My Goal Setting

I do regularly set goals and revisit them, but I usually set more that what I can reasonably achieve. I tend to go for the top range of what I want to do rather than what I can. This may not be a bad thing. It is important to set goals that stretch you a little, you have to aim that little bit higher.

I would love to be able to work from home on my writing full time. It is my ultimate long term writing goal. But in the meantime I have a daughter (and her life), animals to feed, a mortgage to pay, housework to do, vegies to grow, fish to clean, friends and family and a full time and busy day job.

So for the moment I need to fit writing around the other parts of my life, or some other parts around my writing. Some of this is very easy to do, for example the vacuuming can wait while I draft a blog entry, the bathroom can wait while a write another 1000 words of a first draft. The one thing that cannot wait or be pushed aside is my daughter. And if she has had a bad day, or is having one of those evenings when she won’t go to bed, feeling unwell or just needs Mama, then my writing plans for the evening are shot. I just have to make the most of the time I do get.

I have refocused my current writing goals to the three most important ones. Refocusing does not mean simplifying or reducing the amount of work still to be done but focusing on fewer projects.

Blogging – to post three entries a week - ongoing.

·         To share where my writing is at, advertising, improving skills and helping other writers with tips, hints and my learnings.

·         With photos of the kitchen door.

·         Spend half an hour each day drafting blog entries, and then edit and post three times a week.

Novel 1 (HTDTN) - to complete and submit for publication this year.

·         Complete by December 2011

·         Edit for one hour every day – I need to do this properly so I’m not setting a page goal to reach each day, just a good hour and to work appropriately within that hour.

·         Complete course – using novel for course so as it gets better assignments can be sent off.

Novel 2 (Snow) – complete first draft this year. Complete by December 2011

·         Write 500-1000 words a day, aiming for 3000 words a week.

·         If I maintain that pace I could be finished by September.

This would total 2-3 hours of writing a day. I think that sounds reasonable for most days. I just need to work out how to allocate that time. The first thing is that some things are going to be sacrificed and at the moment the main sucker of my evening time is the TV.

At one point I was checking what I really, really wanted to watch and then mark it at the beginning of the week. If it wasn’t my show then the TV was off and I was doing something far more productive. I think I need to get back to that. And then when I am watching I can use that time for the mundane tasks, like ironing, and folding and packing of school bags.

I am now feeling better focused on what I want to achieve and how I can. I will need to revisit these goals again to assess how well they are going and whether time frames need to be moved or more time needs to be dedicated to writing.

Happy Scribbling.

The butt-in-chair worked.

1100 words.

Why is it that with things we love, we fight it.

My daughter is the same with the bath, always. If given the option she won’t get in. If I run it and then tell her to she is reluctant. But once she is in, and wet, and maybe a doll or two join her, I can’t get her out. I am the same with writing. I love it. I battle to start and if given the option I will opt for not. But once I am sitting and a few lines are started I can go for hours without thinking about it.

Good effort for an evening after far too long. Only 50 words the following day and that was with my daughter standing beside me trying very hard to get my attention, which in the end won out.

Just that little bit of writing has me thinking about the story again, which is great. My lunch time on the treadmill at the gym I was setting scenes, reforming problem characters and thinking of possible twists, or excitement for the plot. It may be the first draft but so far it isn’t very exciting. Yet. There is too much tea drinking and thinking time for the main character. I need to get a bit tougher with her.

Part of my little breakthrough the other night really helped with that. I put her into a very different situation and literally let her feel her way around. I am hoping that something good has, or will, come out of it.

So that is one story coming back to life. Now I need to get back to the hard work one. It is only hard work because I am at the stage where I really need to concentrate on what I have and what I want it to be and how to get there. There is a lot more freedom in a first draft. But the joy of finishing that initial first draft is still with me, I am hoping that the joy of finishing this (please God let it be the last) draft will be even better. Although if I manage to get it accepted by a publisher I’m sure there is even more work to do, but by then I will be focused on seeing it on the shelves and so will do anything required.

Some revised goal setting is needed I think. Once I have them set out, I then need to ensure I am following through with them. My main problem with goal setting is I set far more than I can do in the timeframe. I need to be a little more realistic.

Here are some of my 2011 goals set in December last year. Obviously I haven't quite got there, or close.  

I will start with my three main writing projects and go from there. And one of them has changed already from the list to the left.

In the meantime it is focus, focus, focus on final drafts.

Happy Scribbling

Bad week

I have had one of those weeks where life got in the way of ...well, life. At least what I think I would like to be doing with my life. I did take a moment, while locking the back door tonight, to stare up and appreciate the full moon for a short while. So it’s not all hard.

Sometimes there are just things that need to be done before the fun or enjoyable stuff and sometimes by the time you get it all done it’s time for bed and then miss out on the fun stuff.

Over the last week, or so, the computer and I have been having a “stare off”. I only open it for banking and essential email checks. Otherwise I glare at it across the room or don’t make eye contact with the word document icons. I’m winning. But I don’t feel good about it.

I am using my still lost timeline documents as a very poor excuse. I’m sleeping through my morning writing time and too busy/ tired/must watch reality t.v. of an evening to get any writing done then. Even as I write this the guilt increases but that doesn’t help. I just need to sit down and write, or type or scribble.

