Dear Readers,
These past five weeks has been exciting! I am looking forward to sharing more of my experiences and knowledge in 2017. I am savoring this moment now, but I could not have done it alone. Thank you my dear family and friends. Without your support, I could not do what I am doing. I appreciate your love and support. However, this is just the beginning and now is not the time to relax. It is my hope that 2017 will be even more fruitful for you and me as we strive to live a better lives. I will strive to share words that will inspire you to become something more than you are. Part of becoming something more than we are means that we ought to reflect upon our past, our present state, and our imminent future.
My Past
This year I lost myself. I started out with a sincere desire to write more, but with college being as busy as it is and my goals being terribly loft, I became discouraged and stopped writing all together. Let me share with you some of my mistakes.
Mistake #1: Don’t Set Unrealistic Goals
At the beginning of the year, I set my word goals as high as 2500 words per day just for my novel. This was an extremely unrealistic goal at the time. I had to complete homework school, go to work, and be a good father and husband. During this period, I found that I was failing at pretty much everything. I ended up not working on my novel at all and instead focusing all my efforts on schoolwork. Failing my goals hurt, and I began to believe that I was not cut out for writing. By the end of my school year in July I had given up completely.
Mistake #2: Everything Counts for Word Count
The second mistake I made was not including any of my college writing as part of my daily word counts. Believe me when I say that all writing is beneficial. The more you write the better you will become. Any writing you do will help you improve my craft whether it’s blogs, essays, research papers, or fiction! This may mean that you will not complete as much on your personal projects, but it does mean that you won’t get horribly discouraged for not being able to achieve your goals. Currently, I’ve decided to write 1100 words a day with the exceptions of Sundays on those days I will write about 400 words. This means that I’ll be writing 7000 words a week. I intend to create separate writing logs for each book. As well as make maintaining a log that allows me to track all of the writing I do.
My Present
December in Idaho, it akin to waking up in Narnia during the reign of the White Witch. It’s a frigid frozen tundra. As I think about traveling through the ice and snow I can feel my body cringe. However, there is something marvelous about fallen snow. It’s remarkably beautiful and it gives me a reason to snuggle up with my wife and son after a long day, and it gives me a reason to stay in and write! Like many, I feel overwhelmed in the holidays, but despite all my challenges, it is hope that keeps me anchored and moving forward. A few nights ago, my wife reminded me about my priorities. I use Habitica to stay on top of my responsibilities. If you know what Habitica is you can skip the explanation below.
Habitica is fun way to keep track of your to-dos. As you complete to dos and dailies you level up. If you fail to complete them, then you lose health. Basically it turns completing tasks into a game! What’s better is that you can play Habitica with your friends! If you haven’t heard of this check it out at www.habitica.com.
I was dead set on getting all my to dos done, but by the end of the day I was so exhausted that I came home, crashed, and started watching Netflix. About thirty minutes before bedtime I stood up and began to clean and tidy the house. My wife, Bridget, peeked her head out of the bathroom. “What are you doing?” She asked. “Just cleaning up. I need to finish all my dailies.” “It’s almost bedtime,” She said. “Have you met your writing goal today?” “Well… not exactly.” I said. “You told me to make sure you go to bed at 10:30pm, and you haven’t met your writing goal yet? Don’t clean now! Finish your writing goal and come to bed.” “No, please, honey.” I said. “Just let me do this.” “You know I’m right,” Bridget said as she exited our bathroom and jumped into bed. “You can always clean up the house tomorrow.” I didn’t want to hear it, but I knew she was right. I wanted finish cleaning house before I did any of that, but within me I knew that if I did I would end up staying up late to finish my writing and then wake up late the next day. With all the strength I could muster, I resisted my compulsive urge to clean [which I might add it just an excuse not to write] and rushed to my desk and started to write. Within twenty minutes I had finished my goal. And then I able to go to bed on time. It really helps when you have someone to hold you accountable and remind you of what’s important in life.
My Future
With school starting next month, my imminent future is looking a little bleak, but the long term future holds a wealth of possibilities. Here’s sneak peak at my 2017 Calendar for the next year. Please be aware that this a tentative schedule, and that I will be posting primarily on Wednesdays. If I post isn’t up at the time, I appreciate your patience as I strive to survive my final school year.
Week 2017 Schedule
Weeks 8-15 – Characterization (January & February) Crafting great characters is at the forefront of a great novel. We’ll start here and you can learn some of the things I do to craft epic characters.
Weeks 16-33 – The Writer’s Toolbox (March, April, May & June) Surprised that we’re spending so much time on our toolbox? Don’t be. This series will focus on some key tools that I have found extremely helpful when writing. I’d suggest you continue to build your toolbox forever. There is plenty to learn.
Weeks 34-37 – World-building (July) One of the funnest part of any novel is building the world. We’re talking setting, plot, and structure. This could include food, wildlife, religious and cultural background, and more.
Weeks 38-46 – Revision (August & September) So let’s say you’ve been putting to use the tools I have shared with you! Let’s hope you have. The goal is to write remember! During this time we’ll learn more about the revising and editing process and how we can make our stories even more epic. If you’re in your second or third draft it might be time to hire a professional freelance editor, like myself.
Weeks 47-52 -Publishing (October) So you’ve finally finished that book? If it’s second, third, or more draft then it might be time to start submitting that book for publication. Do go traditional or do you self-publish? We’ll talk about the pros and cons of both during these weeks. Writer’s Conference? It is time to start investing more in your career?
Weeks 53-59 – Inspirational/Journals (November & December) During these last few weeks I’ll be focusing on inspirational writing and journal blogs. I’ll make plans for next year and share with you what I accomplished. This is a finish line, but it’s also a new beginning! Conclusion
So be sure to check back often for some new and exciting developments. I’ve already chosen most of the topics and I’m excited to learn more so I can share more with you. This blog series will run for the next 52 weeks, so basically until the end of 2017. Assuming I can finish these blogs before the semester begins that will leave me more time to focus on school writing projects and once I graduate in July (I’m feeling optimistic), I’ll be able to shift my focus to writing my novels again! Don’t get left in the dust. Start setting smart goals. By this I mean specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-related goals! Don’t let another year go by that you don’t start living your dream. It won’t be easy and you won’t be able to give it all of your time at first. However, as you carve out the time you need to develop your craft you can make a career out of it! I know it’s not easy. If it was everyone would do it. Don’t let menial tasks get in your way. Find an accountability partner. A spouse, family member, or good friend will do as long as they will help you stay on track!