Progress Report, Day One. Feb 1

Okay, since Bill is reporting at the end of a given contest day, rather than the next morning, I'll do the same.

Prose Writing: 3226 Words.

Comic Book Writing: 8 Script Pages.

Notes: I had a good first day -- possibly a great one. Most of the prose writing was on the mysterious novel I won't name. I've grown superstitious against bragging in advance about my prose projects, because they don't always get finished in anything remotely resembling a timely manner. So this time I'll go against my usual pattern and stay mum, until it's done and in the publisher's hands. About 500 words of the day's prose work was done after dinner, and on the superhero anthology short story, which is about one fifth done now. The comic book pages were all Fables. That's where I had a real advantage on this first day. I've known what was going into this eight-page scene (two scenes actually, but closely related) for some months now. Getting it down on paper (okay in pixels) was more a matter of typing than real writing.

     Then, in each of our past Clockwork competitions, the three-day novel writing contests and such, I've always charged hard out of the gate on the first day, full of vinegar and braggadocio, certain that I would not only win, but win by such a wide margin that I'd crush the others' collective will to keep writing as a profession. But every time I came in dead last, if I finished at all. Is there a lesson here?