ROW 80 Check in 4, and First Non-Fiction Draft Complete!

Hello and welcome on this very nice night.

Why am I so happy, you ask? 

Well, I have just completed the first draft of my first non-fiction book!

The Five Day Writer's Retreat is all there! Everything I want to say, my action points, a whole lot of quotes, and some little digressions. 

And to be honest, I'm pretty proud of it. It has some really good advice which I was interested to learn about. (My creative youth gave me a brilliant example of how to set goals which was exciting to write, and I did a bit of research into a few areas such as nutrition for brain function which has pointed some things out I should be doing.) It's great when writing teaches you what you are writing about.

I want to go through a put a few more quotes in, and photos (though the photos are a bit of a discussion point at the moment because if it is an e-book, on computer they will look great, but on kindle or other grayscale devices I'm not sure they won't just be a bit irritating. Thoughts? Anyone read books with a lot of pictures on their e-reader?). It also needs a huge edit, as there will be spelling and grammar errors all over the place. But now that it is all there, the process of cleaning it up, giving it a shave and doing its hair, making it presentable seems rather fun.

I think the plan for the next two weeks is something like this: next weekend I'm going to attempt the insane task of writing for 15 hours a day Saturday and Sunday and see if I can completely discovery write a book from beginning to almost an end in that period. 

Therefore, I don't to start another new project this week. So, instead I'm going to alternate between editing this book and doing the preparation for my next top secret assignment.  Well, it's only top secret now because I'm really excited about it, and want to give the project its own entire post. So for now you will just have to wait in anticipation. 

So, ROW80 goals for this week:

5,000 words for 5 days:

Monday yes, Tuesday almost, Wednesday yes. Then Friday and Saturday together yes, and Sunday almost (finished the book, so didn't keep writing). During this period I have also edited away a lot of words as I went as well. However, succeeding in finishing the first draft was the main purposes.

3 articles:

Yes. 2 hubpages and 2 article directory submission. Go me. 

Blog posts:

I think I did 4 posts per blog, which is not everyday, but I think this might become my new goal. 4 is quite a lot, and now that I'm getting a steadier readership, I don't feel I have to post to hold onto readers (I was a bit anxious about this for a while, because my stats showed a great increase on the days I posted, and almost nothing on the days I didn't, so naturally I felt compelled to post everyday). You all happy with just 4 posts a week? Will give you a chance to actually read all of them :D

Other things:

So, have started putting together my new website for my company: thebuffygroup.com

Don't get too excited, as I'm currently playing around as I've never used WordPress before and is taking a while to adjust from Blogger. 

Blogger continues to irritate me, particularly Wednesday where I tried for over an hour to get my post to publish, and in the end had to email it to myself and do it at work because even the next day it still wouldn't work. (And wasn't my internet, as my other post worked). 

Still haven't heard from Telstra who promised super, duper faithfully to ring me in 'two to three days' last Monday about why they can't get my internet to work. Am going to ring them tomorrow and tell them not to bother, I'm changing providers. 

Still having issues trying to register my fitness blog....

And on that note, I need your help!

I have come up with a range of names that I could have for my new fitness blog. I'm moving my old one (Fitbuster) over onto its own domain, partly so I have more control and partly so it isn't '.blogspot.com.au'. So, all the content, and hopefully the appearance, will stay pretty much the same, I'll just rebrand it and build on it. 

My current choices (with input from friends and family) are below, please vote on your favourite in the comments! All advice greatly appreciated.

1. PersonalFitnessBaseCamp (this is my favourite at the moment, just to let you know).

2. BuffyFit (am afraid I might have trademark issues with this).

3. ThinkingFit.

4. FitTrack

5. GetFitHQ

So, what do you think? 

And don't forget to comment for the Goal Journal! Open until next Sunday when I will hopefully finish my 30 hour madness :D

Better Than Setting Goals

 

By Photos public domain.com [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

It is the end of 2012, just a few more days until the beginning of 2013. So if you haven't already started thinking about goals, resolutions, how to be better next year, now is the time to do it.

Anyone who has read even a small number of personal development and motivational books will know how important it is to physically write (or type) your goals out, and have them displayed somewhere you will see them throughout the coming year (until you are so ridden with guilt that you tear them down...). 

The books then go on to give you useful tips such as using the acronym SMART.

For example, my goal might be:

Specific - By Dec 31st 2013 I will have written another 20 drafts of novels. 

