideways course. This is a great idea for those of us who can’t write insane word counts each day.

  45. Lacey Savage Avatar

    What a fantastic idea! Yes, please count me in. 🙂

  46. naomi Avatar

    Absolutely! I need the kick in the pants and figure if you can write while balancing all the other important and cool things you do, I can too!

  47. C. Clark Avatar
    C. Clark

    I would be interested in this, but I’m wondering – does said novel need to be new? I have two WIP’s and I can’t take on a thrid.

  48. Breia Brickey Avatar

    I would definitely like to write a book with you. Count me in.

  49. Brian Cansler Avatar

    This sounds like yet another one of your excellent ideas! I’d love to! :]

    If you can write with a family to take care of, I can write with 18 college credit hours. That’s my opinion.

    Best wishes,
    Brian

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