terrified is a great start!! it is the guzzly juice of motivation.

yes, you just write and write and write.

you only need to write 1,667 words per day to make that. And they don't have to be good words. they just have to be there!!

so get thee to a computer, with a vat of coffee (or tea, water, chai, whatever) with some scrap paper and a pen for any necessary mind mapping, and get ready!

1,667 words is more achievable than it sounds. if you can write 30 words a minute (and I'd bet most of you can type between 45 and 80 words per minute!) then you'll pump out 1,800 words per hour. just force yourself not to "fix" as you go, and you'll be sweet.

my plan is to write 50,000 words in November, take December off, finish the book in January, proof it in February, ask two friends to read it in March, and send it to a publisher or agent in June.

and my plan is *not* what I did last time, when I got all caught up with work and famliy matters and I ended up having to write the last 17,000 words between 8pm on 29 November and midnight on 30 November.

but I did it

come to the dark side! we have cookies!

and we definately can encourage one another after all, what are women if not natural story tellers?