Getting Back on Track

There have been some very inspiring blog posts recently. Kathy Evans talks about ways to trick yourself into writing, Bryony Pearce talks about getting over procrastination, Julie Day updates us on her writing goals. All of this made me realise that I'd gone off the boil.

I started 2014 quite well really. I already had a first draft of my novel but after some excellent and timely feedback, I knew I had a lot of work to do. So in January I wrote a new backstory, I beefed up the story line, I plotted new character trajectories. I wrote three chapters. Too bad about February! I seem to have stalled.

My plan – and it was a good one – was to have a good draft of my novel by May because (hurrah!) I'm going on the lovely Book Bound retreat. It would be a miracle if I managed to run with the plan though. So, inspired by the splendid blog posts, I am coming up with a New Plan!

First of all, I am publicly stating my intentions right here! OK, so I can delete this post if it all goes pear-shaped, but hopefully someone will have read it and will hold me to account.

I will carve out chunks of time for writing, which will be out of the house and therefore more likely to be productive.

I will have a Kathy Evans style deadline – 25,000 words by 5^th May 2014.

I will report on my progress in public. And I will be honest.

I know it won't be easy. Trying to balance my time is hard enough at the moment – work, writing, family, health stuff – but I know it can be done. After all, I don't really need to watch Tom Hiddleston/Coliolanus trailers over and over again. And then search Google for more.

So watch this space. And, hopefully, watch that word count rise!

Here's Tom.