Project 1
November Writing Project
03/11/17 20:06
There was the little decision earlier in the week not to drop in and try a second NaNoWriMo. It was a pretty easy call to make without any plan in place and more pertinently a lack of surety of my available time this month. The writing projects I had in mind at the start of the year have stalled and are still in sight of the starting blocks. Rather than invent yet another goal (to complete NaNo) I have decided to get back on to one of the original projects and after a little deliberation I have decided that it will be: Project 1 - A Short Story Collection. Let's face it, it shouldn't have taken too much thought to come up with doing the damn things in the order I came up with them!
Project 1 is a series of 12 short stories, initially aimed at being between 1500-3000 words each, that's a total of 18k-36k. Given I've done two already then that means probably about 1000 words a day if I aim to do them in November - or a short story ever two days or so (compared to a consistent 1667 a day to do NaNo).
In terms of achieving 12 stories that work, are independent of each other and stand up the key thing in such a short space of time will be the number and depth ideas. So this month driving time = ideas time.
Of course whilst this is to some extent to replace NaNo as a driving force to complete a 'work' it's not like I won't have achieved anything if I don't finish them all by the end of the month; I'm not going to issue myself with an internet Badge for completion or reward myself with a T-Shirt. If it goes over by a week or even more then so be it. But the main thing is to drive something forward and to at least attempt to complete one of the goals I set myself at the start of the year.
Not crossing that bridge, yet.
The ultimate aim will be to get 12 stories together that I am happy with and that I can self publish some time in the new year. It'll probably just be Kindle, but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. Then again if I have 12 stories I'm happy with then maybe I'll just have a bank of 12 stories I can submit to publications... Anyway, like I say, get over that bridge when I get to it.
Project 1 is a series of 12 short stories, initially aimed at being between 1500-3000 words each, that's a total of 18k-36k. Given I've done two already then that means probably about 1000 words a day if I aim to do them in November - or a short story ever two days or so (compared to a consistent 1667 a day to do NaNo).
In terms of achieving 12 stories that work, are independent of each other and stand up the key thing in such a short space of time will be the number and depth ideas. So this month driving time = ideas time.
Of course whilst this is to some extent to replace NaNo as a driving force to complete a 'work' it's not like I won't have achieved anything if I don't finish them all by the end of the month; I'm not going to issue myself with an internet Badge for completion or reward myself with a T-Shirt. If it goes over by a week or even more then so be it. But the main thing is to drive something forward and to at least attempt to complete one of the goals I set myself at the start of the year.
Not crossing that bridge, yet.
The ultimate aim will be to get 12 stories together that I am happy with and that I can self publish some time in the new year. It'll probably just be Kindle, but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. Then again if I have 12 stories I'm happy with then maybe I'll just have a bank of 12 stories I can submit to publications... Anyway, like I say, get over that bridge when I get to it.
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Pull Your Finger Out!
11/04/17 22:11
Writing... Focus
Not much writing been done over the last week. I did manage a few hours work on Project 2 last week on a day off and to enter a Flash into Microcosms for the first time in a few weeks. Other than that writing has been a bit thin on my ground.
Work hours have been messed around with - with a late start and consequent late finish it has messed things up in many ways at home and socially. And as per my last post there has been some great TV which has eaten into my time (okay, I know that is my choice). On top of that I have been reading... including The Infernal Clock.
I finished reading Infernal Clock yesterday and have given that a solid 4 stars (why can't you give 4.5?). Some cracking story telling on all sorts of horror themes. Aim to get a review up on Amazon and GoodReads over the weekend if not before. Um, that will have to count as part of this week's writing - look I'm desperate to count everything.
Great to see that the offer to get the FlashDogs 'TIME' for FREE on Amazon for the week has resulted in great sales (is it sales if it's free?). Good to see Flash getting out there in book form and not just on web pages. Get yourself on Amazon if you haven't already.
'Clock was my 16th book that I have read this year which is good. Still well ahead of my target. Have read more books than I've bought this year (just) which means I'm ticking off some of those long unread books on these shelves of mine. Huzzah!
Got to focus on my Projects.
Focus! I tell you. Oh look, washing up to do. Is that another Trump tweet? Oh my lord Sean Spicer. Can I just watch that again. Oh, I could watch that Firmino goal again - that was top. There's washing up to do too. Did I say that earlier? Focus, I tell you!
Not much writing been done over the last week. I did manage a few hours work on Project 2 last week on a day off and to enter a Flash into Microcosms for the first time in a few weeks. Other than that writing has been a bit thin on my ground.
