Hello, everyone. It’s the 3rd Check-in for the Word Count Challenge here in August, and we’re discovering problems.

I continue to meet my goal of 500 new words daily, no matter the interruptions. I’ve had to write fiction and nonfiction to achieve 500 new words, and other writing tasks are still occurring, all in a mix of daily fun time with family and commitments and responsibilities that I’m promised to.

I actually started this episode draft on Monday to finish words for that day because other things were going on that prevented my finishing 500 fiction words.

And I’ve discovered issues with the daily push for new words, issues related to achieving the word count. Join in as we discuss creativity and challenging problems.

TIMINGS

• 00:00 Welcome

Total Run Time = 16:05

All Original Content / No AI Used

Link to Website https://thewritefocus.blogspot.com/2024/08/word-count-challenge-check-in-3.html

Thanks for listening to The Write Focus. We focus on productivity, process, craft, and tools. Our podcast is for newbies who want to become writing pros and veterans who are returning to writing after years away.

Our current focus is the Word Count Challenge. Here’s a link to the YouTube playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXi3M_aM-d7KcgVD4ZFyCt54chOhRtiqI

Support the podcast with a cup of coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/winkbooksr

• You can find workbooks and templates at Buy Me a Coffee. Available is the Enter the Writing Business Workbook and templates from the Discovering Characters

For more links and resources, visit www.thewritefocus.blogspot.com  .

Write to us at [email protected].

If you find value in this podcast, please share with your writing friends or write a review. (We’re small beans. We don’t have the advertising budget of the big peeps. You can make a difference.)

Hi, Everyone. It’s the second check-in for the Word Count Challenge here in August.

How have you done? Leave a comment about your goals and successes.

I’ve managed to meet my goal of 500 words daily, no matter the interruptions, and they were many. Things tugged at me every day of the past week. The massive part of the day is lost to writing but early mornings and late evenings have saved  me—and twice, both evening and morning writing saved me.

At our last check-in, the first draft of the third short story was finished and needed a week’s separation before revision started. After errands in the cool morning, the writing part of Wednesday began: something forgotten, something needing fixin’, something on the To-Do List, and finally writing.

Stay connected to hear how the rest of the week continued.

TIMINGS

• 00:00 Welcome

Total Run Time = 08:40

All Original Content / No AI Used

Link to Website https://thewritefocus.blogspot.com/2024/08/word-count-challenge-check-in-2.html

Thanks for listening to The Write Focus. We focus on productivity, process, craft, and tools. Our podcast is for newbies who want to become writing pros and veterans who are returning to writing after years away.

Our current focus is the Word Count Challenge. Here’s a link to the YouTube playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXi3M_aM-d7KcgVD4ZFyCt54chOhRtiqI

Support the podcast with a cup of coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/winkbooksr

• You can find workbooks and templates at Buy Me a Coffee. Available is the Enter the Writing Business Workbook and templates from the Discovering Characters

For more links and resources, visit www.thewritefocus.blogspot.com  .

Write to us at [email protected].

If you find value in this podcast, please share with your writing friends or write a review. (We’re small beans. We don’t have the advertising budget of the big peeps. You can make a difference.)

Old Challenge vs. New Challenge ~ that’s the theme for this week’s episode.

We say goodbye to the Summer Writing Challenge, which tracked all the pesky jobs that writers have to do in addition to the writing, and we welcome in the August Word Count Challenge, which is the kind of challenge that writers want to focus on: NEW WORDS ONLY. No sketched words, just an estimate from the Rough, any overage in changing Rough to Draft as well as overage that comes with Revision and Proofing.

The only way to achieve the challenge consistently is to Write New Words Daily.

Join us as we challenge disruptions and distractions to derail us from a daily word count.

TIMINGS

• 00:00 Welcome

Total Run Time = 13:44

All Original Content / No AI Used

Link to Website https://thewritefocus.blogspot.com/2024/07/old-challenge-vs-new-challenge-word.html

Thanks for listening to The Write Focus. We focus on productivity, process, craft, and tools. Our podcast is for newbies who want to become writing pros and veterans who are returning to writing after years away.

Our current focus is the Word Count Challenge.

Support the podcast with a cup of coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/winkbooksr

• You can find workbooks and templates at Buy Me a Coffee. Available is the Enter the Writing Business Workbook and templates from the Discovering Characters

For more links and resources, visit www.thewritefocus.blogspot.com  .

Write to us at [email protected].

If you find value in this podcast, please share with your writing friends or write a review. (We’re small beans. We don’t have the advertising budget of the big peeps. You can make a difference.)

Hi, all. It’s the last full week of the Summer Writing Challenge. We’ll have one last day to report in our first August episode. This week, though, finishes out our challenge.

Did I succeed? Did I fail? What can I do better? What changes can I make to be more successful in the future?

Let’s start with our day-to-day report before we answer those major questions.

