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. 

Hello 2016!

So it's a newly-minted year so what am I doing right now? 

Well, I've been writing. Still working on the book I started back during NaNoWriMo 2015. I'm not trying to push so hard to get it to fit any sort of expectations that I might dream up. I'm just trying to have fun and tell a good story. No more, no less. 

I'm still considering the challenges idea. For example, I've thought about taking up a writing streak. What is this? Well, it's simple enough. You just write everyday without missing for as long as you can. New words of fiction each and every day of this year. I could add further goals like word count or project count goals, but I haven't yet. My minimum word count I like to hit is 1,000 words or four pages. Four pages a day for the duration of 2016 would get me 366,000 words. Now what form all of these words would take is up for debate. I have no idea right now. Some of them, though, will be used on my current novel. 

It seems that when I ever I write about word counts, I think in terms of fiction rather than nonfiction, so that doesn't even get mention when I talk about such totals. I might change that if I end up writing more nonfiction during the course of the year. I like the openness of a new year. There are always circumstances that affect what actually gets done, but at this early stage, it is still important to dream and imagine the possibilities. 

I do like the idea of this being the "Year of the Writer." It sounds cool anyway. I'll keep all of you posted.

Writing In 2015: Week Two

I'm writing this post for the second full week of writing in 2015. I'm not sure if I'll be writing weekly updates for the duration of the year, but I might give it a shot. It could be good to keep a closer eye on progress and share here. When it comes to the writing life, there are things I definitely want to do differently this year. I've mentioned them in previous posts. At the top of the list, is simply this: I WANT TO WRITE MORE.

Yes, very simple, and I am writing more frequently than I was during most of 2014. That frequency needs to increase though. Like any skill, with more you practice writing the better you become. Practice means spend a lot more time putting down new words in fiction, completing more stories and novels, and, yes, I could include writing here more frequently than I have in the past.

What do I mean by writing more? Well, I mean just devoting more time to it. I also mean writing everyday, if possible. I've thought about carrying on a writing streak to see how long I could keep it up. It sounds like a challenge. I think I need to challenge myself this year. The trick is knowing what is reasonable for me and also where I can stretch myself to grow as a writer too. It's tough to figure sometimes, but I might give it a shot too.

I've thought about keeping an open door on my writing process like Dean Wesley Smith does. But that way is  hard path since Dean's done so to dispel some really nasty myths that afflict writers, especially beginning writers. I'm not interesting in taking the sort of flak associated with that sort of myth-busting. I don't intent to set myself up as an expert in anything. I am just trying to be a career write--and one that makes money telling stories and selling them to readers. Those are the logistics here.

I suppose I'll need to clarify from time to time if I intend to write blogs more often. It's easy to fall into certain poor habits. I'll try to avoid some of those familiar pitfalls as the year moves along.

Writing In 2015 - Don't Look Back

This year's about up now and I'm not going to look backwards now when it's far more important to look forward. Half-finished projects will either be completed or shelved as I strive for momentum in my writing life as the new year dawns. I'm wearied with making pronouncements that don't pan out, but I still want to challenge myself. I could do that in a number of ways.

I set out to write twenty short stories this year, but only managed a fraction of that number. I'm not going to beat myself up about not hitting the goal. I did get some stories written. I didn't completely fail.  I could set another challenge like that. I could also set one for writing books too. In the end, it doesn't matter what shape the challenges take but only that I attempt them. The attempt matters.

There's a lot to learn from failures -- provided that it leads to successes rather than paralysis.

I have hopes for 2015. It's good to be hopeful about one's prospects rather than caught up in a cycle of disappointment, doubt, and frustration. Like most writers, I've been dealt with those sorts of issues. I've been too critical and being critical has sapped my creativity. It kept me from the page more times than I'd like to admit.

Though I'm still thoughtful about how these patterns might play out in the new year, I'm more interested in how I can bolster my personal creativity and let that voice out to play again. Fiction writing should be a fun activity and not a reason to get stressed out. At least that's the philosophy I prefer.

There is promise in a new year, but it takes work to make that promise bear any sort of fruit. This blog will remain a place where I share something of that writerly journey with those who read. I'll tell you when I have new work coming out and update you on the progress of any challenges I set. I'll probably note interesting articles and blogs about writing and publishing as I cross them.

Here's to a great 2015!

Rough Start To NaNoWriMo 2014

So, the 10th day of NaNoWriMo is nearly over and I'm seriously behind. I've had a something of a rough start to this year's book writing but I'm not ready to give up quite yet. I have a chance to get back on target with word counts and hopefully cross the finish line on the 30th for the first time.

