No, I’m not breaking down.
This post is to evaluate the goals I set for April.
Before I do this I’d like to underline that these goals were just there to give some direction and also to make me put in words what I wanted to work on in April.
As a reminder this was April’s Project:
1 – Make Plot Outline (for Editing Purposes)
2 – Edit First Draft (Obvious)
3 – Create Synopsis (Kind of dreading this one)
4 – Write a couple of blog posts (Because it is fun)
5 – Start short story/ new story (To distract from point 2)
And
Make a blog post about my writing challenge to see how many hours I spent writing/ how many words/ how many chapters edited.
I finished or started the things in green, but didn’t do the things in red because I wasn’t as quick in revising/editing as I thought I would be.. After one week of campnano I changed my goal to hours instead of words.
Let me break my April writing down for you in days:
Date
|
Hours | What/why? |
April 1
|
0 | Because of hangover after birthday party. (I turned 34 on 31st of March) |
April 2
|
2 | Cut things. Also keep shifting things around in chapter 1 and 2.
|
April 3
|
2 | Day job. Added some but also cut things. Moved things around.
|
April 4
|
2 | Finally started editing for real. Chapter one mostly |
April 5
|
2 | Chapter one revised/edited |
April 6
|
2 | Chapter two revised/edited
|
April 7
|
2
|
One tiny blogpost. Chapter 3: delete/ repeat. Added some.
|
April 8
|
Weekend (0) | House painting /chores ☹ |
April 9
|
Weekend (0) | House painting/chores ☹ |
April 10
|
3 | Tinkered again with chapter 1 & 2, and send it to someone to read. |
April 11
|
4,5 | Returned to chapter 3, added/cut/rewrite |
April 12
|
1,5 | Chapter 4 |
April 13
|
1 | Looked things up/ get in touch with writerly feeling |
April 14
|
1 | Wrote Blogpost |
April 15
|
1,5 | Chapter 4 done, needs more revising in next draft but okay for now. Need forward momentum so on to chapter 5. |
April 16
|
2,5 | Chapter 5 started also some reading on WordPress reader to look for interesting blogs to follow (also known as procrastinating) |
April 17
|
Minutes | Easter things |
April 18
|
Minutes | Work and birthday party prep |
April 19
|
Minutes | Kid birthday party/ housecleaning/grocery/ watching Luther, because: Idris Elba and Ruth Wilson😊 |
April 20
|
Minutes | Work and stuff |
April 21
|
3 | WordPress and a bit of editing. |
April 22
|
3 | Chapter 5 ! |
April 23
|
0 | Work and stuff |
April 24
|
4 | Chapter 6 |
April 25
|
0 | Kids vacation, went to a zoo |
April 26
|
1 | Kids vacation, zero concentration |
April 27
|
4 | Chapter 5 & 6 Done |
April 28
|
4 | Started chapter 7 |
April 29
|
2 | Chapter 7/ WordPress |
April 30
|
2 | Chapter 7 done |
What have I learned about my process this month? Well I’m a slow starter for sure. It took me FOUR days to realize that if I wanted to improve this draft I actually had to sit down and well, DO SOMETHING. And with that I mean, FOCUS and put words on paper. And even worse: delete everything that doesn’t work. (Which also took time, because I only really cut things when I send my work to someone else).
So by the time it was April 4th I had that realization and in the days that followed work was done. But then the weekend came around… In which I promised to help to paint and didn’t get around to write much. This is also true for work days and days when the kids are free. It was a very busy month with loads of obligations but I still managed 50 hours.
Of course I could have done more, but I don’t mind. I like being hooked on watching Luther, going to the gym, meet friends, have dayjob (not liking that one), having 4 kids to entertain on occasion, having a relationship, read books.
And I’ve found some writerly friends! Some say Campnano is very different from the Big November Thing, and that’s true, but I really liked my cabin.
I would have worked on my story anyway but I’m glad I’d a group of people doing the same thing, dreaming the same dreams, fighting the same insecurities.
For May I’ve decided to just keep on keeping on. I learned that if I’ve longer stretches of time I get more work done, so I’m trying to get those this month.
May Goals:
- Continue Edit on The Draft That Must Not be Named 😊
- Make a Polaroid branch and blog about that project!
- Blogpost about editing process part two
- I’m going to Copenhagen this month, so expect a travel post by the end of the month (probably just pictures, because well Copenhagen!)
Ciao!
Hi. I don’t know how anything will get done if we don’t plan ahead. It does take discipline as a writer. Take care.
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Hi! I must say I’m pretty fond of planning (and often it takes up way more time than it should), but you’re right: it does take discipline to keep writing. 🙂
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wow you are organized! I should be more organized! I do not like synopsis either. Nasty creatures that make me doubt everything 😉 good luck with all these goals and Hope you take great pics in Copenhagen 🙂
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Nasty creatures indeed, but they’re good for pointing out what might be missing. Too bad the synopsis monsters feast on life energy and/or joy 😉
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