Going Public

There’s nothing like announcing your intentions in public to give yourself a kick up the backside in terms of getting on with it. Which is why I’ve dedicated this blog to dealing with the ongoing traumas and dramas of getting through a first draft by the end of 2009. Whether anyone reads the blog or not, it’s out there and it’s public and I’m hoping that will be sufficient impetus to get me through the difficult spots and keep plodding on regardless.

I’ve set myself a pretty reasonable 3,000 weekly word count. I’ve kept it fairly low on purpose, as I want to make sure it’s doable whilst fitting in the unpredictable nature of kids and working. That way, if I write more, then I can give myself a pat on the back.

I’m trying to write a little every day – whether it’s 100 or 1,000 words, I think it’s really important to keep the momentum going and to try and get into the habit of squeezing a bit of writing time into each day.

So, I’ve started switching the laptop on and getting my notes out just before I put the kids to bed. Then, once they’re tucked up, I sit down and write for 30 minutes to 1 hour. No tidying, no clearing up, no cooking dinner and definitely no sitting down on the sofa – any procrastinating and I know I’ll be done for. Even if I only manage a couple of hundred words, it feels like an achievement and a tiny bit of progress. If I'm feeling particularly knackered and have had a really hard day, a cheeky glass of wine by the side of the laptop provides a bit of extra incentive to sit down and start writing.