Working On: Ornament story, Squirrel story
Editing: MM (a friend’s MS)
I wrote every night last week, and I keep telling myself I should keep track so I can see the progression. But, I often just sit down, open up my Freewrite and start writing, because I’m ready and I know I’m racing to get words in before the clock and my own end-of-day weariness take me down. Still, I get to the end of the week, and I’m curious as to how many words I got in. It really would take no effort at all to just write down the word count when I finish. I’m going to try keeping track of that this week.
The problem is, I’m working on a story that won’t work for the purpose I need it for, and while I can certainly find a use for it, I need to get a story that will work done. I also have several drafts in stages of disarray that I’d really, really like to finish and publish this year, because I’ve been working on them for so long, and starting new things isn’t getting those done. All four of them need to be either seriously revised or rewritten, and I feel like that should really be my first priority for the year.
I need to get tough with myself. I want and need to finish and publish these other stories. I think it would be very beneficial to my mental state, and motivating to get some things published again. It will take less time to finish “already in progress” drafts than to finish and revise/edit a new one, so it makes far more sense to finish what’s already started than to start new things.
I also think finishing those WIPs would be a good exercise in discipline and work ethic – I hate revising and editing, and that’s a big part of why those stories are all languishing. I need to push through that part of the process several times, so that it just becomes something I do, rather than something I dread. There will be a lot of rewriting involved with these (I’ve learned so much since I started them!), which I don’t mind so much, so it’s a good way to ease into the revision process, methinks.
With that in mind, this week, I’m setting the ornament story aside, and my main goal is to start and finish the squirrel story (which is the one I need for next Christmas). I’m still working on my editing/reading project for a friend (which I’m very much enjoying), and I’m also going to take some time and the shortest of those unfinished drafts (BD), and figure out what it needs to be finished so I can make a plan. I want to publish this draft in October, so having it ready to go this spring will put me ahead of the game (for once!).
So…another reset, but now that I have a good writing habit in place, it really shouldn’t be all that difficult to make good progress quickly.
Onward!
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