I usually hate October. For me, it always seems like the longest, never-ending month. Apart from this year. Hello, October? Where did you go? Was it something I said?
My writing this month consisted mostly of writing for other people as I had a lot of freelance work. Whilst I’m grateful for this, my book-writing slacked with me writing a mere 1,000 words all month. As a result, NaNoWriMo will be given a miss this year (not that I’ve done it any other year but I was planning to do it this year and it’s the thought that counts (that phrase should be banned as it’s NEVER the thought that counts)). Also, I figured that if I was to write 50,000 in a month, it might as well be of my existing novel as that would mean completion.
I can’t say that October was a very fruitful writing month for me but, come on! It barely touched down before departing again. Very odd for a ghastly month with 31 days in it. Since I realise that I have to stop making excuses I have decided to back myself into a corner and announce my Personal Deadline – the date I’ve given myself to finish writing my book. Once announced, if I fail to meet this deadline I will have to face the shame and wrath of my readers (I expect a good bollocking from both of you). If I make it, then mission accomplished. (Disclaimer: I am a writer with a pretty good imagination. Be prepared for either a book or a fantastic excuse for why I didn’t make the deadline. Either way, bring popcorn; it will be entertaining.)
My Personal Deadline is as follows: I have to finish writing my book by year end, start editing it in January and sending it out by February. By ‘year end’ I would like to clarify that I don’t mean ‘financial year end’ which would be April ’13 and I would also like extra brownie points for not leaving that point open to be used as a loophole at a perhaps non-deadline-met later date.
In the rare October book-writing days I had to myself, this is how they typically went down:
- Sit at writing station (calling it that always makes me feel armed and ready to write).
-
Get up to make tea.
- Drink tea whilst checking my emails. It will only take a minute, then I can get on with my book.
- Tea and any caffeine makes me need to tinkle.
- Go to the loo.
- Decide I could do a face-mask whilst writing.
-
Apply face-mask.
- Realise that I can’t really type properly with the face mask and risk bits falling into my MacBook so I sit at the TV for a while.
- When the face-mask is well and truly dry, wash off.
- Make another tea.
- Can’t have tea without biscuits. Get up to get biscuits.
- Can’t type and dunk biscuits into tea at the same time so watch a few The Ellen Show videos on YouTube while finishing my tea and biscuits.
- Visit loo again.
- Sit back at writing station.
- Feeling rather peckish.
- Get up to make a sandwich.
- Eat sandwich.
- Make another.
- Eat second sandwich.
- Load dishwasher.
- Load washing machine.
- Feeling rather tired. I can’t really write if I’m this tired. Maybe I should take a nap. Watch TV till I fall asleep.
- Wake up.
- Download some episodes for later on when I’ve finished writing.
- Sit back at writing station.
- I should really check my emails and twitter as it’s been a few hours since I last checked.
- Replied to emails and twitter messages.
- Time to write.
- Washing machine starts beeping. This is really annoying when I’m trying to write.
- Hang clothes out to dry.
- Sit at writing station.
- Start to think about dinner. Maybe I’ll order something to save time so I can get on with my writing.
- Order take-out.
- I’m really hungry now and I can’t write when I’m this hungry. Check on the downloading series while I wait for my food to arrive.
- Food arrives after an hour. What took them so long?
- Eat. I’m stuffed. Sit at TV till I digest.
- Open one of my downloaded epsodes to check on the quality.
- Watch whole episode accidentally.
- Clean up and sit at writing station.
- Check emails and twitter.
- A friend has posted an article about how to make time to write a book.
- Read article about how to make time to write a book.
- Realise that I’ve been stuck in the house all day and this can’t possibly can’t be good for me.
- Go out.
Words written: millions (twitter/emails/SMS/forums). Words of book written: 0.
Tomorrow is another day and November is another month. Happy first everybody! Pinches and punches all around.
LOL! I can sooo relate! I have to-do lists stuck all over my fridge of all the writing I need to get done and then I signed up for nanowrimo. Which I’m hoping will help me get back on track. This is going to be a very long month.
Good luck! ❤