The Process of Changing the Process.



When I wrote my first book it was a roller coaster ride.  I was so productive but nothing other than writing was ever accomplished.  For some time now I've been scared to death to get into that again, letting my life fall by the wayside as I write. For some reason I thought that was the process,  the only process that would work for me. So, I need a period of six months to do nothing but write. Now that I think about it that's crazy. I have children, a husband, other commitments.  Lately, however, I've been trying something completely different and it's working.

 I set a goal. 1000 words per day every day of the week, weekends if I can but without pressure.  Nothing comes before that and if I have to do a morning appointment, I'll do it and write later.  But I'm booking things around my "job" now after all, that's what people employed by others have to do. This is my work, I have to treat it as such.  I have allowed myself to not write on holidays and weekends because they're so challenging but I am trying to do it if I get up before the girls. Now a second thing has happened. I write, no matter if I'm stuck or not. In fact I've got four projects on the go, that are in different phases so that I have something to write. One is well underway and looks to be the first in line for completion, The other two are also romances that I work on as well

The fourth is a completely different sort of project, a short story collection needs research so I'll do the research at times when writing isn't so easy, it is just reading and taking notes after all, and promotion occurs in between times. So when I'm truly not able to do either. And it's working. I cannot remember when I've been more productive. Last week I wrote at least 20,000 words, on two of my projects, moving one into the midpoint that I always find so daunting, when things change and move forward, the part that causes me to lose focus because it requires some inspiration and focus.

The best part is that I'm living life. The house is semi-clean, I eat fairly regularly and things are not crazy and hectic from day and night marathon writing session.   After Christmas I plan to work full time but cutting myself some slack I've made the remainder of this year about working part-time, and 1000 words per day which morphs into thousands more once I get into the rhythm, is a good goal.

Today I broke the 5000 word mark and it's not even noon.  I've learned that I can do it if I choose.  And that four works in progress is fine.  Plus I still have the entire afternoon and evening to get some Christmas stuff done. No excerpts from either book yet but the photo above will give you an indication of the heat level of my latest project. It's going to singe your eyebrows and leave you wanting more...more of my romance stories or more of something else...wait and see... Romantically yours... C

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