1) Break down the critic who has taken a room in my head. I've been busier than usual and didn't realize that sneaky editor had moved in and slooowed me way down.
2)Take full advantage of short chunks of time. Five minutes, ten minutes, thirty. Years ago when the children were littles and still at home and I worked f/t and ran my storytelling company and...(well you get the picture) I could grab moments here and there and write. Up until recently I had all day, night, weekends and didn't have to do that. With a full time job, blogging, reading and a few other things I want that skill set back!
So-I am taking a course, committed to 12 by 12 (12 picture books in a year-drafts), AND taking part in Picture Book a Day in February and working on the second draft of HAPPY MEDIUM. It sounds like a lot but am figuring it will break down the critter in my head and _make_ me use full advantage of short spurts of time if I want to get it done and get ready for #wipmadness March with Denise Jaden and her team!
Either that or I am a total maniac.
What about you? Goals for #wipmadness February
Looking back for inspiration in January from Angelina:
Go Team WIPMADNESS!
Ooooh, so glad to see this today while poking my head out of the WIP! Now I know why they call it a revision cave--I haven't been able to get out hardly at all! But I guess loving the WIP is a good thing. :-)
ReplyDeleteMy goal this month is to finish this revision (about 5 chapters left), let it sit, and then do a print-out and read-through before another revision round. And then I'll be looking (begging) for Betas!
Hoping to find 3 or 4 here, and am always happy to beta in exchange! :-)
Best wishes for a productive month to all!
Kip
Good luck this month, Kip. Yay for getting to the beta stage and you know...YAY for revision caves!
DeleteHave never beta'd for anyone-have critiqued full novels, not sure the difference?
I love the smell of that ambition, Deb! My goal for February is to get through this revision by the 21st and send it to beta readers. Anyone longing to read a YA historical set in Occupied Paris towards the end of the month? Let me know. ^_^
ReplyDeleteLol...hopefully that smell doesn't get, erm, stinky as I realize I may have an overfilled plate!
DeleteGood luck with the revision and sounds like my kind of book!
Me!, Me! I want to read it!
DeleteI want a page out of that Making the Most of Your Time Nuggets book. Hmm. I wonder if I can practice? Maybe right before crunches/pushups before bed, I do a total of 5 mins writing, no more, no less.
ReplyDeleteThat's goal 1 for Feb, then!
Goal 2: by the end of the week, I want to hit 8k on the WIP. I'm not feeling too big picture this month, for some reason. Hopefully, y'all won't kick me out of the hash tag if I take it week by week!!
You know Lora, I think I am going to look up a few things on that topic (love your title) Practice is a good thing and then you will get a feel for the best kind of writing to do in those Time Nuggets.
DeleteLOL on kicked out of the hashtag...doubt it! Look who they are letting lead the cheer this month....the newbie from Lurkdom!
Hi!
ReplyDeleteMy goal is to write just 20 minutes every single day no matter what. Twenty little minutes, move be damned :)
Looking forward to cheering my #wipmadness peeps on!
Anne
I think I need to employ this goal toward my workout regimen. Those 20 mins a day add up! Good luck, Anne!
DeleteThat is a heck of a good goal! 20 mins a day...that'll keep you moving forward for sure!!
DeleteHoly cow, Deb, you've hit two of my biggest stumbling blocks! If I don't have an hour or even 45 minutes, I tell myself I won't get anything done and zone out to something else. (wagging finger at myself) AND...I simply cannot draft without editing as I go. I know, I know...I should just spew the thing out, but that perfectionist gene is too strong. I still have major revisions to do, so perfect ain't happenin' no matter how I approach it.
ReplyDeleteI have to amend my January goals. I almost met them, but I will get there in the next two weeks. (are you listening, brain?) of course I will be gone for the next two weekends, so we'll see how that holds up.
Goals:
Finish WIP by Feb. 15th.
Revise for Agent by Feb. 25th.
Send to agent on or before Feb. 28th.
Thanks for hosting this month, Deb! Okay...here we go!
Hey! I may need you to wag your finger my way every now and then too! I so, so hear you on the thinking that you need more than 45 mins or an hour to really get things done.
DeleteCheering you on to Feb 15 and getting the wip done then on to the revision out to the agent...go go GO!
