Summary:

 

I experienced both accomplishment and doubt this week, so a fairly typical few days as a writer! I’m generally very pleased with the focus I’m managing to keep on my writing, but I’m also very well aware how far I still have to go to get where I want to be.

Monday:

 

I had a writing date planned with Ann at Good and Proper but wasn’t sure how enthused I would be after the long writing session of the day before. But I got the train in with Dave at 9am and settled in with a lovely pot of Honey Orchid tea.

 

I started with today’s Detox prompt, which I based on the “Right Said Fred” song I remember from my childhood, so that was a lot of fun.

 

Then I cracked on with Colours, wrote two scenes and made it to the end of what I think is Part One, and a total of nearly 25,000 words written since the start of November, so I’m very happy indeed with that!

 

I finished the set of Artisan notecards, giving me a complete overview of the novel as it stands at the moment, and a jumping off point for the next stage of revision. I had some ideas about the restructure and how to move forwards with it, so I noted them down before I forgot them.

 

I did some more critiquing on Scribophile over lunch, because I think the Shards short story will need to be split into two parts when I post it, so I’ll need ten points from critiquing before I can do that.

 

I moved on to a new scene for Shards. I really like the idea of this story, but I’m not sure I’m doing it justice, and there are a lot of world-building questions I haven’t answered. I’m hoping its short length will let these slide, but maybe Scribophile feedback will say otherwise, if I can finish it in time.

 

By this time, my brain was suffering a bit from too much hard work, so I read a couple of chapters of the self-editing book, and typed up some notes on creating conflict, as an easy way to keep feeling productive.

 

Tuesday:

 

I did today’s Detox prompt.

 

Wednesday:

 

I went to the Friends Meeting House cafe on Euston Road after work today, which turned out to be very nice, if a little busy, with very cheap tea.

 

I read through the whole of Colours so far, and really enjoyed it, which is a good sign. I made a few tweaks, but couldn’t see any major issues, and it seems to hold together quite well. I decided it would be much clearer if I denoted the flashbacks in some way, so I went back through and added the year at the beginning of any section where there’s a change in timeline. Then I sent the whole thing to Geena for her views, since she helped me come up with the idea in the first place, and I’m not quite sure where to go from where I am now.

 

I did today’s Detox prompt and then wrote a blog post about the motivating effects of making a list for the next writing session at the end of each one, and completing each Weeknotes paragraph before actually embarking upon the task described therein.

 

Thursday:

 

Nearly didn’t make it today, but did the daily word at www.oneword.com just before going to bed. It still counts as writing – just about!

 

Friday:

 

Really wasn’t feeling it today, but still managed a minute of writing on www.oneword.com – I really like this because it’s *always* possible to find one minute to write, even on a non-writing day.

 

Saturday:

 

Today saw me at the Costa round the corner from Highbury & Islington by 9am, a little bleary-eyed, but glad to be following the plan, not the mood.

 

I started with today’s Detox prompt, then went on to drafting new scenes for Shards. I wrote a quick fanfic for Fic_Promptly, which is turning out to provide just what I wanted – somewhere I can dip in and out for inspiration so I can keep my fanfic brain ticking over.

 

Then I did some more Artisan revision, working out what needs to change in the opening sections so I can make sure to have that done in time to submit to Winchester Festival. I moved on to brainstorming the next section of Colours, since I have now exhausted my original outline and only have a third of a rather short novel! I was feeling very accomplished and pleased about both novels on Wednesday but today’s activities have shown me quite how far I still have to go with both of them. Still, I have a list, so at least that’s something.

 

I read another chapter of the self-editing book over lunch and did a short critique on Scribophile to round things off.

 

Sunday:

 

I entered pieces in a couple of competitions, and did the daily word at www.oneword.com.

 

I also caught up on a fair few reviews to round the week off.