At the beginning of 2024 I set a goal of writing at least 500 words per day toward my next book, tentatively titled Lost Command. Here’s how it’s going.

The premise behind all of this was to set a relatively easy goal, but to be consistent with it. Sure, I can write more than 500 words. Sometimes during National Novel Writing Month I can write over 2000 words in a day. I’ve never kept track, but occasionally, if I can clear everything else off my plate I’ve gotten into the 5000 word ballpark. But like running marathons, that pace isn’t sustainable. Not for a guy like me with a family and a demanding day job.

So I’m happy to report that by the end of February, I crossed the 60k mark!

This puts me at about three quarters of the way through the first draft. More importantly, I’m through the middle of the story. I’ve heard it said that middles should more aptly be called “muddles” because you have to muddle your way through. In my experience, as you get closer to the end, the story gets easier to write because you stop introducing new information, the challenges are set, the key players are in place, and now the writing is all about trying the story together, having the main character confront their ultimate challenges and grinding through to victory (or defeat) in a satisfying conclusion. (And because it’s a first draft that conclusion doesn’t even have to be all that satisfying!)

Incidentally in February I took up the push-up challenge as well. I think, formally the goal was to get 2000 push-ups in by Feb 23rd. I never formally signed up, but I figured I might try. And check this out.

This wasn’t so much an easy challenge. Doing over 100 push-ups in a day can be pretty hard on the body, if you’re not used to it. But I got through it by breaking it down into sets of 20 at first and then rising to 25, 30, and even more. While in the end, it’s not like I get much out of this, but I think it’s just another demonstration of how small, regular efforts accumulate, enabling one to reach much larger goals.