This is a big deal for me. The chance to finish book or at least 50,000 words of a  book in thirty days will be a great milestone. I currently have 5,260 words done so I have 44,740 words left to write. At this stage, that means I need to write 2,237 words at day, minimum, to cross the finish line. That's still doable. So let the challenge continue.

Story Challenge 2014: Update #4

Finally back with another update on the short story challenge I committed myself to this year. Time has kept ticking away and I've found more than a few reasons not to get words done on stories since the last time I posted anything about the challenge. My last update period was a good while back now and it makes sense to at least touch base here on the site. It's been idle long enough. Might make sense to do monthly updates, maybe.

As stated before, I have made some progress, just slow progress.

WALKING BACK - 2,886 words
THE SAPPHIRE SWORD - 3,533 words
BORN OF SILVER FIRE - 5,057 words
MARCH ON THE MOUNTAINS - 7,579 words
A WAGER IN CALDRED - 9,757 words
IN A GIANT'S EYE - 5,067 words
THERE BE MONSTERS - 7,094 words
TALE OF THE WATER THIEF - 4,572 words

So, I have 12 stories left to write to finish this challenge. I might just make it.

Story Challenge 2014: Update #3

Didn't think I'd be back with another update, did you?

Well, here I am. I wanted to say that I've added a couple of stories to the "done" category. I hope I'll be adding more here in the coming weeks, but only if it stays a fun thing to do. I'm still working out or maybe working through some issues. The creativity is waxing and waning, as always, but I might just be in the upward arc right now.

The last update was back in April so it's been a long gap. You'll have to accept my apologies for that, but well, I just haven't been writing all that much. Still, progress is process, right folks?

Here's the list of challenge stories thus far:

BORN OF SILVER FIRE - 5,057 words
MARCH ON THE MOUNTAINS - 7,579 words
A WAGER IN CALDRED - 9,757 words
IN A GIANT'S EYE - 5,067 words
THERE BE MONSTERS - 7,094 words
TALE OF THE WATER THIEF - 4,572 words

I'll be back sooner with a new update; I promise. Catch you later.

Writing Streaks

I started writing again. I've not missed a day for three weeks now. So, I'm officially in a writing streak. I heard about streaks when I started reading Dean Wesley Smith's website three years ago. While I entertained the notion of officially doing a streak, I hadn't done so. This isn't to say I didn't have lengthy periods where I wrote every single day without fail. I did. But these periods were always separated by much longer stretch where little if any writing got done.

I know there are plenty of factors that cause one to not write during a given day. I won't talk about any of them. I'm sure any writers reading this will have their own lists of personal reasons. They may be good ones or just lousy excuses. Sometimes, a little of both. One reason I think I'm still going on the streak is that I just totally abandoned my efforts to maintain a writing quota. It seems I alway set myself up for failure by saying that I would need to hit a certain number of words daily or weekly.

The best I can say is that I try to get a single manuscript page. That's 250 words. Sometimes, I don't quite hit that minimum and, really, that's okay. I don't care if I get 100 words as long as I get some words. It all averages out. The goal is only to not miss a day of writing. 

I'm going to see how long I can keep this streak going. I'd encourage my fellow writers to try the same thing. Aim for a manuscript page. I've heard that even a page a day will get you a novel written by the end of a year. Just think if you get two pages a day. You could have two novels written. I know that sounds good to me.

Back On The Horse…Or Yep, I'm Writing Again

Seems like these points where I end up spending much longer away from writing fiction are coming pretty regularly. Maybe they're part of my process. The honest point to make is that it probably has a lot to do with procrastination. (I know, shocker right?) Anyway, I'm back on this blog writing something of an update.

First off, I don't have any new stories finished so I can add those to the list. However, I am working on a book. In fact, I could say that I'm working on two books. I've even put tracking meters up to show the rate of my progress on these two novel projects. Does this mean I'm not writing shorts or I've given up the challenge? Short answer: Nope. Not quitting. I'll get those stories done.

I'm just trying to get firing on some new work and thought it would be nice to have the meters up here for some form of accountability. Or just for fun maybe. I definitely don't want to do if it isn't fun.

I'm working on books. I might even have  nonfiction gig ramping up soon. I'll have to see what the client says when I present estimates. I like doing the co-authored work. It's fun to stretch myself as a writer. Part of that stretching surely happens when delving once again into the kind of nonfiction subjects I've written about before but I'd also add that I plan stretching in fiction as well. Particularly genres. But, that's all further down the pipeline.

Well, that's the update, folks. I'll catch you later. My collection of short stories Other Realms: Volume One  will be out very soon so I'll put something up about that in the next week or so.