6/6/23

Good evening folks, just a quick post today.

I’ve not done a lot of writing recently, just dribs and drabs here and there. This morning though I knocked out 2,666 words on War Child, then 154 on a non-fiction piece. This afternoon I did some spring cleaning, including sorting the shelves my dvd/Blu-ray collect live on and now I’m getting ready to settle in for the night.

Short and sweet tonight. Have an awesome week all ☺️

23rd Of May, 2023

Good evening, folks! How are we all doing tonight?

I’ve had a bit more of a slower day, today. The last couple of days have been busy work wise so I’ve not had a whole lotta time to write but I did get some words written and some edited today. I also had a bit of inspiration hit for a non-fiction post I’ve started on today.

Short and sweet today, I’m beat and have another early start tomorrow. So have an awesome evening all!

Good Morning Sunday 21st of May 2023

Just a quick post this morning. I’ve written 171 and edited 4321 on War Child today. The week did fizzle out a little, like it so often does. So What I’ve got to find a way to not do that in the future. If I can’t then I think I’ll just front load my week with my writing targets.

Overall the week was a productive one. I started a new short story and made progress with War Child. The short story has hit a little bit of a stumbling block but I think I can push through it.

A picture from yesterday as I was writing

Right, I’ve got to get ready for work. Have an awesome day folks!

May 19th 2023

Good Evening folks! How are we doing tonight? I hope everyone has had productive and fun weeks.

I’ve written 640 today, I didn’t have much time and I’m quite happy with that. Overall this week has been pretty good, I’m about 4000 words in with two days to go. Even though the words petered out in this mid to end part of the week I’ve kept a bit of momentum but writing each day going. Even if it’s only a couple of hundred words. I’m trying to build a mentality of consistency. Whether its a few words a day or a thousand. It’s all words. At the start of the year I set a goal of writing for at least half an hour a day, for at least twenty-five days a month. So far this month I’ve had two days where I’ve not done any writing work.

I know my biggest enemy is myself. My sheer lack of confidence and self-esteem torpedos me, I get some oomph going and I have a bad day which takes a chunk out of my confidence and or self-esteem and I retreat into my shell. My aim is to keep my momentum going even when I take a mental health hit. This is something I feel like I’m improving on. I feel more capable of sitting in the chair and getting words done when I’m looking for an excuse not to get any writing done.

I’m not discounting the fear element either. Once I’ve got a story done, as in something I’m either going to self-publish or submit to a publisher, then once it’s out there it’s out there. It’s something that can be judged, and I know I have to have a hard skin for it and that’ll come with time and more I get out there, but there’s still that potential rejection from the reader. I know anything I publish will blow up, but it’ll still have some readers.

A random picture I took in my garden this afternoon

These are things I know I’ve got to overcome, and I think I’m doing it bit by bit. Being consistent with being productive is going to help. Doing so always leaves me in a better headspace. So its a win-win.

Right, I’ve rambled enough (need to stop doing that. Rambled makes it sound like what I say has no weight or direction. Its a form of self-deprecation and although us Brits can be experts at that it doesn’t help someone like me), so I’m gonna watch a movie and call it a night.

Have a great weekend all!

17-5-23 – Flash Post

Good evening, folks! how are we all doing? I’ve written 1744 words over two project today. About 1300 on War Child, and 400 or so on a new short story.

Just a short post tonight folks, I’ve got another early tomorrow. I am super happy with todays words though. War Child is moving slowly but in the right direction, and it’s always good to start another short story.

16th of May 2023

Good evening folks, how are we doing tonight?

Today I’ve written 531 on War Child. I didn’t have a lot of time to write today so I’m happy with that. Yesterday I wrote 1162, and edited 4309 on War Child. So two very productive days.

One thing I did yesterday was sit down and work out a few of the bits I need to write for this story that I haven’t covered at all. This isn’t something new for me. I’ve done it a few times where I’ve gone back and written a scene and then inserted it into the story. What I’ve noticed is when I’m doing this, and not just when I’m writing a scene to add it, I’ll write from the central point I want to make. I’ll jump straight in and start the scene with no building up to it. It’s like starting The Lord Of The Rings trilogy with The Two Towers. Not a lot of context. So I need to learn how to build up to these scenes. One thing I’ve done today is start the scene with another plot thread of the story, and then I’ll merge it into the plot point I’ve set out to. I’m hoping this’ll give it a little more depth while also making it feel more organic.