Measurable - On NYE 2013, can I see 20 drafts on my computer? Yes. In June 2013 will I be able to know how I'm going? Yes, either I have 10+ drafts and am on track, or less than 10 and I'm behind. So all good. 

Attainable - Okay, so based on this year, in 5 months I worked on 8 or so different drafts, but only 2 of them were completely finished, and only another 3 or 4 were close. So, it is going to be difficult, but I also know a lot more now about writing, so is possibly attainable...with a stretch. 

Realistic - Very possibly not, to be honest. I'm spending more time on my blogs, trying to build these up, provide you with more good quality content (and a few other secret things that will come out soon), as well as hopefully spending more time dealing with literary agents and publishers, getting articles and some short stories written and published, and you never know, 2013 might be the year I find a nice, suitable, tall, dark and handsome hero for my own little story. However, in this case I'm not going to let that worry me. You, on the other hand, should try to be realistic. 

Timely - Does it have a specific time frame? Yes, I'm trying to do one draft every 2 weeks. As most people work best to deadlines, focusing on one every two weeks is more likely to be effective than 20 by the end of the year. It stops me from foolishly convincing myself that I can slack for the first half of the year and then try to catch up. 

So, that is the method you will hear in a lot of places. And it is a good method, if you already have quite specific goals that are very important for you to meet. 

However, if you don't have such a specific goal in mind, here are my suggestions for creating a positive outlook on the coming year with opportunities to achieve which will make you feel good, but not make you feel too bad if you don't do them.

1. Focus on personal development and the underlying desire  of your goals.

The reason I'm doing this entire challenge is not to have 100 drafts per se, as that is just silly if I don't do anything with them, or don't learn anything along the way. 

The actual desire behind this challenge is that I want to become a much better, faster, more prolific and satisfied writer. Writing 100 drafts will help me a lot in this, but by focusing just on that, I could miss greater opportunities to reach my real desire. 

To be a prolific and good writer, I need to write a lot, yes. I also need to read a lot. I need to identify weaknesses and improve them, I need to nurture my creative spirit, I need to communicate and laugh with other people going through the same thing, etc. 

If I give up going to a writing conference in order to stay home and write, have I actually gotten closer to my goal of being a long-term writer? 

So, look at your desire and mind map how you can achieve it. And challenge yourself to work across different areas. 

2. Give yourself a 2013 bucket list. 

With one or two huge goals/desires such as mine, it is easy to forget about everything else in life. But adding in more goals, trying to split your focus and be a famous writer, chef, personal trainer, and belly dancer might all be a bit too much. 

So, to ensure that I still do a broad range of things that excite and challenge me, but don't distract too much from my major goals, last year I created a bucket list. It had 80 items, divided into 8 categories that ranged through 'creative', 'fitness', 'domestic' etc. 

Examples of some of my items included:

- learn to cook sushi.

- complete 10km in (under) an hour. (it was originally 'under', but as I only managed 1:00.23, I crossed out the 'under' and it was all good!). 

- eat at a Korean BBQ.

- join a writer's group.

And every week I would look at my list, pick a few things that I would see if I could cross off, and actually looked forward to doing it!

Now, at the end of the year, I have to openly admit that I have not completed the list, I adapted quite a few, and even then am probably only halfway through, because things change. But I still did 40+ new things that I would otherwise never have done! And had a great sense of achievement throughout the year as I ticked things off. And some of the left over things will just be moved across to this year's bucket list. Simples. 

So, feel free to make goals, but think about the actual desire behind the goal and whether your goal is the only or best way to achieve it. And just for a life of adventure and fun, make a 2013 bucket list. Go on, I dare ya.

Finally, just to put myself on the line, I'm going to open up my 2013 bucket list to your suggestions. 

Comment below things that you want to do in 2013 and if I'm game enough, I'll join you. Or you can openly admit you aren't game to do it, but would love to see if I would. I'm just insane enough I might take it on.

 

December Plans

Welcome to December!

Okay, well, that was what December was like when my little sister visited me in the UK. Not quite what it is like here in Australia right now. 

It's more like:

Awesome, no? 

(And despite any photographic evidence to the contrary, I'm not just about flick water at my littler sister. I'm innocent, I tell you, innocent!) 

 

NaNoWriMo is over for another year, well 11 months, and Christmas and the end of the year are under a month away. 

Now is a great time to start thinking about your writing goals and path for next year. 