Work hours have been messed around with - with a late start and consequent late finish it has messed things up in many ways at home and socially. And as per my last post there has been some great TV which has eaten into my time (okay, I know that is my choice). On top of that I have been reading... including The Infernal Clock.
I finished reading Infernal Clock yesterday and have given that a solid 4 stars (why can't you give 4.5?). Some cracking story telling on all sorts of horror themes. Aim to get a review up on Amazon and GoodReads over the weekend if not before. Um, that will have to count as part of this week's writing - look I'm desperate to count everything.
Great to see that the offer to get the FlashDogs 'TIME' for FREE on Amazon for the week has resulted in great sales (is it sales if it's free?). Good to see Flash getting out there in book form and not just on web pages. Get yourself on Amazon if you haven't already.
'Clock was my 16th book that I have read this year which is good. Still well ahead of my target. Have read more books than I've bought this year (just) which means I'm ticking off some of those long unread books on these shelves of mine. Huzzah!
Got to focus on my Projects.
Focus! I tell you. Oh look, washing up to do. Is that another Trump tweet? Oh my lord Sean Spicer. Can I just watch that again. Oh, I could watch that Firmino goal again - that was top. There's washing up to do too. Did I say that earlier? Focus, I tell you!
Writing and Writing
25/03/17 10:19
Performance Monitoring - It's Not Good News
I'm behind, I am. Tick tock. The plan is there to motivate, surely. Tick tock. Or else it is there to measure failure. Arghhhhhh!
I should be three or four stories into Project 1 - and Project 2 should be properly started. Shouldn't it?
Well. Well...
Okay, I'm behind. But it's catch-up-able. Blasted out a quick 500 words on Story 2 of Project 1 this morning. Will print out the thing and see how much work it needs (and if it's any good yet). Then hopefully complete by say... Monday? Then I can get onto Story 3. Again.
Still, 500 words is better than none. Right? Hell yeah!
And I may get a few more done later on Story 2 and Story 3 as it stands (or at least some notes on where to go with it).
Dang! I just thought of a decent idea for a book - or at least the structure of one - maybe add that to the list for Project 4. My god, stop it already and finish one of the others first. And lord, look I'm talking to myself. Indeed shouting to myself (in a quiet inwardly no-one else would notice kind of way). Arghhhhhhh!
Of course there's the Angry Hourglass challenge going live later. The decision will be whether to write 300 words or so on that today or tomorrow or use that time on one of these stories or Projects. Decisions. Maybe I'll just see what the prompt is before calling that one.
Hope to do a little on Project 2 later whilst on the move. That'll be a worthwhile investment of time.
My only other writing this week (other than a couple of blog updates) has been a job application; now that is definitely a worthwhile investment of my time!
Come on AJ. Get with the Plan. Keep writing. And writing. And tick some of these little buggers off the list...
I'm behind, I am. Tick tock. The plan is there to motivate, surely. Tick tock. Or else it is there to measure failure. Arghhhhhh!
I should be three or four stories into Project 1 - and Project 2 should be properly started. Shouldn't it?
Well. Well...
Okay, I'm behind. But it's catch-up-able. Blasted out a quick 500 words on Story 2 of Project 1 this morning. Will print out the thing and see how much work it needs (and if it's any good yet). Then hopefully complete by say... Monday? Then I can get onto Story 3. Again.
Still, 500 words is better than none. Right? Hell yeah!
And I may get a few more done later on Story 2 and Story 3 as it stands (or at least some notes on where to go with it).
Dang! I just thought of a decent idea for a book - or at least the structure of one - maybe add that to the list for Project 4. My god, stop it already and finish one of the others first. And lord, look I'm talking to myself. Indeed shouting to myself (in a quiet inwardly no-one else would notice kind of way). Arghhhhhhh!
Of course there's the Angry Hourglass challenge going live later. The decision will be whether to write 300 words or so on that today or tomorrow or use that time on one of these stories or Projects. Decisions. Maybe I'll just see what the prompt is before calling that one.
Hope to do a little on Project 2 later whilst on the move. That'll be a worthwhile investment of time.
My only other writing this week (other than a couple of blog updates) has been a job application; now that is definitely a worthwhile investment of my time!
Come on AJ. Get with the Plan. Keep writing. And writing. And tick some of these little buggers off the list...
More Thinking Time Than Writing Time.
