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.