Summary:

I was super keen this week and worked on writing projects every day, not least because I got over-excited about a new business plan and also signed up for too many courses at once.

 

Monday:

My mind was buzzing overnight about my new paid editing plan, so I got up at 6am to make a list of next steps.

Coincidentally, the paid editing job that randomly came my way recently finally arrived in my inbox at 7:30am, so I worked on that and turned it around in three hours.

Later, I did some research about how to get freelance editing work and added notes to my plan.

 

Tuesday:

I worked on my editing business plan, putting out feelers to my current publishers and also asking existing editors I know for advice.

I also discussed cover design for the second novel – now called A Spectrum of Heroes – with my new publisher, Markosia!

Later, I utilised Hannah’s excellent focus buddy skills and made myself write the next Safeguarding scene (as the new plan to revolutionise my working life had been taking up my writing time and energy – which is exactly what it’s not supposed to do – but inevitably will until I get it up and running). As usual, once I actually got started, I wrote 1430 words in 40 minutes!

Hannah sent me a synopsis of her latest novel and I made some amendments to tighten it up and remove extraneous detail.

 

Wednesday:

I had some inspiration for a micro fiction competition early this morning, so I jotted down a draft and then submitted it later in the day.

I also worked on my editing business plan, finally getting to grips with the Trello board Dave kindly set up for me.

 

Thursday:

I did final prep for today’s workshop with CP’s Day Off and added some extra notes to the editing plan.

Then it was time for my weekly focus session with Claire and I got the next Safeguarding scene done. I’m starting to worry about saggy middle / lack of threat / absent antagonists / repetitive journey sections / one narrative thread being more interesting than the other. But it’s a first draft, so I’m trying not to let myself get too wrapped up in such things.

I contacted my editor and set the date by which I need to get the Safeguarding manuscript to her for a developmental edit, which gives me a hard deadline for completing the first draft. Hopefully, this should keep me on track with my current schedule of writing at least two scenes per week.

Later, I watched the next Sanderson lecture, on worldbuilding.

The workshop, or rather informal discussion, with Claire and three other lovely writers went well and I provided what I hoped was useful and interesting insight into possible routes to publication.

 

Friday:

I did some more work on my editing plan.

I also wrote a haiku in my 102 Haiku Journal, which I hadn’t picked up for over a month. I have lots of things like this (blessings bowl, tarot decks, writing courses/books/resources) that I really enjoy interacting with when I make time to do it. But I don’t seem to have or think of that kind of time these days, for some reason.

 

Saturday:

I logged on to the Marketing for Writers course from Neema Shah, introduced myself on the forum and watched the introductory video, which promised guidance on effective marketing activities that don’t feel arduous and don’t take up hours and hours per week. Here’s hoping the course delivers on that!

I went on to complete the first topic on building your author brand, which showed me I have quite a lot that’s unique and interesting about me that I can use to entice readers.

 

Sunday:

I started out helping Bear with a post about our lovely trip to Radlett the day before.

I did a ton of submissions and also edited a blog post for Dave.

The submissions totalled nine (six flash, one short story, one novella and one application for commissioned work) and took nearly four hours. One publication had so many formatting requirements that were contrary to how most places want things that I gave up in despair, deleted them from my potential submissions list and sent that piece somewhere else (their loss!). Submissions always take so much time and are so draining – by the time I was done, I’d lost most of the afternoon and really wasn’t enthused by the idea of continuing on to something else.

But I took a break for a few minutes and then launched into the next Safeguarding scene anyway because I knew my writing time over the next couple of weeks would be restricted.

Later, I did some more on my editing plan, completed my Hour of Writes marking for the week and did the next module on the Marketing for Writers course.