LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL. . .

Yesterday, I talked about how I didn't get much writing done--ninety-nine words to be exact. It was the first paragraph of Chapter thirteen.

Today, however, as a result of our crazy testing schedule, I got to work at the same time (6:15 a.m.), but I didn't need to stop writing until almost 8 o'clock. I wrote for over an hour and a half. In essence, I completed the rest of the scene that began with the first paragraph I created yesterday and continued on until I reached the cliffhanger that rounded out the scene. And upon reflection, for a first draft, it holds up pretty well.

word count goal: 500. final word count: 1,367.

Furthermore, just before I finished the writing session, I created a list of bullet items outlining what had to happen between now and the end of the book. A little polishing later in the morning (while my fourth period, or as I call them "my dream class," tested), and I could envision the entire end of the book more clearly than I ever had before. Once printed, I took the list of bullet items and penciled in possible chapter breaks to get a sense of the structure. And, as if by magic, they broke down into a very neat and orderly progression of scenes.

It was a thrill not only to get in the zone and produce an entire scene--that didn't completely suck--but it was also very exciting to see the light at the end of the tunnel of the entire project.

Overall, a very productive and successful writing day!