WIP Day - "Was" is my Enemy

Busy busy busy-ness!
This week is doing two things: speeding by much too fast, and crawling slow as a snail.  Is that even possible?  Apparently so!

Ready to be WIP Updated?  Here we go!

PN: Yes, I have an update!  It's about time, right?
I finished the "was" edit round on Prison Nation, and I feel great!

"Was?" you ask.
I read up on passive writing (Hey now, it has been 6 years since I was in school last... I needed a major refresher!) and found one of the biggest passive crimes is the use of "was."

ie: "was going..." "was slowly..." "was colored..."

In my research, I learned that "was" is bad thing.  Ok, you can use the word.  But not 1225 times like I originally had in my manuscript.  Ouch.  So, I set to work, changing and editing.  "Was going" changed to "went."  "Was slowly" instead became "He crawled along."  "Was colored" transformed to "The bright red of the door gleamed..." You get the picture.

I cut over 500 instances of useless "was."
And I feel great!

Next... I formatted.  I sat down and, without realizing it, spent 5 hours on Sunday formatting my manuscript.  Choosing the font.  Breaking the chapters.  Adding those page numbers.  Making it turn into something awesome, something called a.... book.  It is so crazy to see!  All I have left now is to do my final read through, and make that dang cover.

Yes, the cover is still battling me.  But we will get there!
Exciting!  A release date will be decided soon.
And, just because I love you, here is a screen shot of the first two pages of chapter one!

NaNoWriMo: I need to prep more.
Ok, I need to prep SOMETHING.

I have been bad.  I meant to have so much more prepped for this year's writing craziness.  While I do have the general arc of my story thought of.  Tentative names chosen.  The working title: Redone Shadows (will call is RS for blogging purposes)... I have not planned as much as I hoped I would.

Yes, I am a pantser.  And I do well at it.  So, we will see when the adventure begins how well I do.  We still have what, 12 days?

Totally do-able.

Well, my kids must sense I am writing.  They are climbing all over me, suddenly needing my undying attention in order to survive.  Oh, November will be epic.

How is your WIP day?  Any news or stories to share?

Happy Writing!