Hi, all! I'm jumping back in the month after skipping the last two months. I've been mostly researching (slowly) and felt like I could only add repetitive updates. Well, now that the holidays are over, I can feel myself slipping out of the habit of working everyday. I hope that wipmadness will encourage me to get back to it!
ReplyDeleteMy goals for February:
-- work every day (writing and researching)
-- complete a detailed outline (incl. scene outlines/notes)
-- 5000-7500 words on my zero draft
Wow, fantastic goals Jaime. Hope we can keep each other up and writing _everyday_ this month!
DeleteMy Feb. goals are to re-write my first 50 pgs (again) and get the whole WIP from 75 to 100 pages.
ReplyDeleteGoooo, Jeanne! Hope to see you at the WWA or maybe for the BB supper "thing"!
DeleteDeb, I really, really appreciate -- and am awed by -- your goals! My February goals are to work on some WIP picture book mss I've got and that my CP has been majorly helping out with. Can kids relate to a blueberry? That's a good question! By the end of February, I hope to have a few more pbs fine-tuned (as IF!!) and get ready for the editorial letter coming my way in April for my next mg novel. (Shivers with anxiety) Thanks for keeping everyone online and on-point. :)
ReplyDeleteGood luck with those PBs Margo and I love the question about blueberries!
DeleteBest of luck with your February goals! I finished my 12x12 January ms yesterday, just in the nick of time, so one of my Feb goals is to get February's ms done earlier in the month. Also need to get 3 more chapters written in my middle grade ms.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jennifer, same to you and congrats on your 12 X12! I got half and ms done. Happy writing!
DeleteOh my gosh, what amazing goals! You guys are so inspiring... I can't wait to hear how everyone's goals turn out, and best of luck to all of you!
ReplyDeleteMy plan is to write 8,000-10,000 new words this month. This will bring my manuscript up to almost 40,000 words.
Fingers crossed! :)
Way to go on the ms Lisa! And here is to hitting 40k. Best of luck to you too!!
DeleteMy goals for Feb are basically to tie up a few projects so I can launch into The Big Book that needs to be written in March.
ReplyDeleteYay for a new Big Book. Good luck tying everything up!
DeleteI have major goals this month - what's new?
ReplyDeleteI'd like to add 29k to the 27.8k I already have in the hopes of coming close to the end of this first draft. I must finish it by mid-March.
I need to play with a chapter or two in another book to see if I can't make it more emotionally snagging right from the get go.
Other than that, my goals have to do with keeping my art students engaged and meeting GhostgirlWrites in February at an SCBWI event!
Thanks for hosting Deb!
Go on those goals!!
DeleteI have MG from last year that is still waiting on that emotional beginning-something that grabs the reader (no matter who they are) and makes the care about what is happening just as much as the MC does.
Have a wonderful time at the meet up!
Just saw this on twitter. Is it too late to join in?
ReplyDeleteMy February goals: 1/ Do 3rd draft edit of chapter 14 by Feb. 12
2/ edit chapter 15 by Feb. 24 3/ continue going forward on the second draft (chapter 17 & 18) 4/ work on YA novel Angel Eyes every Monday
Absolutely not, Nicole! Glad you can join us and go GO on those GOals!
DeleteWhew! You are busy, busy. But I love your advice of finding ways to work in small chunks. I've had to train myself to do that too, and it makes all the difference.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by Julie! Yes on the busy and taking good advantage of the time chunks...feels good to be relearning how to do that!
DeleteI'm late checking in. The first couple days of Feb were devoted to mulling, pondering, wondering if I could dredge up the courage to trust my gut and do something radical with a manuscript I'd thought was "done". And I'm doing it! Starting again with a blank Word doc, trying not to second-guess myself. So my Feb wipmadness goal is to brainstorm the new direction for this novel and then write the first 10k.
ReplyDeleteI have a week away visiting my sister (next week--so excited!). I'm not sure I'll get much writing done then, but hope to make up for any word-count shortcomings by writing in airport and on the plane. :)
Way. to. go. Shari! Man...I have a ms that is waiting for the brave in me to do what you are doing. Cheering you on and enjoy that visit with your sister!!
DeleteThanks, Deb! :)
Delete