In which we almost gave ourselves a heart attack...

[jesshartley]

Sometimes I truly am my own worst enemy!

I use a spreadsheet in Excel to track my word count as I'm working on a writing project. Much in the same way I obsess over the scale several times a day, I tinker with my word counter and it keeps me focussed on the project at hand.

I hadn't done one for Skinchangers, so I thought I'd better, as the deadline is in about two weeks and while I had an idea I was doing okay on it, I realized I'd better get sharply focussed or I wasn't going to have the comfortable layer of cushion I prefer before deadlines (again, my obsessive side comes out).

So, I'm plunking numbers in, adjusting things... I put in my due date, my current word counts, adjust the "end goal" down from 100K (for La Serenissima) down to 30K...

and I look down and almost have a heart attack.

Words to write per day to meet goal: 4448

Now, I know I've still got 15 days or so to finish the project, and I know that I've got it almost half done... so this can't be right. I know that logically. But some part of my back brain SCREAMS "You can't write 4K+ a day every day for two weeks!" and I get that little "oncoming truck" rush of adrenaline.

Then I check the formula in that cell and see that I hadn't changed it yet, it was still processing for a 80K project. *whew*

But, as I'm /really/ awake now, I think I'll get to plunking away at those words rather than these. :)

Comments

[tersa.livejournal.com]

*laugh*

When Ob/Comp attacks! Next, on Oprah!

[mistcat.livejournal.com]

Perhaps the part of the formula that is the goal should point to a cell with the word "Goal" in another cell next to it. This might prevent future heart attacks and thus preserve the Jess for a long writing career.