15/03/17 22:55
Time, Time, Time
Writing when you work for a living can be a right problem. Unless you write for a living of course. Then it's a whole other kettle of fish I expect.
Today though was a case in point. Expected to be back home by 5:30 or 6:00pm but got home at around 7:30. That's up to 2 hours of potential writing time out of the equation. And when the other parts of the equation include eating, dishes and winding down it leaves actual time pretty slim. I had hoped to get the bulk of one of my Project 1 stories finished tonight, but I haven't.
Still, whilst driving around north Wales on my deliveries today I did get some good thinking time for two of the stories I am doing so hope to get stuck into them and should finish them by the end of the weekend still. So that'll be fine.
There are other things of course that could help free up a bit more time... denying myself any Social Media time for one. Or having an absolute No TV rule. And maybe that 'Winding Down' time could be after the writing. But then again writing before winding down may lead to some unusually sweary and erratic writing; then again that may help with some stories.
Next time I'm short of time but keen to get something actually FINISHED then maybe I'll pre-wind write. Today I chose to write just a bit and leave it (got about 400 words down on a story). So I've got a foundation (some words). I've got my scaffolding (my ideas). It's now up to me to set aside the right write time over the next few days.
In the meantime at least it was a lovely day down/up/along here. It was stunning all day in Llandudno and Penrhyn, and the first day of the year I spent all day without a jacket on. Shorts are a-coming!
And I even had myself a (late) post work ice-cream in Rhos-on-Sea. Nice!
Keep Writing!
Writing when you work for a living can be a right problem. Unless you write for a living of course. Then it's a whole other kettle of fish I expect.
Today though was a case in point. Expected to be back home by 5:30 or 6:00pm but got home at around 7:30. That's up to 2 hours of potential writing time out of the equation. And when the other parts of the equation include eating, dishes and winding down it leaves actual time pretty slim. I had hoped to get the bulk of one of my Project 1 stories finished tonight, but I haven't.
Still, whilst driving around north Wales on my deliveries today I did get some good thinking time for two of the stories I am doing so hope to get stuck into them and should finish them by the end of the weekend still. So that'll be fine.
There are other things of course that could help free up a bit more time... denying myself any Social Media time for one. Or having an absolute No TV rule. And maybe that 'Winding Down' time could be after the writing. But then again writing before winding down may lead to some unusually sweary and erratic writing; then again that may help with some stories.
Next time I'm short of time but keen to get something actually FINISHED then maybe I'll pre-wind write. Today I chose to write just a bit and leave it (got about 400 words down on a story). So I've got a foundation (some words). I've got my scaffolding (my ideas). It's now up to me to set aside the right write time over the next few days.
In the meantime at least it was a lovely day down/up/along here. It was stunning all day in Llandudno and Penrhyn, and the first day of the year I spent all day without a jacket on. Shorts are a-coming!
And I even had myself a (late) post work ice-cream in Rhos-on-Sea. Nice!
Keep Writing!
Project One: More Storifying.
13/03/17 23:49
Project 1: Short Story Writing
I'm behind time a little bit with Project 1 of my 2017 plan, but I have a (sub)plan to get two short stories completed this week for it. I've started the third one, just to get it rolling. It's an idea I've had for a while and hopefully will come out fairly easily ultimately. That's the theory, anyway. We'll see.
I intend to finish Story 3 this week and then go back to the story with the 1000 word start; as starts go it's not a bad one.
The lack of good telly each night should mean I've no excuse other than lethargy and sloth. And there the answer may be coffee.
Pretty sure with both Story 2 & 3 these are relatively low hanging fruit and then I can get back on target for my 'one story a week' aim.
Will report back on here with my progress by next Monday. So fingers crossed.
In the meantime I did start taking a look a my NaNoWriMo 'novel' at the weekend to see whether it was any good and/or worth looking at doing more work on - perhaps as Project 3. Only read the first two chapters again so far and I'm thinking I need to read the next two to make a more reasoned determination. But it's not a 'no', yet...
Anyway folks, keep writing!
I'm behind time a little bit with Project 1 of my 2017 plan, but I have a (sub)plan to get two short stories completed this week for it. I've started the third one, just to get it rolling. It's an idea I've had for a while and hopefully will come out fairly easily ultimately. That's the theory, anyway. We'll see.
I intend to finish Story 3 this week and then go back to the story with the 1000 word start; as starts go it's not a bad one.
The lack of good telly each night should mean I've no excuse other than lethargy and sloth. And there the answer may be coffee.
