Another month of 2018 has gone. It looks like I was right; 2018 is going as quick as 2017. And I fear that again, I will fail to achieve my goals. But I keep trying to remind myself that 2018 isn’t over yet, so I must continue to fight to reach my goals.
I did a little better in March than I had done in the previous months, but I still didn’t do as much as I wanted. Again, I struggled to find time to fit in my writing projects; this is because I have had to work late, and when I do have time, I’m so mentally (and sometimes physically) drained that I struggle to do anything productive. However, I have managed to protect one day for my writing and that’s Sunday, so even though I don’t have much time, I still have one day a week where I can focus on my writing projects.
So, what were my March writing goals? Well, my March writing goals were:
- Writing Goal 1: Novel 4th draft – edit 50,000 words
Result: While I didn’t get to edit much of my novel, I did work on the second chapter. I had hoped I would at least finish editing that chapter, but when I edit my novel I find myself staring at the screen and spending ages editing one sentence – it’s a nightmare. - Writing Goal 2: Write 15,000 words of my psychological horror novella
Result: Okay, so I didn’t write anywhere near 15,000 words, but I did write 1800, so I now have over 6000 words towards my novella. It’s not great – the novella should have been written months ago – but considering how little time I have, I am pleased that I managed to get something written. Fun fact: It never took me this long to write my novels lol. - Writing Goal 3: Plan 2nd standalone novel
Result: I didn’t finish the novel outline, but I finally made a good start and jotted down several pages of notes. I do have a problem, though; my third novel is tempting me. Oh no! - Writing Goal 4: Submit 1 short story
Result: Yes, this is one goal that I completed. It was nice to see a green tick on my writing goals chart. This was the only short story I submitted because I decided to stop working on short stories until I finished the fourth draft of my novel. - Writing Goal 5: OWG anthology – finalise 1 story/poem
Result: Yes, this was another green tick. Yay me! I finally finalised one short story. I now have nine pieces left to complete before August, no pressure lol. - Writing Goal 6: Read an Anne Rice horror novel
Result: I’m reading Prince Lestat by Anne Rice. I didn’t receive this book from the library until two weeks into March, so I’m currently half way through the book. I’m having a hard time finding the books on my female horror author list. I think someone is stealing library books. Hmm, there’s a story there somewhere. - Writing Goal 7: Read a short story – ‘The Gift of the Magi’ by O. Henry
Result: This is another green tick. I’m doing well with the short stories.
So, now it’s April, it’s time to create some new writing goals.
My April Writing Goals
- Novel 4th draft – edit 50,000 words
- Write 15,000 words of my psychological horror novella
- Do outline for 2nd standalone novel
- OWG anthology – finalise 1 story/poem
- Read Prince Lestat by Anne Rice
- Read The Restorer by Amanda Stevens
- Read a short story – ‘Rip Van Winkle’ by Washington Irving
Even though I’ve not completed all of my goals, I am happy that I managed to complete something. Lately, however, I have been struggling with a lack of motivation with my writing, which seems to be getting worse. I used to be able to write over 600 words in half an hour, but I now struggle to write 300. I do feel that I’m missing the instant gratification that writers get with a short story. Things move quicker with short stories, and there’s nothing like the buzz you get when you’re told your story has been accepted – it’s a real motivation boost. It doesn’t only take longer to write the bigger projects, but it also takes longer to edit and get them published. Now, a story acceptance isn’t guaranteed, but the more you try, the better your chances, and because I’m not submitting at all, I have no chance of having that motivation boost. Therefore, I have decided to fit back in my short stories. I currently upload a piece of flash fiction on my website every month, so instead of doing that every month, I will do it bimonthly. I will then submit a short story every other month – well, a flash fiction. That way I can still have the best of both worlds. This, however, will start from May. Fingers crossed this plan works.
How did you do in March? Feel free to comment below. I’d love to hear how everyone else is doing.
Keep writing, folks!
Oh, and before I go, if you want email alerts of my latest posts, then please subscribe. And don’t forget you can follow me on Twitter, or like my Facebook page.