Despite having an overflowing plate of things I need to do, I actually had quite a productive week. Especially when it came to working on my next book. The dust appears to be settling and I'm far less stressed than I was a couple of weeks ago.
A big part of that is letting go of the things I cannot change. Instead of being high-strung about certain elements of what I do, I simply decided to just focus on making use of as much time as I can in the day. This means being OK with having to postpone a project or two should I run out of time.
That's probably one of the biggest things for me to overcome. Usually, I'd obsess about not getting something done to the point where it made me miserable. Lately, I've been shrugging my shoulders and realizing that I still made good use of my time for the day.
In reality, I have to view everything I do on a week-by-week basis. I simply have too much chaos in my life to have solid daily goals and expect to meet them. Instead, I'll work to make sure my week has been full of productive time.
Second Draft Might Be Done Next Week
I was hoping to have the second draft of Kingmaker done this week. However, there are a couple of chapters that I am essentially rewriting from scratch. It's a bit time-consuming, but it is making for a far better story, in my opinion.
At the rate I am working on this book, though, I should have the second round ready for beta readers sometime next week. If not, it'll be shortly after that. And I am stupidly excited to get everyone's reactions to the changes, especially the end.
So far, I've added more than 5,000 words and expanded quite a few backstories for characters. If I'm lucky, I'll be able to have the book published close to my birthday. In fact, I am kind of making the book a birthday present to myself. I'd love to order the first hardcover book by then.
Getting All Kinds of Ideas from the New Blog
If you don't know, I am building a new blog to help me create a series of videos on YouTube. And as I am going through and planning the content for it, I'm getting all kinds of ideas for my other channels.
The idea is to use this new blog in much the same way I used WriterSanctuary. I built that website to help me share my experiences becoming a freelance writer while practicing everything I learned about AP Style English and SEO content writing. This new blog focuses on using YouTube and getting the most out of the channel. If I have even a fraction of the same success with this new blog that I had with WriterSanctuary, a lot of things might change in some profound ways.
Overall, I'm using the new blog to see if I can turn it into a success within six months. I have no doubts that it would be possible if I also didn't have so much to do on any given day. Still, it's going to be interesting to see what I can turn the new site into by November.
Getting Back to Despair on YouTube
Next Monday, I've set a block of time aside to get back into finishing Despair on YouTube. It's an audiobook of sorts that I started quite some time ago and haven't worked on in almost a year. And to be perfectly honest, I miss working on it.
Although Despair takes a huge chunk of my week, I find it incredibly fun to write and record. It usually takes me about an hour and a half to write an 8-minute episode. Then, we spend a couple of days editing and polishing it up. Afterward, I spend about 2.5 hours recording and editing the video while adding background sound effects.
Even though that particular channel has like 9 subscribers on YouTube, creating Despair is more of a moment of Zen for me. I find it fun and relaxing.
Wrapping Up VII Next Month
One of my goals for May is to finish rewriting VII. I'd love to use that time for another project, such as trying out Kindle Vella or finishing the story I have on Inkitt. I haven't been able to work much on it this past month, mostly because I started prioritizing Kingmaker over most other projects.
Not to mention that I had a few major things with clients to hammer out at the beginning of the month.
Nonetheless, I would love to get a few chunks of time set aside so I can finish that story and move on. It will be the first COMPLETE novel I have published on Wattpad. Everything else is short stories that were entered in writing competitions in 2016. Well, outside of Despair that I am using for the text version of the audiobook.
Finishing VII is more for me than anything. I want to prove to myself that I can finish big projects like this without getting sidetracked, forgetting, or deleting because I think it sucks. These things used to happen on a regular basis, actually.
I can't count the number of stories that I've started and deleted over the years.
May Is Gonna Be Awesome!
The power of positive thinking. Next month is going to be an epic change and I plan on getting quite a few things wrapped up. In the grand scheme of things, I am the only one who controls how the next month will go for me in terms of productivity. Sure, people can sidetrack me with random bits of life and career needs. But at the end of the day, I am the one in absolute control of my life.
So, let's work to make next month something legendary for ourselves. Whether it's publishing a book, finishing that first draft, starting that new blog, or simply gaining a better handle on life, it's all within our grasp if we put in the effort to make those changes.
Speaking from experience, I'm tired of spinning my wheels.