On Reaching Goals
This has been a strange writing year. I wrote Tons and Tons the first couple of months, then hit a wall when I finally accepted my YA fantasy was not YA, but was in fact just one character who's storyline belonged with my old epic fantasy. So the next two months were spent weaving those two stories together. I finally accomplished that at end of May. Damn hard work because first I had to rewrite Aneli's story (the YA-not-YA) back into third person. INSANITY. But I did it, and am extraordinarily, thoroughly, wildly pleased with the result.
Then June happened - work on my house - my dad getting sick (he is doing great yay) - and work slaying me - and insert 20 more excuses - and I didn't get any writing done. July has been better but I am still way behind the goal I set for this year (like 145k behind) in the GYWO group I am involved in. I figure about 60k of that will finish this draft of my current novel. Seems about right. The rest would go into a book I haven't even started plotting yet. I may need to start playing with that soon - by October at the least.
Anyway - I calculated what it would take to still hit 200k by December 31st. 179 days are left in the year, after today, so all I would have to do is write 810 words a day every day for the rest of the year. There is, honestly, no reason why I can't do this. So I am making a new challenge as of this very moment (and Camp Nano is a huge way to kick it off) of getting those 810 words a day. I can do this. I want to, too.
Other goals for the rest of the year:
1. Diet. 17 down, 16 to go. That will put me, at 55, at a nice 172 lbs. at 5'8". This has always been a good weight for me and my build. The goal is for it to be gone by Sirens, which is the end of October. Totally doable. CICO rules.
2. Exercise. Kettlebells thrice weekly, treadmill thrice weekly, 6k regular steps a day thereabouts, no trauma if I don't hit that. I have opted to be more relaxed on exercise as when I stopped stressing about it, I started to enjoy it more. Hmmm. That also coincided with finally starting to lose, so go figure that.
3. Reading. My gosh I am behind on reading! By now I should have TONS of the books on my Sirens booklist read but I don't! I find it really difficult to make myself just Sit Down and Read Dammit. LOL. So I am going to pick four from the list and work on reading those by the time Sirens comes around, including the GOH's books.
4. Budget. I have a big bill to pay off (rest of the roof), a plane ticket to buy, property taxes to save up for, and I'm a bit nervous about being able to do all this. I can, if I stick to my budget hard-core.
I cannot wait for Sirens. It is like a shiny beacon in the future, calling to me. I am sad though that one of my friends I made last year now can't come - she and her friend (one of the few guys in attendance) were a lot of fun, but her workload is just too much to take off. Pout. On the other hand, on Reddit I met two more Sirens attendees who I didn't get to know last year, so we're already making plans. This year I will know so many people! I am ecstatic about this! Attending that con fills me with possibilities, and hope, and not necessarily just hope about the writing future. Hope in people, good people, women and men, diverse and intelligent and creative and determined. I love that, need that. It is already sold out but if anyone is out there reading this, there may be other slots opening up later. If not this year, how about next? I'll be going for sure.
Also found on Dreamwidth. I'll answer here though despite the damn Russians.
Then June happened - work on my house - my dad getting sick (he is doing great yay) - and work slaying me - and insert 20 more excuses - and I didn't get any writing done. July has been better but I am still way behind the goal I set for this year (like 145k behind) in the GYWO group I am involved in. I figure about 60k of that will finish this draft of my current novel. Seems about right. The rest would go into a book I haven't even started plotting yet. I may need to start playing with that soon - by October at the least.
Anyway - I calculated what it would take to still hit 200k by December 31st. 179 days are left in the year, after today, so all I would have to do is write 810 words a day every day for the rest of the year. There is, honestly, no reason why I can't do this. So I am making a new challenge as of this very moment (and Camp Nano is a huge way to kick it off) of getting those 810 words a day. I can do this. I want to, too.
Other goals for the rest of the year:
1. Diet. 17 down, 16 to go. That will put me, at 55, at a nice 172 lbs. at 5'8". This has always been a good weight for me and my build. The goal is for it to be gone by Sirens, which is the end of October. Totally doable. CICO rules.
2. Exercise. Kettlebells thrice weekly, treadmill thrice weekly, 6k regular steps a day thereabouts, no trauma if I don't hit that. I have opted to be more relaxed on exercise as when I stopped stressing about it, I started to enjoy it more. Hmmm. That also coincided with finally starting to lose, so go figure that.
3. Reading. My gosh I am behind on reading! By now I should have TONS of the books on my Sirens booklist read but I don't! I find it really difficult to make myself just Sit Down and Read Dammit. LOL. So I am going to pick four from the list and work on reading those by the time Sirens comes around, including the GOH's books.
4. Budget. I have a big bill to pay off (rest of the roof), a plane ticket to buy, property taxes to save up for, and I'm a bit nervous about being able to do all this. I can, if I stick to my budget hard-core.
I cannot wait for Sirens. It is like a shiny beacon in the future, calling to me. I am sad though that one of my friends I made last year now can't come - she and her friend (one of the few guys in attendance) were a lot of fun, but her workload is just too much to take off. Pout. On the other hand, on Reddit I met two more Sirens attendees who I didn't get to know last year, so we're already making plans. This year I will know so many people! I am ecstatic about this! Attending that con fills me with possibilities, and hope, and not necessarily just hope about the writing future. Hope in people, good people, women and men, diverse and intelligent and creative and determined. I love that, need that. It is already sold out but if anyone is out there reading this, there may be other slots opening up later. If not this year, how about next? I'll be going for sure.
Also found on Dreamwidth. I'll answer here though despite the damn Russians.