WHIP the WIP BLIP

Many writers refer to their current project as a WIP – Work In Progress. I don’t know about you, but a homophone for an instrument of torture motivates me to run, not walk, away from the keyboard. On the other hand, WHIP – Wreaking Havoc In Progress – is appropriate on productive days.

However, neither WIP nor WHIP specifies the stage or type of work. I suggest writers utilize more accurate acronyms:

PIP – Planning In Progress – covers that vital stage before one writes. (Can also refer to Plotting or Protagonist In Progress.)

RIP – Research In Progress – refers to that other prerequisite stage.

NIP – Novel In Progress. (A nip or two of your favorite beverage might help the words flow, too.)

SSIP – Short Story In Progress. (I tend to hiss at word limitations. How about you?)

BLIP – BLog In Progress. After all, blogs are barely blips on cyberspace’s sonar.

AIP – Article In Progress. Accurately mimic the noise evoked by futile searches and/or word-on-the-tip-of-my-tongue-itis.

EIP – Essay In Progress – See above.

TRIP – Title Rendering In Progress (For those authors who, like me, invest days in creating a superior sobriquet.)

DRIP – Document Ripping In Progress (The perfect acronym for editing.)

QUIP – QUery In Progress (Clever is the goal, but a query rarely results on the spur of the moment.)

SHIP – Summarizing Handiwork In Progress (For the synopsis stage.)

I could SLIP (Silly Linguistics In Progress) on and on, but I think I’ve VIPped (Vacuum In Progress) enough.

Can you add to the list? Which acronym describes your current project? Feel free to leave a comment.