TIMINGS

00:00 Welcome

00:40 Check in 9

02:10 Counting Projects this Year

03:20 Priorities, Goals, Boundaries

08:34 Hurry Up to Wait

10:10 Busy Monday

17:40 Final Day to Come / New Challenge

19:10 Last Words / Closing

Total Run Time = 21:04

All Original Content / No AI Used

Link to Website https://thewritefocus.blogspot.com/2024/06/summer-writing-challenge-check-in-9.html

Thanks for listening to The Write Focus. We focus on productivity, process, craft, and tools. Our podcast is for newbies who want to become writing pros and veterans who are returning to writing after years away.

Our current focus is the Summer Writing Challenge at this YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXi3M_aM-d7LEoaG-XelXEjBW_Xukjy3I

Support the podcast with a cup of coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/winkbooksr

• You can find workbooks and templates at Buy Me a Coffee. Available is the Enter the Writing Business Workbook and templates from the Discovering Characters

For more links and resources, visit www.thewritefocus.blogspot.com  .

Write to us at [email protected].

If you find value in this podcast, please share with your writing friends or write a review. (We’re small beans. We don’t have the advertising budget of the big peeps. You can make a difference.)

Hi, all! It’s our 8th check-in for the Summer Writing Challenge. A little over a week to go to the end of July BUT not the end of the Summer Writing Challenge.

I’ve struggled and I’ve soared in this past week. It’s all a matter of juggling the bad with the good to keep a mental balance and motivation.

Last Wednesday, first day of our work week, is a perfect example of this juggling act.

We cover a lot this week, including characters who are ciphers and easy-out solutions to plots; objective distance; copyright, ideas, and the Fair Use doctrine; crafting newsletters and book descriptions, fiction and nonfiction; and our tally of Success vs. Failure.

We’ve a lot to discuss. Let’s do it.

TIMINGS

• 00:00 Welcome

Total Run Time = 20:18

All Original Content / No AI Used

Link to Website https://thewritefocus.blogspot.com/2024/07/summer-writing-challenge-check-in-8.html

Thanks for listening to The Write Focus. We focus on productivity, process, craft, and tools. Our podcast is for newbies who want to become writing pros and veterans who are returning to writing after years away.

Our current focus is the Summer Writing Challenge at this YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXi3M_aM-d7LEoaG-XelXEjBW_Xukjy3I

Support the podcast with a cup of coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/winkbooksr

• You can find workbooks and templates at Buy Me a Coffee. Available is the Enter the Writing Business Workbook and templates from the Discovering Characters

For more links and resources, visit www.thewritefocus.blogspot.com  .

Write to us at [email protected].

If you find value in this podcast, please share with your writing friends or write a review. (We’re small beans. We don’t have the advertising budget of the big peeps. You can make a difference.)

Hi, all. Time for Check-In #7 of our Summer Writing Challenge with the theme of “What’s Up, Doc?”

The challenge this week was to steady up and recover from last week’s losses. Luckily, most of my weekly activities are on hiatus in July although my personal commitment remain strong.

A Special BONUS this episode: 9 minutes from Dashiel Hammett on Accurate Details

TIMINGS

• 00:00 Welcome

Total Run Time = 24:30

LINKS

KanbanFlow project board https://kanbanflow.com/

Audacity Recording Software https://www.audacityteam.org/

Bach Toccata and Fugue snippet, licensed from AudioJungle, by creator sviridpavlov https://audiojungle.net/

All Original Content / No AI Used

Link to Website https://thewritefocus.blogspot.com/2024/06/summer-writing-challenge-check-in-7.html

Thanks for listening to The Write Focus. We focus on productivity, process, craft, and tools. Our podcast is for newbies who want to become writing pros and veterans who are returning to writing after years away.

Our current focus is the Summer Writing Challenge at this YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXi3M_aM-d7LEoaG-XelXEjBW_Xukjy3I

Support the podcast with a cup of coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/winkbooksr

• You can find workbooks and templates at Buy Me a Coffee. Available is the Enter the Writing Business Workbook and templates from the Discovering Characters

For more links and resources, visit www.thewritefocus.blogspot.com  .

Write to us at [email protected].

If you find value in this podcast, please share with your writing friends or write a review. (We’re small beans. We don’t have the advertising budget of the big peeps. You can make a difference.)

Hi, All! Welcome from the Land of the Lost ~ Lost Days, Lost Time, Lost Plans, Lost Chances.

That’s me this past week, and I’m still dealing with the aftermath. I’m also scouting the area to find out who infected me.

Yes, in a week when I knew I would lose three days before it started—the holiday, you know—I lost three more days because I came down with a horrid respiratory sickness, with coughing and crusty eyes as the bane of my existence. This episode is only coming to you with the assistance of powerful drugs that are slowly pulling me back from the brink. The doctor refused to give an infection window—but I have recon going to find the culprit.

To start the week with high hopes and to end with hopes in fragments on the ground … cue violins. Let’s talk about what did happen to the good and the little highlights that keep us going.

TIMINGS

• 00:00 Welcome

Total Run Time = 21:17

All Original Content / No AI Used

Link to the Blog Site: https://thewritefocus.blogspot.com/2024/06/summer-writing-challenge-6th-check-in.html

Thanks for listening to The Write Focus. We focus on productivity, process, craft, and tools. Our podcast is for newbies who want to become writing pros and veterans who are returning to writing after years away.

