And changes now impossible deadlines
Somehow, it is already the beginning of April. Easter has come and gone, and the weather still thinks it is the middle of winter. March was full of chaos and surprises, but most were good.
It saw me start a new job cleaning at my local pub to help cover the shortfall in my writing income. I’m only working three hours a day in the mornings, but it is currently kicking my arse while my body adjusts to physical labour.
Unfortunately, this means I must change some of my deadlines to manage my time and not burn out. One of the benefits of having flexible goals is that I don’t have to feel too bad about making changes.
So, without further ado, here is where my goals stand:
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 averaged an hour a day over five days at the beginning of the month, but I’ve barely done anything in the second half as I’ve struggled to keep up with the basics at home.
2. Set aside an hour at least once a week for editing and proofing my longer works—books, what books? I don’t think I’ve even opened any of my longer files this month. I will have to readjust my deadlines for the longer work.
3. Write one piece for Medium every week—A solid start to March means I published seven pieces under Cathylouise and two under Lorelei_Sands.
https://medium.com/writersden/meeting-the-requirements-of-a-new-position-e6c3569f69c2
https://medium.com/dead-or-alive/the-big-play-for-money-con-6f45857bc730
https://medium.com/writersden/the-crying-child-0607eba9cde4
https://medium.com/writersden/the-convoluted-contract-8cdf69a011f5
https://medium.com/dead-or-alive/what-does-motherhood-mean-to-me-f76a64f7955d
https://medium.com/writersden/a-battle-of-blood-and-fire-5d2133682742
https://medium.com/dead-or-alive/adding-another-ball-to-the-juggling-act-819edfe1c27c
Lorelei's works (Please remember these are 18+ and may contain explicit material)
https://medium.com/tantalizing-tales/the-witch-and-the-werewolf-382086da4c6f
https://medium.com/dead-or-alive/love-i-laugh-at-the-concept-fa48895b7913
4. Complete the first draft of my novel, The Creature in the Darkness, by the end of June —it still hasn’t been opened. I’m going to push the deadline back by a month and possibly further later on.
5. Complete the first draft of my novel, Crisis, by the end of the year – The same goes for this one. I haven’t dealt with the tricky plot point issue yet. The new deadline will be the end of January 2025.
6. Have Lorelei Sand’s novel The Scourge of the Demon Hunters ready for beta reading by the end of March - While this has been my main focus until now, it has also taken a back seat this month. I’m hoping to have it ready by the end of April. Hopefully, it will be the only time I have to change the deadline for this piece.
7. Have the first draft of the sequel, The Return of the Order, completed by the end of September – Obviously, this will need to change as I’ve pushed the first book back. For now, I’ll push it back until the end of October. There is still a chance that I will change things around, make the contents I have book three, and write something new that will become book two.
Writing and work aside, I am still supporting Ebony at college, although we are currently enjoying a well-deserved Easter break. She is doing amazingly well on her walker and is getting stronger day by day.
Our wheelchair fund still stands at £105. While Ebony is managing well on the walker, we are still looking to get the wheelchair for her bad days and just in case she flares again.
Our big dog, Rosie, is doing well. She’s had a few bad days where she doesn’t want to eat, and there are new lumps, but overall, she still thinks she is a puppy and bounces around like nothing is wrong.
Don’t forget you can support my writing by buying me a coffee or by subscribing to Medium for just $5 a month and reading my new work as it comes out.
I’m still looking for more beta readers for the novel, so let me know if you want to check out my demon fantasy romance.