Thank you, Alice. Your posts always give me hope that I can accomplish my goals! Yesterday I sent my novel out for a development edit. Monday Iāll be back to tackling my thesis. For the next six weeks Iāll be wearing my academic hat, aiming for 10,000 words, because as you said, summer is very choppy writing.
Thanks, Rita. I like your focus. I keep trying to get more done than is possible in the summer--and then I'm frustrated. We have absolutely lovely weather right now, so I'm enjoying that brief Saskatchewan moment, while playing with new ideas for the next novel and taking short writing windows to finish this draft as I can.
I'm cheering you on for your 10,000 words as an academic. That's a lot to write even in six weeks!
Lovely to read you, and see you Alice! As a matter of fact, I am just finishing a first draft of a novel. When I first planned the detailed outline for the CCA I was confident that I could finish it by end of this month (in a year)! honestly, it felt like a generous plan. But I have the tendency to put wild pressure on myself and be overly ambitious. What I think I have underestimated is the emotional toll this book, which deals with a difficult subject, close to home, would have on me, and all the self care Iād have to do, so I could keep sane and, even enjoy this writing process! I have learned to be kinder with myself, and now see that end of August is a more realistic deadline, and it is still very, very ambitious and impressive. But this extra month allows me to relax into the writing process, as well as spend quality time with my teenage daughters and hit the pool in the late afternoon. I think the living part of writing is equally important. My teenage daughters are growing fast and this is a time I will never get back with them. I want to be here, really here, to witness it. And yes, the book is also important. So finding the balance is not always straight forward. Especially not as a single mother :) I marvel at you with 14 books and 4 children!!
What you say here really resonates. The book I've been working on is one I started in October 2022. Finishing this draft (draft six) was something I'd hoped to be done with, then I realised I didn't need to 'be done'. That I like writing the book and the slowing down of all of it is predicatable based on how complicated life got in January for our family. One thing I miss in the summer is regular writing, so the end of August seems much more doable and now I've eased the pressure off and am aiming for the end of August, I think I can get this draft done. I still think there are two drafts to go afterward!
I was enjoying your recent post this morning when life threw me off track. I'll get back to it
Thank you Alice! Always a joy to read you. Yes, slowing down sometimes can be a blessing in disguise. And we have to remember to be compassionate with ourselves. Good luck with the draft!! Enjoy the journey! (Iām going back to my writing bubble nowā¦)
This is so helpful, Alice. Thank you so much for posting it. Iāve been beating myself up for more years than Iād like to admit for not being able to focus on my writing and move forward with the manuscript Iāve been āworking onā (more like thinking and worrying about) for years. A recent diagnosis of Adult ADHD took a little bit of self-hatred away, but I still didnāt know how I was going to reach my lifelong goal of finishing a novel. Now I know how. Six weeks at a time, following your detailed instructions. I havenāt felt this hopeful in a long time. Thank you for posting this! š¤
I will let you know how it goes, Alice. I signed up for a three-hour writing sprint tomorrow afternoon. I'm going to spend that time planning my next six weeks. I hope. Lol. That's my plan today. We'll see how it goes tomorrow. I'm hopeful!
Thanks for this post. Iām checking out the The Twelve-Week-Year for Writers. This might work for me. š
I hope it helps. I like using a shorter time frame because something happens to my brain after I get past six weeks.
I started planning in 3-month blocks this year intuitively. But I would like to have a more rigorous method. Iāll if that works for me.
Thank you, Alice. Your posts always give me hope that I can accomplish my goals! Yesterday I sent my novel out for a development edit. Monday Iāll be back to tackling my thesis. For the next six weeks Iāll be wearing my academic hat, aiming for 10,000 words, because as you said, summer is very choppy writing.
Thanks, Rita. I like your focus. I keep trying to get more done than is possible in the summer--and then I'm frustrated. We have absolutely lovely weather right now, so I'm enjoying that brief Saskatchewan moment, while playing with new ideas for the next novel and taking short writing windows to finish this draft as I can.
I'm cheering you on for your 10,000 words as an academic. That's a lot to write even in six weeks!
Lovely to read you, and see you Alice! As a matter of fact, I am just finishing a first draft of a novel. When I first planned the detailed outline for the CCA I was confident that I could finish it by end of this month (in a year)! honestly, it felt like a generous plan. But I have the tendency to put wild pressure on myself and be overly ambitious. What I think I have underestimated is the emotional toll this book, which deals with a difficult subject, close to home, would have on me, and all the self care Iād have to do, so I could keep sane and, even enjoy this writing process! I have learned to be kinder with myself, and now see that end of August is a more realistic deadline, and it is still very, very ambitious and impressive. But this extra month allows me to relax into the writing process, as well as spend quality time with my teenage daughters and hit the pool in the late afternoon. I think the living part of writing is equally important. My teenage daughters are growing fast and this is a time I will never get back with them. I want to be here, really here, to witness it. And yes, the book is also important. So finding the balance is not always straight forward. Especially not as a single mother :) I marvel at you with 14 books and 4 children!!
What you say here really resonates. The book I've been working on is one I started in October 2022. Finishing this draft (draft six) was something I'd hoped to be done with, then I realised I didn't need to 'be done'. That I like writing the book and the slowing down of all of it is predicatable based on how complicated life got in January for our family. One thing I miss in the summer is regular writing, so the end of August seems much more doable and now I've eased the pressure off and am aiming for the end of August, I think I can get this draft done. I still think there are two drafts to go afterward!
I was enjoying your recent post this morning when life threw me off track. I'll get back to it
xoxox
Thank you Alice! Always a joy to read you. Yes, slowing down sometimes can be a blessing in disguise. And we have to remember to be compassionate with ourselves. Good luck with the draft!! Enjoy the journey! (Iām going back to my writing bubble nowā¦)
This is so helpful, Alice. Thank you so much for posting it. Iāve been beating myself up for more years than Iād like to admit for not being able to focus on my writing and move forward with the manuscript Iāve been āworking onā (more like thinking and worrying about) for years. A recent diagnosis of Adult ADHD took a little bit of self-hatred away, but I still didnāt know how I was going to reach my lifelong goal of finishing a novel. Now I know how. Six weeks at a time, following your detailed instructions. I havenāt felt this hopeful in a long time. Thank you for posting this! š¤
Let me know how it goes! I have to work pretty hard to make myself sit down to do the actual planning, but it does work for me (for now!)
I will let you know how it goes, Alice. I signed up for a three-hour writing sprint tomorrow afternoon. I'm going to spend that time planning my next six weeks. I hope. Lol. That's my plan today. We'll see how it goes tomorrow. I'm hopeful!