2017 has flown by so quickly and we’re about to start the last mont of the year. I’ll get more reflective when it is officially the end of the year, but for now let’s say it’s been a year of ups and downs with writing. November started off slow, but at time of writing, I’m looking at being able to log five or six hours of writing work. Given the first week of the month was given over to uni work and the second I was on holidays, I feel that’s not a bad result.
I knew when I was setting out my goals for this month that they would probably be a bit too ambitious to get through. Below is what I set for myself and how I went.
Memories and Magic
- Read over original draft and the notes for new drafts – This actually ended up being quite time consuming, hence the lack of new words being written.
- Dot-point a rough outline for the whole book – I’m still just working out the climax, but I’m going to call this complete
- Complete draft of Part 1 (approx 15k) – yeaaaaahno.
Operation: Sugarplum
- Re-read old drafts
- Brainstorm ending and any other parts that need fixing
I didn’t even touch this. Something for down the track a bit.
Short Story
- Re-read what I’ve written – I actually only did this yesterday, even though I’d already been writing new words on it. I’ve realised there are a few changes I want to make.
- Brainstorm ending
- Add 1000 words – yes, I did this! I snuck some in at work and then I had a write-in with some friends where I hit that target.
The last few months I’ve been trying to remember that writing doesn’t have to be rushed. It’s not a race to see who can put their book out the fastest. With that in mind, I’m pretty happy with the progress I’m making.
December of course is a difficult month to really plan anything. Whatever goals I do have will be pretty low-key.
How have your Novembers gone? I know a lot of you were participating in NaNoWriMo, with varying degrees of success. What are you looking forward to next month?
Emily Wrayburn 
Sometimes rereading old work takes up a huge swathe of time… I think that’s why some people (not me, I’m a bit addicted to reread old work, mine and other people’s) advocate starting fresh all the time. I actually was given advice along this line by an editor once when I said I’d lost a short story I wanted to publish… he swore any new work I did along the same plotline would be better. (I tried, it wasn’t, at least in my opinion)
Really… for a year of ups and downs, it looks like you’ve accomplished quite a bit. Life happens, and not always in ways that convenience us. Just keep doing what you’re doing. You’ll get there
LikeLike