And Muddling Through March
We are only two months into the new year, and much of the UK has already experienced a year's worth of weather changes. The plants and animals seem confused; honestly, I’m not much better. I feel I need to take my entire wardrobe out with me just to do the shopping.
But I digress. You are not here to hear about my inability to match clothing to current weather conditions. You want to know how badly I am failing to meet my goals this year. The truth is, actually, I’m pretty much on target with some of them. Others might involve a few all-night writing seasons closer to the deadlines to keep on track.
Tracking my Targets
1. Set aside one hour at least five times a week for focused writing time (in two 30-minute slots if needed) – I’m averaging about an hour a day over five days. I write more than others sometimes, but I think I’m on track with this goal.
2. Set aside an hour at least once a week for editing and proofing my longer works – I’m certainly managing at least an hour a week. I think I’m closer to two or three hours over each week. However, I’m only focusing on one work. More about that later.
3. Write one piece for Medium every week—I'm definitely still hitting this goal. Below is a list of pieces I published under Cathylouise on Medium in February. Lorelei_Sands isn’t getting as much attention as it should be, as I’ve had very few new ideas for that side of my writing.
https://medium.com/writers-blokke/i-dont-know-how-to-do-small-talk-1b12e1183161
https://medium.com/writersden/a-pirates-life-for-me-817c1d2b4b39
https://medium.com/writersden/a-fine-fur-throw-78cbd048fdd2
https://medium.com/dead-or-alive/im-fine-9f6715e42077
https://medium.com/dead-or-alive/ramblings-on-fate-or-free-will-880319db5ec9
https://medium.com/writersden/a-very-decent-proposal-7baf03de5e3d
https://medium.com/writersden/pride-comes-before-a-collision-1e9f3622f532
4. Complete the first draft of my novel, The Creature in the Darkness, by the end of June – Yep, this one hasn’t even been opened yet this year. I will need to give this a massive push in the coming weeks.
5. Complete the first draft of my novel, Crisis, by the end of the year – The same goes for this one. I’m still very stuck on a tricky plot point and haven’t been able to move past it yet.
6. Have Lorelei Sand’s novel The Scourge of the Demon Hunters ready for beta reading by the end of March. I’ve been focusing most of my editing time on this novel. I’m over halfway through, but the second half is a big mess, and I need a big push to get it finished and to beta readers by my deadline. It is still possible, but I need to get my head down and get on with it.
7. Have the first draft of the sequel, The Return of the Order, completed by the end of September – There are two significant reasons why I haven’t even opened the files for this novel. Firstly, I’m focusing on completing the first book. Secondly, there is a chance that the draft I currently have will become book three, and the current end of book one will be the start of book two. It is all very complicated and mixed up in my little brain. I will work it out eventually.
I’m more on target than I thought I would be despite having a mixed start to the year. I’m still supporting Ebony at college, although she is now using a walker more than she is in a wheelchair. We are still considering getting a new wheelchair, as it is better to have it just in case. We learned that today when I took her out for the first time after a heavy cold, and she struggled to get her legs to move in a straight line.
So far, we have raised £105 of our target thanks to our friends and followers' help and support.
Unfortunately, we also had bad news concerning our big dog, Rosie. I found a lump on her back leg, and last month, it was confirmed that it was a malignant tumour. She’s too old for surgery at nearly 11, so we are going to make the most of the time we have left with her. It could be just a few months, depending on how the cancer spreads. We are both devastated but glad we have time with her now.
So there you have it, our year so far.
I still need additional beta readers willing to read a spicy demon romance novel around the end of March. Let me know if you are up for the challenge.
If you want another way to support Ebony and me, you can become a Medium member. Your membership helps support the writers whose works you read.
Alternatively, please buy me a coffee or two. Every cup helps keep the creative juices flowing.
Until next time, stay safe and be creative.