Don't wait until New Year's Eve, you'll be drunk then and either forget or think that you will be able to hack out 20 drafts in one year (sadly I wasn't drunk, I'm just insane).

So, because of this great piece of wisdom, and the fact I'm working overtime at my day job for the rest of the month, I've decided to put the Challenge on hold for a month. 

In case you are wondering of course I'm allowed to do that, it's my challenge and I want to get the most out of it, which means not burning myself out and also taking time to reorganise as necessary.

But I'm not giving up writing for the month.

Instead, I'm planning to work quite a bit on this and my fitness blog, which you might have noticed already have had some funky rearranging happening. I'm also going to put concerted effort into actually getting Sally Hunt out there. I'm going to keep working on my query letter and proposal, as well as researching agents and becoming so obnoxious that someone finally takes the book just to shut me up, yah! 

Along with that, if I get a chance, I want to try and finish off 'After the Winter', my NaNoWriMo novel, which reached the 50,000 word limit, but wasn't actually completed. 

Am really looking forward to actually getting time to focus and think. I also need to come up with some ideas for drafts for next year! 

Any ideas, anyone? (though, if you tell me, I might steal them, just letting you know).

The Secret Railway - Why Are You Doing This To Me?

Right, well, I now have two days until the end of this fortnight and I'm determined I'm going to get a full draft out.

So, fine, I'm writing a children's book and a full draft might not be all that long, but since I have just 15,000 words right now (I know, I know, what on earth have I been doing for two weeks? Aside from visitng family, studying for tutes, going to work, joining a new Bible study, starting a few fitness blog and fitness program, and generally procrastingating.) And those 15,000 are exactly the same story at the moment. They could be, I just have to find a way to join them.

Somehow, and it might have to involve an all nighter, I'm going to get a full first draft done. And I might have to include Sunday, just in case.

I just need to be tougher of myself. Yes, it wasn't coming out well at the beginning, but the last week I've been running and hiding from my writing. And there are times where you just have to treat it like an assignment for Uni. You need to get it done whether you feel like it or not. But luckily, you don't have to do any research, and as Alice in Wonderland shows, it doesn't even really have to make sense.

So, anyone of my fruends who were thinking of asking me to do something this week, I'm unavailable. Locking myself in my apartment, living off frozen meals and coffee, and getting it done.

There is nothing like a good deadline to get the creative juices flowing.

Will let you know how this goes. I'm encouraged by the fact that I very rarely got essays in late (there were two notable exceptions, but one doesn't count because I didn't realise it was late, I thought the submission date was another two weeks away. That was a bad night.)

Also encouraged by the weather forecast which is predicting cold and rainy, perfect for snuggling up and writing. (though, if it is predicted to be cold and raining, doesn't that guarantee it's going to be sunny and bright?)

Anyone got any advice for all nighting?

The Unposted Post

So, I wrote up my blog entry earlier than usual yesterday and while trying to get the internet to work through my phone, I saw that I had an email from the writing competition I had entered which started all this. 

I hadn't even been short-listed.

In a few days/weeks I'll receive a review as to why and I'm sure there will be good reasons, but of course it came as a bit of a let down. Now I know all writers great and small get rejected for ages and ages. However, like every other beginning writer, I also believed that I was the one exception. A competition, in such a specialised field as unpublished Christian Young Adult works in Australia, and I managed to finish my first story just in time to enter. How was that not a sign?

So I took the night off last night to think about it all, the time I'm giving up to the challenge, and the possibility that none of it will ever lead anywhere. Would I keep on doing it knowing that?

Well, I might not continue for the whole five years if the first 20 novels get absolutely nowhere I might rethink giving my every waking moment to it. But, overall am actually okay with it. Now that I've finished the other two stories in the series, there are a few things I'd like to go back and change and I can now do more work on it, etc.

It does mean, though, that I'm going to be starting the long, painful process of trying to find a publisher. I've thought about self-publishing, but for this one I think I'll see if I can find a traditional publisher first. If it doesn't come together, then I'll looking into flogging it myself.

As you can tell from the lack of entry for yesterday, got side tracked from posting my blog entry by trying to work out the implications for my writing of not even getting short-listed.

But for your reading entertainment, I present, Yesterday's Unpublished Blog Entry! (applause).

