Current word count. 5,142. This challenge has been so good for me. I am working on a project that is different than what I spent a week planning before the month began. I knew I wasn't going to write on Sundays, but I did not expect today. Work and life have just been so much that I am absolutely exhausted. I don't say that lightly as someone who runs marathons, works out multiple times a week, and regularly works 75+ hour workweeks. I have been posting daily updates on my Instagram @ericleroyanderson if you want to see my full swing of emotions this week. I am going to go get at least 250 words in tonight, then I am going to bed early. I'm excited to see where everyone else is at!

Hi everyone! I am the author and illustrator of Voyage to King's Cove. I am currently working on the sequel and am very excited to be a part of this community and bring an extra batch of accountability and support in the writing process!

I’m Kai from the Salt Lake City, Utah area! I have always enjoyed creative writing and have only taken it up as a hobby over the last two years. I write mostly in the genre fiction space: mainly horror, weird, and speculative (which, granted, makes me sound much more heady than I think I am). I’ve been in a loop of starting stories and not finishing first drafts, due to a heap of factors, I'm afraid. I look forward to connecting with this community and learning from you all!

I write fantasy. I've been writing for only a little over a year. I’ve almost completed my first book, I just need to do the final edit (I’ve read it well over ten times now and am still finding things). As I’ve been writing, it’s also been very fun to do some of the things in the book to see how it’s done!

Because I did NOT start my 30k in 30 days yesterday like I originally planned 😅 However, I just did 1,014 words tonight, so I'm on track to finish 30k by the end of July. Is it going to be a cohesive novel? Absolutely not. I'm still kind of finding my voice for this story, which is one that's been bouncing around in my head (and occasionally bleeding onto a page) for the last few years. So my goal isn't necessarily to have a 30k novella at the end of July, but to have written 30k of story-related words. Bonus points if a portion of those words end up being usable in a future draft 😂 I watched Erin Stewart's "Surviving the First Draft" video today from the 30k class before writing, and if you haven't yet I highly recommend! She does a great job breaking down the main plot parts of a first draft (or any draft, really). I feel much less pressure to produce a cohesive narrative and more free to just write and see what happens. Good luck, fellow 30k folks 🫡