Saving my journal entry this morning, I realized this week marked two solid months. I’ve only missed 4 days since the end of June.
This is impressive for me. Usually, I have the attention span of a gnat and projects are fun to start, but never seem to be finished.
My early journal entries are shaky and uncertain. Some days, I forced myself to put down any thought that popped into my head. What I wrote didn’t matter, as long as I was wrote. Now, 1,000 words in a half hour is a comfortable pace. The words flow best when I rant, sure, but I can tell I’ve been flexing my writing muscles.
Every writing book I’ve read emphasizes the permission a writer needs to grant themselves to write a really crappy first draft. I’ve certainly excelled at upholding that tradition this summer!
As Fall begins (at least where actual seasons happen), I find myself wanting to push harder. Two months of writing a thousand or so words in a journal is nothing in any grand scheme, but for me it is significant progress.
I have a finished first draft of a 6k-word short story and 25k words on a single novel manuscript (three times my previous efforts). However, I now facing a new challenge: pulling the raw ideas together to create consistent, compelling and interesting stories.
Occasionally, I’m going to hit brick walls like I did last week. I can chalk it up to nerves and lack of self-confidence, but I’m also determined to finish this novel.
I’d be interested to hear how others push themselves and how they have set goals for themselves.
I usually set slow and steady goals, but I just came off the heels of a fast draft challenge…wow, that was insanely fun! hahaha. Sometimes, just forcing yourself to do a certain page count each day can help!
Purty blog!
Keep at it. I try for two pages a day. It doesn’t go fast, but it goes.
Thanks Gwen!
It’s interesting to see everyone’s different takes. Real life will always intervene, and learning to roll with that and work in and around that I think is going to be one of my biggest challenges.
I know what you mean about the family time thing, Morgan. I’m lucky enough to be a SAHM too, with both kids in school. I’ve been trying to keep my writing time to the hours that everyone else is out of the house. It’s been working pretty well so far.
I got there for a minute!….
Your an inspiration, Kaige. Thanks for inviting as back over…the blog is beautiful.
My goals are shoddy at best. But, i’m a stay at home mom with access to a computer so I use it. Somedays, more than others. The thing is, I love to write. Most nights I’d rather sit at the computer than watch a TV show. I’ve had moments of guilt over that one… Family time, you know.
My goals are 200w a day. Usually I beat that but have about 3 days a week when I don’t reach it at all so… It all works out in the end. 😉