First news for the day: the whole concept of 'wordless time' seriously works. Took a few days to really kick in, possibly because I was more than usually worded out. But this morning, sat there staring at a computer screen for almost two hours (well, got 3,000 words written, but it was hard). Then, while walking to work suddenly I found I was following my main characters' dialogue in the next scene. Of course, the moment I fully realised this I broke the flow and I didn't have anywhere to write it down, but came back home after work (had to catch bus as was bucketing down, go Melbourne) and have just sat down for 45 minutes and I think I've got it all.

Am now stuck with a bit of a dilemma. Happened to just kill my bad guy halfway through the book. Knife to the throat, was an exceptionally good shot, but people can be exceptionally good shots in books, which is something I like. Writing 'they practised knife throwing every day until they were a master' is so much easier than actually spending every day practising knife throwing until becoming a master. It just glosses over all the days they had a bit of a flu, so didn't really feel like it, or their mum kept pestering them to do the washing up. Have often wished I could just write my life. Think there might have been a few movies based on this premise, a John Candy (?) movie, Delirious, comes to mind, showing my age. Though they never seem to do a very good job of it. As much as I love the Inkheart series (which I do, very much), I feel giving people the power to read things into creation could have so many more possibilities than they actually used it for. Like seriously people, you are being attacked by the bad guys, so instead of writing and then reading 'main bad guy fell off his horse and broke his neck and everyone else got spooked and left' you write a giant into existence quite a way off from you, that takes a while to get there, and then kidnaps a whole lot of them and kills good people as well as bad accidentally? That is the best solution you can come up with?

On the converse side, while writing my Sally Hunt series, I did have to fight the urge to make her just do everything perfectly all the time. What did she do after school? She sat down and studied. No she didn't! No average teenager comes home from school and starts studying right away. Writing in all the fluff that we do everyday: she made herself a cup of tea, noticed a catelogue sitting on the kitchen bench so flipped through deciding which bedspread she would buy if she were looking for one, then decided she might just brush out her hair, she then realised that she should put her uniform in the wash, and got distracted looking up video clips on YouTube, is actually a lot harder to write than the things which are harder to do like 'sit down and study'. Weird, huh?

Well, that's my bit of philosophy for the day, you can make of it what you will. Point of all that was to say: Wordless time works, but now I have to figure out how to continue a story with a dead bad guy, and no it's not the kind of story where I can just bring him back to life, which is totally cheating by the way. Dead is dead. Otherwise you just kill off all emotional attachment to death (okay, not great use of 'kill'). The two options I'm playing with right now: go back and expand out earlier part of book to make this the end - end, or then have my main characters come into contact with the agents the bad guy had been working for, and they become the new even worse bad guys.

But don't worry everyone, by the time any of these books actually get published, I will have changed them all so much that this won't be a spoiler alert.

Completely different note, was just reading some more Amanda Quick while eating my dinner (not recommended, 'she made it come out my nose!') and I think I have found why I'm not doing so well writing the romance part. Please read the following exert out aloud, in the most serious voice you can, it is from Amanda Quick's 'Lie By Moonlight' (I can't even say the title with a straight face!)

'Breathless from the reckless flight, Concordia looked back towards the fiery scene. The light of the moon bathed the landscape in an other-worldly glow... Concordia felt the stranger's hard body shift slightly behind her...[she] was intensely conscious of him crowded behind her in what could only be described as an extremely intimate manner.'

First of all, a main character called Concordia Glade? Seriously? Second, she's a school teacher for orphaned young ladies, and has just found out they are about to be … how shall I put it, taken to London to be more profitable, and decides she must save them all. While doing an excellent job of it, the mysterious dark stranger turns up to rescue them all, without any transport (or plan, apparently) so has to jump up on the back of her horse. As good rescue attempts go...

And I don't mean to be rude, but riding away from guys who plan to rape and sell you into the sex slave trade with a mysterious man AND four teenage girls, is that really a romantic setting? Have you been near a man with four teenage students? The giggling itself is enough to kill any possible mood.

But the main problem with my romance writing is that I'm writing my story from the man's point of view, which just happened by accident. So, I have 'wow, she's really, really beautiful, I want to save her' but it's interspersed with a lot of 'wow, look at that really cool gun, is there anything here I can blow up?' Oh well, when first draft is finished and I'm working on re-doing it, will get some test subjects to see what they think. If it doesn't make it as a guy's action book, will go back, take out the guns, add in more moonlight, and see how I go.

Yours,

Buffy.   

