Sick, ill, poorly.

The past week has been a complete and utter write off for me (pun intended - although I only just recognised it as a pun, it is not as if I have been waiting to use it all week or anything). My high hopes of reaching 100,000 words have taken a severe pummeling.

Instead, up until Monday, I managed a pitiful 800 words. Yep, you heard correctly, 800 measely words. I was either too ill to write, or just not in the mood because I was felling sorry for myself. Yes, I had a man-cold, so sue me.

Each time I sat down to write, my head was pounding and I just couldn't bring myself to do it. On Monday, I finally sorted myself out, I was feeling rough but forced myself to read through the last couple of chapters relating to a character I was about to write about. This is a technique I use to ensure I have as much consistency as possible. What I read was a pleasant surprise. The chapters I had written were very good, the story flew along, the prose elegant and the dialogue rang true. Encouraged, I sat down and rattled off 1,200 words.

Tuesday I sat down and did the same thing. Again my head felt like it was inside a cement mixer, but I forced myself to read the last two chapters conerning the character I wished to write about. This time my reaction couldn't have been more opposite. I hated the chapters! There were some saving graces but overall, I couldn't get my mind around what I was thinking when I wrote them. I wanted to delete them instantly. For one horrible I scene I tried to be twee by giving a nod to another author. What was I thinking? This was my first book, why was I even attempting to do something as clever as that? Horrible, horrible, horrible. I was so disheartened, I could not bring myself to write. I shut down the computer and distracted myself.

Later, I walked the dog and found a way to begin the chapter I wanted to write. Today (Wednesday), I began that chapter. I've only done 300 words but the seed is there. If you are wondering why I am not continuing with that and writing my blog instead, it is because, I ran out of lunch break. Tonight, it is just me and the little guy, (get your mind out of the gutter folks), and the rate he is crawling around at the moment, there is virtually zero chance of me writing anymore.

So that brings me on to tomorrow. The day I had set aside to ensure I achieved my target. 4,000 words in a day is an enormous ask for me, I don't even pretend I will achieve it (and sustain a semblance of quality), but what I do intend to do is to just indulge myself. I will pretend that I am a best selling author and behave as such. I will conduct my day as if writing was my full time job.

I will report back on Friday and tell you how I did.

Word count: 96,000