Our current focus is the Summer Writing Challenge at this YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXi3M_aM-d7LEoaG-XelXEjBW_Xukjy3I

Support the podcast with a cup of coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/winkbooksr

• You can find workbooks and templates at Buy Me a Coffee. Available is the Enter the Writing Business Workbook and templates from the Discovering Characters

For more links and resources, visit www.thewritefocus.blogspot.com  .

Write to us at [email protected].

If you find value in this podcast, please share with your writing friends or write a review. (We’re small beans. We don’t have the advertising budget of the big peeps. You can make a difference.)

Hi, all! Herewith is our 5th check-in for the Summer Writing Challenge. We’ve started a new month; we still have the same goals.

Of everything that I expected to happen in June, that did happen, disruptions and distractions but also a slow-moving progress toward the goals. Of everything that I wanted to accomplish, not there yet.

Am I upset and frustrated by the disruptions? No.

Did I have some time-wasters? Yes. Do I want to kick myself for those. Yes and No.

Am I irretrievably behind? Well—One thing that I learned while in the business world and also in this writing realm is that nothing goes as smoothly as we plan.. Nothing actually functions like a regular work week. No matter where we are, disruptions occur.

We can have a Do or Die attitude about our writing … but I want to enjoy it.

I cannot enjoy it when I feel chained to the work, to constant on-demand performance.

And creativity suffers.

TIMINGS

• 00:00 Welcome

Total Run Time = 17:21

All Original Content / No AI Used

Link to Website https://thewritefocus.blogspot.com/2024/07/summer-writing-challenge-5th-check-in.html

Thanks for listening to The Write Focus. We focus on productivity, process, craft, and tools. Our podcast is for newbies who want to become writing pros and veterans who are returning to writing after years away.

Our current focus is the Summer Writing Challenge at this YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXi3M_aM-d7LEoaG-XelXEjBW_Xukjy3I

Support the podcast with a cup of coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/winkbooksr

• You can find workbooks and templates at Buy Me a Coffee. Available is the Enter the Writing Business Workbook and templates from the Discovering Characters

For more links and resources, visit www.thewritefocus.blogspot.com  .

Write to us at [email protected].

If you find value in this podcast, please share with your writing friends or write a review. (We’re small beans. We don’t have the advertising budget of the big peeps. You can make a difference.)

Hi, y’all! It’s been a hectic week of the expected and unexpected again, with so many things swirling about that it’s best to call this Challenge episode “Spinning Wheels” or “Tornadoes”.

“Spinning Wheels” seems more appropriate because I did gain headway in all three project areas. It’s a tornado, though, because—well, I’ll explain as I detail this week.

TIMINGS

• 00:00 Welcome

Total Run Time = 19:25

All Original Content / No AI Used

Link to Website https://thewritefocus.blogspot.com/2024/06/summer-writing-challenge-4th-check-in.html

Thanks for listening to The Write Focus. We focus on productivity, process, craft, and tools. Our podcast is for newbies who want to become writing pros and veterans who are returning to writing after years away.

Our current focus is the Summer Writing Challenge.

Support the podcast with a cup of coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/winkbooksr

• You can find workbooks and templates at Buy Me a Coffee. Available is the Enter the Writing Business Workbook and templates from the Discovering Characters

For more links and resources, visit www.thewritefocus.blogspot.com  .

Write to us at [email protected].

If you find value in this podcast, please share with your writing friends or write a review. (We’re small beans. We don’t have the advertising budget of the big peeps. You can make a difference.)

Hi all! We’re onto our third check-in for the Summer Writing Challenge.

As usual, I’ve overloaded myself in contemplating everything that I want to accomplish for June and July. To complete everything may take me into August.

And I’ve already encountered one problem that may require me to extend the Challenge into August.

This means that I’ve bitten off much more than I should have with my three projects and the additional admission that I may switch a project mid-stream … if Project 2 continues giving trouble.

Let’s get into the nitty-gritty of the past week, before we discuss the problem and then head off into some musings from “Be a Writer”.

TIMINGS

• 00:00 Welcome

Total Run Time = 14:00

All Original Content / No AI Used

Thanks for listening to The Write Focus. We focus on productivity, process, craft, and tools. Our podcast is for newbies who want to become writing pros and veterans who are returning to writing after years away.

Our current focus is the Summer Writing Challenge.

Support the podcast with a cup of coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/winkbooksr

• You can find workbooks and templates at Buy Me a Coffee. Available is the Enter the Writing Business Workbook and templates from the Discovering Characters

For more links and resources, visit www.thewritefocus.blogspot.com  .

Write to us at [email protected].

If you find value in this podcast, please share with your writing friends or write a review. (We’re small beans. We don’t have the advertising budget of the big peeps. You can make a difference.)

Link to the Blog Site https://thewritefocus.blogspot.com/2024/06/summer-writing-challenge-3rd-check-in.html