1st August, 2012. One Month In.

I realised that as it is the 1^st of August, I am one month into my challenge. More importantly, while I'm not typing fast etc., I am finding writing 10,000 words not so hard, as I can sit down a write for longer periods of time without feeling overstretched or tempted away. This is all demonstrated by today's challenge.

Today had all the makings of a disastrous writing day. I stayed up till 1am last night because I couldn't put down my book until I had finished it. So I woke up late and groggy. After I finally got out of bed (using a game of Settlers to negotiate with myself) and had breakfast, it was 11.35 when I went to start writing. This was a seriously bad sign, as it meant I would need to write through the afternoon and fight the nanna nap temptation. (Just to give you an indication, current score lies generally in the vicinity of NN: 532. Buffy: 10.)

Just over the last week (sort of since I started keeping a record of my writing sessions) I've found that agreeing to sit down for a set number of hours, but breaking every hour to get a new cup of tea and have a bit of a stretch, works really well. I begin each hour by recording everything that might affect how I write in the coming hour and then at the end of the hour I record how many words I've written and how easy/hard it felt. It's slowly getting me the data I need to perfect my writing performance. Luckily I have another 4 years and 11 months to work it all out.

So today in my first hour I felt like I struggled a bit, sitting back with my arms crossed trying to ponder, then remembering I can't stop to ponder, I must ponder on paper. However, when I had finished that first hour I found that I had written 2,422 words. (Okay, I know when I first started I was like 'oh, I can write 3,000 words an hour'... don't know what I was thinking, that was a lie. I can do between 2,000-2,500 depending on how much flow I can muster.)

I then suddenly remembered I had to ring my brother, which totally could have waited, but seemed like a necessary thing at the time. So the second hour didn't start until 1.15pm, and I feared the gap would affect the flow I had developed. However, I actually really got into it and kept writing until 2.40, so got 3,157 words done. Halfway there for the day which was pretty exciting. Next hour started again at 2.48 and I polished off another 2,479 words. 

The fact that I had managed to keep writing, even though I had broken the flow to make a phone call, and had managed not to get overcome by tiredness and the need to take an afternoon nap was pretty amazing. But then my little sister was coming over, and instead of trying to get as much done before she arrived, I ended up reading 'Born to Run'.

Yes, I started reading, even though I knew in my heart that Jenny would want to do something, and I wouldn't get back to write that final hour. I let it go anyway. And as it happened, Jenny did want to get a video out. But we started so early we were done by 7.30pm. And by 8pm I was back at my computer. And by 9pm I had completed over 10,000 words for the day! I'm now up to 60,946 words in the story, and can see the end in sight. I have also worked out one or two scenes I want to put in earlier.

So, managed to overcome getting out of bed late, breaking the flow to ring my brother, the need to have an afternoon nap, and coming back late in the evening after a reasonable day of writing. And to be completely honest, I have no idea how I fought all these temptations with so little effort. Usually any one of these would spell the end. But I think my mind must be getting used to this writing idea. It's being trained to just pick up and carry on whenever.

Coffee in the second and third hour also helps, I think. And not really being offered better options.

But I will need to investigate this further. It will be on my list of things to look out for: how to get temptation to lose its sting.

I'm now going to jump into bed with a clear conscious and read.

Good night all.

Buffy.

The First Writing Session.

So, it's Sunday, and that means the first day of the actual writing part of the challenge. Might have stayed up a bit late last night (also known as this morning by some) chatting with my best friend (Tam, you'll see her commenting around the place) about writing and life in general. But still went to bed focused on getting up and writing.

Set my alarm for 8am, which is not that early, I know, but after week of getting up at 10+ am, it was a bit of a struggle actually pulling myself to consciousness. Hit snooze a few times, but by 8.10 was up, had a cup of jasmine tea, and was opening up my computer. Strangely, even though I am working in bed, have not felt the desire to fall back asleep yet.

Have to admit it took a few minutes to orientate myself to the story again, as I've got some of it written already and just wasn't sure where to start again, what was happening, etc. Am assuming this will improve vastly with writing everyday. Had a few starts at a new scene, but finally just continued on from where I left off.

