A Return to Writing

Last month, I participated in Camp NanoWriMo. My project was a collaboration one of my sons. I was beginning my first ever young readers/children's book. It was a bold move for someone who hadn't written very consistently for several months. I set my goal at 30K words and just started telling this story we cooked up. I did okay at the start but as the month progressed I got off track and started missing days. I failed to keep to a consistent writing schedule and other work crowded in and took my attention--and time--in other directions. 

By the end of July, I had lost too much ground to recover before the deadline. Even though I failed in that, I did succeed in getting over 11K words written. So, while I did make a return to fiction, it was a rather bumpy one. I could get frustrated or disheartened by what I didn't accomplish but I know that's a big mistake, and one that could stall further progress. At this point, I cannot afford that. 

So, even though I missed the last few days of July, I returned to the book last night, at the very end of the day after working a nighttime job. I decided I wouldn't hit the sack until I wrote at least 1,000 words of fiction. And you know what? I did it. I reached just over my minimum. I think I also decided that I would make a try at a writing streak. So, that means I am going to keep writing every day for as long as I can keep it up without missing. 

For now, I think it makes sense to keep my word count at the modest level of 1,000 words a day. Sure, I could try to ramp it up right away to the sort of numbers I used to do when I wrote freelance articles, but why push it? I still believe I need to ease back into this whole regular writing, creating a daily habit with some firm foundation beneath it. I've certainly heard that advice a million times from other writers in articles, books, and even videos. So that daily writing habit is a priority. 

For me, the additional priority is fiction, although I think I'd like to try for more regularity in other mediums like this blog for instance. I remember writing far more substantial posts in the past and I did them far more than once every month or so.

While I have no idea who might be reading my posts at this point, I hope a few of you might be writers. If not, that's okay, because most blogs are about self-expression so pardon me while I air my thoughts, hopes, dreams, and my challenges, setbacks, and mistakes.