That’s the hope anyway.

Right folks, have an awesome one!

12th of May 2023

Howdy, folks! I hope everyone has had a good week. Mine has been okay but a little manic at times. My plan for the week has gone a little out of the window a little. I’m going to map out next week on Monday and look to see where this week changed paths.

Today though I have written 529 words on the short story, and it’s almost done! I was working on it during my break at work but ran out of time before I could wrap it up.

Once I finished work I had a couple of errands to run and by the time I got home and got bits and pieces done I was passed knackered. So I haven’t got to working on the ending of this story. I know what I want to do with it, so come Sunday evening or Monday morning I’ll hopefully be able to wrap it up.

I am at ten thousand words for the month, I’m quite happy with that. I think I can step up over the next couple of weeks. I’d love to be at 20k at the end of the month, but primarily I want to have the short story written, edited, and ready to send out to any submissions I feel it’ll fit. I’d like to have made noticeable progress with War Child. I still think it’s going to take a long time to get this book one done. I know I need to get it right, if it takes time it takes time. It just needs to be as right as I can make it.

This was the other day, I didn’t write 4179 words but pasted in a scene I wrote a few weeks ago and added about 400-500 words on the day.

Right, I’m off to watch a movie. If I can choose one. Have a great weekend, folks!

Flash Post – 10/5/23

Evening folks, I’ve not felt too well this afternoon and have felt wiped out. I think it’s some fallout from being unwell at the weekend. So I’ve stepped back my goal today (1000 words), and will get back on it tomorrow.

I did write 221 on the short story today during my break at work. This has gone in a totally different direction than I was expecting, so I’m not sure where it’ll go.

Right, have a good one, folks!

9th of May 2023

Good evening folks. I’ve written 836 words on War Child and 737 on the short story I’ve been working on today.

I finished work early and did a spring clean in my office before getting words done. I did get some words on the short story during my break at work but have done more tonight. I feel a little lazy as I think I should have done more words, but I passed my target by fifty percent. So it’s not a failure. Especially considering I spring cleaned my primary writing space. It wasn’t a dump, but a deep clean changes the energy of the space, makes it feel refreshed and makes me want to be in there more.

Callie waiting for me to be distracted so she could try and squeeze out the small gap of the open window.

As for the words today, I feel a little unsure of them, especially those of the short story. I’m not sure it’s authentic, but I’m going to leave it in until I get to the editing phase of my process.

I’ve got a somewhat busy day tomorrow, but I’m still going to have time to get some words wrangled.

8th of May 2023 – Building A Structure

Howdy folks, I hope everyones week has started well. I had a good start with work and when I got home I got some words wrangled and did some gaming before dinner.

I managed to scrap a few words during my break as well on a short story but not many. All in all I wrote about 1300 words today give or take. I’m particularly happy with one section where I took a scene that was kind of filler and gave it some depth while building up a subplot for the early part of the book.

I’ve tried to map out what I want to achieve this week on a desk planner. This is something I’ve tried and failed at before but I’m hoping with the changes in life I’ve made and what I’ve learnt will help me make the most of it.

So far this month I’ve 7137 words, I’m trying to figure out what my targets should be and make sure they’re realistic. At the moment I’m working off a rough target of twenty thousand words a month, but I think I should be pushing to have that a minimum goal rather than a target to aim for.

None of the three cats were very helpful today….

I know writing before work, during my break, and when I get home works for me. So why not push and make that my routine and try and focus on building from that? I’ve looked at my work rota for this week, as well as non-writing bits and pieces I need to be doing. As well as time with family etcetera. I’ve worked out my daily targets from looking at what else I have each day. Thursday for example; I’m working 11am through till 6pm. A somewhat unusual shift for me which doesn’t leave much time before work (unless I actually get up at a decent time!) to write. So I think my words will be written during my break and a few after. I do feel like I’m low-balling that number, but I’m also looking responsibly. If I hit target for the other five days of the week (I’ve got my little one at the weekend so I won’t be writing then) then I’ll have 4500 words for the week.

The problem I’ve had in the past is when life throws a curveball I have a habit of loosing momentum with writing, when that’s the time I need to be writing the most. Not only is it good for my mental health to be writing but keeping that habit of writing each day will keep some structure in life. Even if it’s just writing during a break or when I have a spare moment, it’s still writing.