Not even the kitchen door can help me now; only a shopping list and a caricature of my sister, by my daughter, have made it there all week. And even then my daughter got there first.

I think I need to employ the “Butt-in-chair” theory with a little focus. Well as it happens my butt is in a chair right now...maybe after I hit the post button I could take on one of these word icons after all and see what happens.

I’ll let you know how it goes.

Happy scribbling

A Sense of Touch

I talked about experiencing the world around you last time, but it was focused on sight. Life involves all of the senses and so should writing.

I am a tactile person. Not to be mistaken for a huggy person ‘cause I’m really not. But I do like to ‘see’ my world through my fingers. Running my hand over different textures. I love trees, the leaves, bark and even twigs. I cannot buy clothes over the internet or understand how anyone else could. Feeling the cloth between my fingers, the weight of the fabric, the quality. I have visited many galleries with my hands in my pockets. I am sure marble is meant for the hands, not the eyes.

Of course there are other forms of touch that don’t involving running your hands over your surroundings. There is the sensation at hairdresser as she washes my hair, running her fingers through my hair, the soothing yet firm scalp massage before the conditioner is rinsed out, my heavy lids that I try to blink open as I wander to another seat. Then there is the prickling feeling against my face and neck from the small, sharp hair pieces that continually fall from the scissors.

Temperature and the environment are also important. Standing up a ladder, painting a house in the summer sun. The heat burning into shoulders and the back of the legs, crisping the skin, heating the body and causing the sweat to run down the side of the face.

The crisp autumn breeze filling the office space as the receptionist leaves the window open again. The goose bumps and shivers as workers try to understand the dropping temperature. Reaching for cardigans, jackets, grumbling.

Today’s suggestion is that you go out and feel your world. Take one small thing and try and describe that touch.

Happy Scribbling.

Inspiration

It can come from anywhere and with today’s technology it is easy to record. I carry a note book with me at all times. In face I have several stashed all over – beside the bed, in the car, in my office, beside my favourite chair in the lounge and then of course the one in my handbag. So anytime an idea hits I can record it. It might be anything, a word, a sentence, a name, a scene or a new story idea. Whatever it is I’m ready for it.

I have heard some writers say that you don’t need to do this. That if it’s worth remembering then you will. That doesn’t work for me. Very often in that moment between awake and asleep I have a strange clarity. If I leave it for the morning then I’ve lost it. I need to write it down immediately. But if I have a vivid dream I need to dwell on it, think it through and turn it over in my head before it is clear enough to write down.

With the wonders of modern technology you can record anything at anytime. Now I am the first to admit that I was a little bit slow to come to some of this new fangled stuff, particularly smart phones. I confused the salesman completely when I finally made the plunge when I asked if I could use it to make phone calls. Well, it didn’t seem like an important feature when he went through what it could do, I just had to ask.

Now I’m sold on it. Yes I use it to call people but I also use its other features. Great for notes, I can record voice messages and best of all is the camera.

Inspiration can come from anything, over stuffed antique shop shelves, museums or art galleries, people on the street (although they get a bit funny if you want to take pictures), colours in the garden, patterns of light on the wall, somewhere exotic or even patterns on the cat (mine has a target on her side).

Go out, see the world and its wonders and use those sights in your writing.

Happy scribbling

The Devil's in the Detail

I wanted to share today that I am not the only one in my family using the kitchen door. Today’s photo is of my daughter expressing herself. I’m scribbling on the kitchen door but I’m not scribbling too much on paper (or screen) at the moment.

My main writing goal this year is to finally complete my first novel and forward to a publisher. But I seem to be undermining myself. I had a little system going where I was working on the final edit during my lunch break but I was unable to switch between work and writing successfully. I reworked my routine and tidied up my study and started working first thing of a morning at home instead.

In the changeover of routine and cleaning up, I lost my timeline notes and freaked myself out so much I haven’t been able to work on the novel at all. I’m sure once I relax and get back into it I will be able to sort out where I am, and I will probably find my notes. It is just that I am a little bit of a control freak, just a little (shh).

It is the detail that makes a novel and I feel like I’m missing mine. I just hope that as I go it will come back together. Any calming advice welcome. In the meantime I continue to scribble ideas, lists, notes, goals and mad poetry on the door.

Happy scribbling

Welcome and Introduction

I thought I should start with a photo of the very important kitchen door. I recently refurbished my kitchen and turned the sliding door between the kitchen and laundry into a blackboard. This has been a fantastic idea and very handy - shopping lists, phone numbers, notes, story ideas, quotes, title ideas and recntly some rather odd poetry.

I wanted to give you a small idea of me. My aim with this blog is to share my journey and hope that it will keep me moving and motivated, keeping the procrastination at bay and the writing flowing. Maybe I can offer some hints to keep other writers writing too. I like a good story and usually have one to share.

I have been writing fiction for a number of years now and although I feel the need to write like some people need to breathe, I suffer a little with procrastination issues. Part of this is due to overwhelming myself with too many things and then I don't function at all and I also worry that what I do write is not good enough. I know I'm not the only writer to struggle with this but that doesn't make it any easier.

Currently I am trying to complete my first novel. I am pushing through what I hope is the final draft and would love to publish it. I have also started the first draft of something very different.

Happy Scribbling