Pretty sure with both Story 2 & 3 these are relatively low hanging fruit and then I can get back on target for my 'one story a week' aim.
Will report back on here with my progress by next Monday. So fingers crossed.
In the meantime I did start taking a look a my NaNoWriMo 'novel' at the weekend to see whether it was any good and/or worth looking at doing more work on - perhaps as Project 3. Only read the first two chapters again so far and I'm thinking I need to read the next two to make a more reasoned determination. But it's not a 'no', yet...
Anyway folks, keep writing!
Come On!
10/03/17 14:15
More Reading, Not Enough Writing... Come On!
Just finished reading Primo Levi's 'If This Is a Man', my thirteenth book this year according to my reliable GoodReads friend. A good and thought provoking read if not exactly a cheerful one. Wouldn't be a pick for everyone. Not sure what my next read will be, but it will probably be more cheerful and thankfully less thought provoking... so many options. Still need to finish The Silmarillion so maybe I'll just drop back into that.
That said I've got writing to do! Yes, writing! I've just written a daft quick story for Microcosms and put that up on the site. It's my first Microcosms for a few weeks. But really that's a side issue I've got to drop back on to Project 1 (and/or 2) of my 2017 Writing before I fall behind on these.
Okay, decision made... next up will be some thought, if not words on my second story for Project 1. I reckon I can finish that (thought AND writing) by Monday to remain on track.
I have it printed it out. I have pen, I have paper, will travel... and, err, think...
Am Reading...
Am Writing (Promise)
Just finished reading Primo Levi's 'If This Is a Man', my thirteenth book this year according to my reliable GoodReads friend. A good and thought provoking read if not exactly a cheerful one. Wouldn't be a pick for everyone. Not sure what my next read will be, but it will probably be more cheerful and thankfully less thought provoking... so many options. Still need to finish The Silmarillion so maybe I'll just drop back into that.
That said I've got writing to do! Yes, writing! I've just written a daft quick story for Microcosms and put that up on the site. It's my first Microcosms for a few weeks. But really that's a side issue I've got to drop back on to Project 1 (and/or 2) of my 2017 Writing before I fall behind on these.
Okay, decision made... next up will be some thought, if not words on my second story for Project 1. I reckon I can finish that (thought AND writing) by Monday to remain on track.
I have it printed it out. I have pen, I have paper, will travel... and, err, think...
Am Reading...
Am Writing (Promise)
Project 1: and so it begins...
27/02/17 18:51
Project 1: The Short Story Collection
And so it begins... yep, my 2017 writing - other than ubiquitous random Flash - is now off and running! To be in accordance with my plan I need to write a minimum of one short story a week to get a collection of 12 or so stories together in three months. Certainly doable.
Well, I'm now one story in, yep! To be fair, in full on Blue Peter fashion, it was from a story I'd started earlier. It's spot on length wise, being just over 2500 words (aiming for 1500 - 3000 word stories). I'll give it a proper read through in a week or two to see how well it hangs together. It's a story that hasn't seen the light of day anywhere else yet. I'll probably try out at least a couple of them at the Poised Pen meetings over the coming couple of months. The stories are all going to be stand alone ones - the stories are to be held together by setting not theme.
The Thousand Word Prompt
I've also found another half written story which could fit right in for Story 2 of Project 1. There's a 'slight' problem with it... It is written in a well detailed way up to the point it stops; but I have no idea where I was going with the story - I've probably a note in a notebook somewhere about it, but it is now effectively a 1000 word prompt!!
And so it begins... yep, my 2017 writing - other than ubiquitous random Flash - is now off and running! To be in accordance with my plan I need to write a minimum of one short story a week to get a collection of 12 or so stories together in three months. Certainly doable.
Well, I'm now one story in, yep! To be fair, in full on Blue Peter fashion, it was from a story I'd started earlier. It's spot on length wise, being just over 2500 words (aiming for 1500 - 3000 word stories). I'll give it a proper read through in a week or two to see how well it hangs together. It's a story that hasn't seen the light of day anywhere else yet. I'll probably try out at least a couple of them at the Poised Pen meetings over the coming couple of months. The stories are all going to be stand alone ones - the stories are to be held together by setting not theme.
The Thousand Word Prompt
I've also found another half written story which could fit right in for Story 2 of Project 1. There's a 'slight' problem with it... It is written in a well detailed way up to the point it stops; but I have no idea where I was going with the story - I've probably a note in a notebook somewhere about it, but it is now effectively a 1000 word prompt!!