writing challenge wrap-up | total stats and future writing plans

[@therealannataylor]

Whoa. You may not have gotten your weekly goal, but you *smashed* the whole writing rut. You did awesome!

[@AuthorSarahSutton]

It finally feels like I'm getting back to my old Sarah Sutton self, and it feels good!🥹🫶

[@heatherstiara8033]

I did 2k a day in January and it worked great. I’m over 40k in my WIP and for February I’m changing it up and doing three 20 minute writing sprints. Today, I hit 2,500 words for 1 hour of writing. So I’m very happy with that. (I have been writing for a very long time. I plot. I know what is going to happen ahead of time. And this has been my full time job for over 10 years). I plan to finish up this first draft by the end of the month and I’m so excited.

[@bodine219]

It is genuinely so sweet that you put all those disclaimers in. I'm guessing they were for those of us who might fall prey to comparisonitis because that is Very Fast. It sounds like you're having a great writing month!! 🤍😁

[@AuthorSarahSutton]

I can't wait to see how February goes for your writing goals!🤩

[@JoeyPaulOnline]

You did amazingly well after a burnout period!! I think switching was the right answer and I'm glad it's going well for you. My fave part of January was my birthday and the writing retreat I did for it!

[@AuthorSarahSutton]

Happy belated birthday!!🫶🏻

[@megalodon667]

Ooooh first kiss! 🥰 You got so many words. Also sometimes you just have to switch projects. Glad it's working out for you!! Can't wait to read it.

[@brookerule93]

I love your challenge months. It kind of gives me a little more motivation that I am lacking.

[@Writerlyanakay]

You are and I’m sure will always be my favorite person to watch. You’re always the most relatable person and it feels like I’m just setting with a friend listening to them talk right next to me when I watch you just because how open you are. There’s so many emotions you display in your videos and I’m so thankful for the realness in your videos. When I set down and write, I’m lucky to get 800 words in a day when it comes to writing the story. 😅 but I can manage around 4,000 words in a day when working on an outline. When I watch other channels I feel a bit discouraged when I don’t get many words in or days that I don’t manage to write. But even though your word count is so much higher then mine could ever be but I never feel as if I’m failing when I hear your word count or your progress because you’re so honest and open about the struggles of not only getting those words in but also continuing to love your story and feel the same about it as it progresses through, also daily life, health and mental state can be intruding to our goals and you don’t hide these from your viewers. I’ve taken a break from writing for about 5 months this past year and stopped watching other channels but you’re the only person I could continue watching without doubting myself over getting anywhere with my stories again. Your new challenges have motivated me to start back at it again and I’m over the moon happy with myself that I finally hit 2k words last night with 2 hours of writing time and first thing this morning I wanted to dive back into the next scene. It’s refreshing to feel this way again. I don’t think it would have happened again at least not this soon without your new challenge videos helping me realize it’s perfectly fine to go through all of the emotions of not hitting my goals and the emotions of how my motivation or love for my story may wane from time to time. Thank you! ❤️

[@JessicaCMadden]

Don't feel ashamed about your burnout period, Sarah. In fact knowing you have been struggling with writing is making me feel better about going in between my own projects that I too keep switching back and forward

[@ruth5862]

Sarah, well done! You smashed January! I'm glad you've switched stories. I find I need to find the passion to write and I always hark back to my uni days and the papers that were As were the subjects I was passionate about and it clearly showed in my research and writing. The challenge clearly helped you focus. What a brilliant result! 🎉

[@speaker_of_wisdom]

Your book covers are pretty adorable!

[@jackiejimenez2824]

55,000 in a month is amazing!! Congratulations 🎉

[@S.R.Susanna]

Ending February catching up on my fav author-tuber vlogs

[@k.stausi]

Omg I think I'm going to cry- you look like you're so happy and you look so much more free. Is this the friends to lovers manuscript you were working on? Much love~ super excited where this will take you and I'm so eager to read more of you writing soon!! x Stay awesome

[@haleydaisy114]

so excited for the new adult year!!