Definitely wasn't working at my fastest, as not quite sure where I was going for a lot of it. However, Tam, who crashed the night, came in an hour and a half later with more tea and breakfast (which really should be the way life as a writer works, so if anyone wants to move in as my personal servant, I have a reasonably comfortable couch). By that time I had written 3,400 words. Not quite the 2,500/hour I hope to get up to but for the first hour and a half after a break, I was pretty happy. And it was reasonably new material, moving my story onwards, not just vague description. It also all followed on from itself, not being just a half scene here and a half scene there. So pretty encouraging. 

Have re-worked the word counts a bit because I'm still going to be going to work four days a week, and so am planning on writing 6 days a week instead of just 5 until I can move to writing full time. So 10,000 words on full writing days (4 a fortnight), and then only 7,500 words on working days (8 a fortnight), still making a total of 100,000 words. And then I'll take into account how the story is actually going, it might turn out to be a much longer story than that, or some of my ones for younger adults might be shorter. But that's the rough guide.

So, right now it's 11am on Sunday, and I'm 3,400 words down and have 6,600 to go. Bring it on.

1st July: Day 1 of the Preparation Period

To start with, in case you were thinking I had forgotten about the blog for a few days, I want to clarify and establish the ground rules now. When I said 'everyday' I actually meant 'every-working-day'. I aim to have something up so that when you wake up Monday-Friday there will be an exciting and dramatic post for you to read (and when I write 'post' my computer thinks I actually want to say 'post-resurrection', which seems slightly presumptuous of it, I don't talk about theology ALL the time). I'm not suggesting that most of you happen to only read my blog as procrastination from work. I wouldn't suggest that at all. I'm quite happy to just state it. Most people read blogs when they should be working. I don't expect my blog to be any different, and I appreciate that you read it at all.

So, I'm writing this Sunday night, for you to read Monday morning.

It is Sunday 1^st July, 2012.

It is the beginning of a new financial year, and also the beginning of my challenge.

Yesterday I went to bed quite excited. I had spent time writing up all the things I would need to do in my first two weeks of preparations. I also had gone to the library and got out lots of books on everything, and even started a few of them.

Today I woke up and refused to get out of bed.

A bleak horror started to filter into my soul over what I had set myself up to do. I started to whimper and hid my head under the blankets. I grabbed one of the books I got for pleasure and tried to escape, which worked sporadically until I would come back to myself and find the fear had crept in a bit further.

Even the need to pee didn't get me out of bed, I must not have drunk enough the night before.

Eventually I used a mixture of bribing, guilt and negotiation. If I got up and got dressed, I could have fish and chips for breakfast/lunch (it just so happens that the shop voted by Nova radio station as the best fish and chips in Melbourne is right around the corner from me). I would get up and get dressed, but I wasn't going to have a shower and that would show the world. Once I got up and dressed, I would go shopping, eat my fish and chips, perhaps have a nap, and then start on my preparations. Over 6 hours later, I started my preparations. So it worked, sort of. 

What are these preparations I hear you say. I'm glad you asked. Along with my mental preparations, such as finding my muse, I realised that if I wanted to spend 4 hours a day (at least) writing as well as holding down a job (I'm dropping down to just 10.30-5pm 4 days a week, but I still need to factor getting ready for work, getting to work, not being able to stay in my trackies all day... serious things my friend), spending some time on practical preparations is not wasted.

So, this is what I worked out I needed to do:

1. Work out a daily routine – one for days I work and one for days I don't – and in these two weeks, test them out, adapt as necessary.


2. Write out a timetable of which books I would be working on in each two week period.


3. Write out a chart that I could keep tally of the word counts so I can encourage myself that I'm actually getting somewhere.


4. Start a file for each book which includes: a brainstorming session where I pour out as much as I can about what I currently see that book being, create some mind-maps to expand the range of ideas, write up possible character descriptions, etc.


5. Create a list of books which I think are like each one of my novels, go buy them so I can read them for inspiration as I write. (If I haven't mentioned, the books that I want to write range across a wide variety of styles, so I will need help changing over to each new type.)


6. Very practical: prepare a whole lot of meals for the freezer (you will come to learn how much I love my slow-cooker).


7. Start reading and listening: in the genre I'm writing in, on writing in general, on motivation and self-discipline... anything that helps.


8. Go through past notebooks and documents for other possible story ideas.


9. Get plenty of sleep and start building up the exercise again.


10. Go through my apartment and test out possible writing spots. (I usually write in bed or on the couch, bed being my favourite. But it does make going to sleep quite difficult because my mind is all alive. I'm currently testing out actually using my study. It's not that bad, might make a few adjustments, but this might work. Though sitting up does hurt my back after a while. Hmmm...)


