Monday WIP Open Thread

As a friend of mine posted on Facebook today...

"And suddenly, it was Monday."

That seems particularly apt today. It has been snowing in Saint Paul since before I got up, and it's still at it. This is unusual even for us. The temps are supposed to get back in the 40s tomorrow, but still...it helps make it a bit more Monday than usual.

I am also home with a sick child, which doesn't make things any less Monday, either.

Despite all that, though, I am still in good spirits work-wise. I figured out the storyline for the next book yesterday, and while my plans to make writing progress on the current WIP may be stymied by SnuffleBoy for the moment, there are still other things I can do. The first book in the series needs a better title (no, really, it NEEDS a better title); the current WIP could stand a bit of dash-to-the-end plot tightening; and there is always plenty to do in terms of brainstorming more on the next series book (storyline does not equal plot for me, in case you were wondering). Plus, I am awaiting a "get to know you" call from my editor, which means I need to stick around the house anyhow. Thus, while I may not be able to pound out the number of words I would otherwise like, there are still pocket-sized bits I can get done.

And that, I think, is something it can be easy to forget: that getting writing work done doesn't always have to involve words on paper. Nor does it require vast expanses of time. Don't get me wrong, we still need to get the story written -- that, above all else, is the main thing -- but there are tasks we can accomplish as writers when events conspire against us. Life, or even just Monday, may try to nail you with a big, wet snowball now and then, but the trick is to duck or dodge or even take it on the chin and keep going. Can't get more than ten minutes alone with a notepad and a pen? I bet there is something you can work on to make your story tighter, your plot cleaner, your characters deeper. Maybe a bit of dialog you can insert later? Something, anything, so you can look at yourself in the mirror at the end of the day and say, "I accomplished something as a writer today." That's a good feeling, ya know?

So, yeah, let it snow. I have an appointment with a mirror tonight, and I'm not going to let a couple inches of white stuff outside and a runny little nose inside keep me from looking myself in the eye before bed.

What about you? What are you going to get done as a writer today?