[@MonroeBrackey]

Excited for more videos! Do you ever think about stating live writing sprints again?

[@Jenevieve.]

Ahh, you're doing NA, too! I write both YA and NA, so I've been trying to figure out a tagline/way to introduce myself, too! I'm not published yet, but hopefully by the end of the year I'll have indie published a book or two. My goal for January was 2000 words a day, and I hit that maybe 12 times, but I averaged around 1500 a day, so pretty close. I only have two hours to write every day (hopefully I can change that), but I want to up my word count to 2000/2500 a day. I can't wait to see more vlogs and updates in February!🫶🏼💜

[@Amanda_N_Newman]

Welcome to the dimension of writing both YA and NA. Sincerely, a YA and NA fantasy author.

[@fralou_sind_kreativ]

Look at you smashing that challenge!! Just amazing!! And just so you know, I will read every book you write no matter what genre or for what age. I'm super excited to see what stories you will create in the future!

[@AuthorSarahSutton]

Thank you so, so much! I'm excited to see what the future holds! 🥹 Also you've got this for your writing goal--I can't wait to check in at the end of the month!

[@fralou_sind_kreativ]

@@AuthorSarahSutton Cheer, cheer, cheer!!!

[@TheDarqProject13]

That total wordcount for the month is nothing to sneeze at! I'm glad you switched projects to something you were enjoying. It's frustrating, but sometimes the time just isn't right for a certain project.

[@AuthorSarahSutton]

Totally true! I tried working on it long enough, but maybe one day we can go back to it! 🥰

[@SDHegyes]

I think you did awesome with everything you had going on in January with emotional rollercoasters and all the client work. You also inspired me to do a similar challenge. I, too, have been struggling with writing although my hangups have been changes in work schedules, extracurriculars with the kiddos, classwork and inclement weather. I decided to pull a card from Sarra Cannon and aim for a good, better, best goal and I plan for 5 days of writing per week with the daily goals being 1K, 2K, and 4K for a weekly total of 5K, 10K, and 20K. I'm actually starting today because I wanted a Mon-Sun week and we'll see how it goes. Thank you for being so open about your journey and lighting a fire under my own tail. 💙

[@AuthorSarahSutton]

Oh my gosh, I can't wait to hear how this goes for you! I really like that goal setting strategy! 🥹

[@SDHegyes]

@@AuthorSarahSutton I just finished scripting a video about it that I'll be posting next Wednesday and have been doing vlog clips all week with updates. So far, so good! It's working out well.

[@amandasdumky]

Omg new adult romance!! That’s so exciting

[@thathollyking]

You did great!

[@Emtock]

I want to finish my novel by July 1st, so I need about 650 words per day to make it. I have a whole house to pack and move along with homeschooling my four year old and staying on top of my part time job, but I really want to be self-published by 30 and I only have a couple years to go 😅

[@graysonsbookmark]

55k is a ton!

[@AshkaeValkendae]

Well, it’s been nice. But I heard you used they/them pronouns in one of your books, and I’m not at all interested in supporting someone who’s gone woke for the sake of making money. Really takes the art out of writing when you disregard your values in the hopes of not offending anyone. Good luck with everything in your “new adult” journey, though.

[@_ela08]

my goal is to write 200 words a day lol🥲. it's really more about the habit of sitting down to write because I was not writing AT ALL in January

[@bodine219]

You did AMAAAZING!!! I think switching must have been the right call and I'm glad you made it. 🤍 Have I just misunderstood something you said, or are your books spice-free? 👀 I am always looking for new wholesome reads.

[@AuthorSarahSutton]

Yes, they are spice free!! I’ve written Young Adult romances so far, so they all just have sweet kisses, no spice!🥹🫶🏼

[@bodine219]

@@AuthorSarahSutton I will definitely have to check them out then! 😁