11. Spend time with God. (This is important for me for a number of reasons: I get most of my self-discipline and encouragement from God, I also get corrected on a lot of my theology by reading my Bible and other inspirational works, and as my Muse, spending time with God gives me new ideas and places to go. Then there is just the pure relational aspect. People say that writing is a very lonely business, but as I always have a constant companion it never seems that bad.)

So, for the next week or two, I'm going to be working through this list and getting everything ready. I will try to save you from the boring bits, but fill you in on all the neat tricks I learn along the way.

I'm currently thinking that I will actually only take one week of prepare now and just focus on the next six months, and then take the other week at the beginning of the new year to prepare for the six months after that. And if the whole things crashes and burns, I will know one week earlier.

Eventually I'm hoping I'll be able to write full time, but for the foreseeable future, I have to work enough to pay all my bills at least, which is quite annoying as I'll still have all the bother of work, but also still be dirt poor on spending money. But at least I won't be evicted.

I have this week off from work, as we have had a hugely busy period for the last few months and am a bit burnt out. This nicely gives me time to prepare, but means I also need to put some effort into recovering.

If anyone has advice on other preparations I should be making, I'm open to all suggestions!

And just to finish, on this first day of the writing challenge I have friends and two live plants.

I'm hoping by the end I can still say the same along with 100 first drafts.

The Concept

After years of being an aspiring writer, this year I finally managed to sit down and write my first novel. Yah. Writing challenge accepted and conquered. Now I could go back to my day job, which admittedly is not that thrilling but pays the bills.

Within a week I had started on the sequel.

I then attended a writers' workshop weekend and spent the Sunday night just jotting down all the plots for novels I had playing on my mind. 25 books. I had the concepts for 25 really very separate books. And that was without digging through years of creative writing journals or looking at statues of women with broken jars.

Well, that was fine. I would just do the sequel to my first novel (young adults supernatural story, still looking for a publisher, but it will happen my friend, it will happen) and then the sequel to that, to make a nice trilogy. God was on to something with the Trinity.

After I had finished that, then I might move onto one of the other series, in a few years. I had plenty of time. Though if it took me another 20 years to write the sequel, maybe not that much time.

But honestly, where's the fun in that? Where's the challenge?

If you plan to be so foolish as to consider a lifestyle as a writer, why then try and be sensible?

So I thought about it. Writing a novel is like a marathon. To me, running a marathon would be mind blowing, as I'm really more of a 10km fun run sort of girl. But for marathon runners the challenge then becomes ultra marathons. But a book which is 100 times longer than usually really isn't going to be a best seller. So, what do marathon runners do instead of ultra marathons? Multiple Marathons!

In my local Dymocks I found a book by someone who had run a marathon every week for a year, each in a different country. It was insane. So insane that it just happened to appeal to a writer.

Think about it, I have 25 books currently that I want to write, and once I start I know there will be more. As I am a writer, not a mathematician, I did some quick calculations and came up with 25 books a year, 100 books in 5 years. It took me a few minutes to realise why that didn't work, but the idea had stuck by then. 100 first drafts in 5 years. 20 books a year. Basically 2 weeks per book (including a nice 4 weeks of holiday, and 2 weeks every year of planning). Say the average book is 100,000 words (though my current series is young adults so slightly shorter) and I treat it as a normal job, that's 10,000 words a day, five days a week.

The fact that at my best while I was working on my first novel I reached 5,000 word a day has not scared me off in any way. The fact that I still currently have to work to pay my bills is only a small set back in my master plans.

Therefore, as of the 1st of July (yes, I'm working with financial years because I can't be bothered waiting for the end of the year, and hopefully it might give my writing the hint that it needs to be financially viable... one can always hope), I am going to take two weeks to plan out Phase 1: the first 20 drafts.

Along the way I intend to update this blog with the facts of life about being a wanna-be writer. I promise to do my best not to make it a pity-party. If I want to be insane and spend my time writing, I'll at least make it look like I'm having a good time!

Hopefully this blog will include the great advice and brilliant people I meet along the way, and tips on how to overcome anything that stops you from writing.

Regards,

Buffy.

P.S. I should explain now: yes, my name is Elizabeth, but I have been called Buffy since I was born, which was long before any TV series or movies (high school was hard for all of us, in our own way). Since everyone else calls me Buffy, you may as well too.