Field Report, January, 2012
January 29th, 2012 — 5:54pm
- Cups of coffee consumed: ~80
- Miles walked with Sallie: ~80
- Hours spent at desk working: ~240
- Words written: ~70,000
- Words deleted: ~35,000
- Words in current draft of novel-in-progress: 36,600
- Overused words and phrases currently aware of: 20 (probably, a little, just, only, sort of, kind of, some, somewhat, somehow, very, quite, pretty much, too, really, shrug, sigh, grin, laugh, smile, feel) Note: shocked by overuse of ‘quite.’
- Instances of overuse of a little: 91
- Instances of overuse of just: 92
- Instances of overuse of kind of: 42
- Instances of overuse of sort of: 21
QUESTION: Am I really this wishy washy?
- Words deleted after search for unnecessary adverbs: 228 (!)
- Typically overused char. actions on lookout for: 5 ( shrug, sigh, grin, laugh, smile)
- Sighs in current mss: 2
- Grins: 4
- Laughs: 2
- Shrugs: 0 (!!)
- Smiles: 19 Note: Unable so far to weed out many smiles. Situation requires action. Effort ongoing, although status is low priority.
- Previously overused char. action found nowhere in current project: lip biting. Note: 1 lip tremble, 1 press, 1 stick-out. Acceptable?
- Trips to Newberry: 1
- Trips to Grand Marais: 3
- Moments of self-doubt: scattered
- Moments of surety: scattered
- Moments of putting head down and plodding forward: most
- Blizzards: 1
- Rainy days: 1
- Hours spent basking by woodstove: innumerable
- Cool definitions not previously known which won’t be forgotten: 2
- Hokey pokey: cheap ice cream sold by street vendors.
- Copasetic: fine, excellent, quite (!) content. from Creole, copasetique, ‘able to be coped with.’ Note: Sadly, still unable to shoehorn copasetic into current mss. Effort ongoing.
- Pencils ground to nubbins at work on current project: 5 (pictured)
- Favorite Christmas present: electric pencil sharpener
- Good days: 29
Report filed 1-29-12
