I am attempting something new! There is a writing challenge that was developed by the amazing Kait Nolan, author of Red and the Mirus Series, and I decided now was as good a time as any to hop on board with something that would help me as a writer. Because my writing has slacked, yo. Big time. Between school and work, I have not made an effort to keep it a part of my daily life, and therein lies the road to losing focus and never finishing anything.
The writing challenge is called A Round of Words in 80 Days, a far more manageable and less intimidating venture than NaNoWrimo. This post is to share my goals for the 80 days, and make a promise to myself that I will stick to these goals.
Writing Goals:
– Finish my first draft. Write at least 600-750 words per day.
– Set aside a half hour to an hour a day to meet that goal. Even if it means writing on my lunch break.
– Go back and edit those handful of first chapters, because if I don’t do it, it will drive me crazy. Devote a weekend (or two) to just this, get it done and over with for the time being.
– Remember, as I write, to stay within my character’s perspective. This is a thing I inadvertently do as I’m plugging along – I end up being the narrator looking over my character’s shoulder, instead of telling the story from my character’s eyes. I am going to make a concentrated effort to stay with my characters and tell the story from their perspectives.
– Read more YA. One novel every two weeks.
– Be a team player and show support for other #ROW80 participants; three blogs a week (I am so bad at consistent communication, this kind of goal will be helpful).
School Goals (very applicable, because if this suffers, so does the writing):
– Finish the reading assignments well before class. No, really, self – finish the reading assignments in a timely fashion.
– Do not over think everything and stress myself out over nothing. My expectations for my school performance are ridiculous, and it is not necessary. Learn to time manage efficiently and banish the unneeded stress.
I am keeping my goals somewhat light and not reaching for the stars because I do not trust myself with the school schedule I have – this will keep me from turning it into a stressor. I think this will be a lot of fun and keep me focused. Anyone else participating, I’d love to hear from you! It will keep me on task, and heck, I just like it when anyone stops in to say hello 🙂
Cheers to a productive, writerly end to the year!