[OWW-SF/F: Writing] aaaannnnd THEY'RE OFF!!! (forward)

::BANG!!::

That's the starting gun for the World's Strongest Writer Marathon! Those of you in Europe and points further east are officially started! (I may be an hour early for the Irish contingent. Go have another pint and relax. And we here in the Western Hemisphere have to wait 6-9 hours more.)

The Goal: to generate wordcount on our individual works-in-progress!!

The Process: ONE DAMN WORD AFTER ANOTHER

What I Need You All To Do:  WRITE!  And then at the end of next week (July 8 or 9), send me an update (OFFLIST!) with the following:

-Name

-Entry Number (This is the number just above your name in the big list. It will help me find you in my very-lowtech data file. I will post one last updated list including all the last-minute entrants tomorrow.)

-Word count generated, # of pages edited, or whatever other measure of progress you prefer.

-Any chatty observations you want to make about the marathon, how's it going, what's really difficult, what helps, is it easier or harder than you expected...that sort of thing. Humor counts. I'll put the most interesting/funny/noteworthy comments into a newsletter to post on 7/12 (NY local time).

Like many others, I will be on vacation all next week, possibly without internet access. Please cheerlead amongst yourselves. I'll do my best to get online periodically!

In the meanwhile, here are some extra exclamation points to juice your enthusiasm!

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

(Why yes, I do buy them in bulk. At CostCo. They keep them in the electronics section, right near the Tazers.)

--E

Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.
-John F. Kennedy, 35th US president (1917-1963)