I was in full procrastination mode when it came to chapter five of my serial. Friday at least I had the excuse of other obligations getting in the way, but Saturday . . . I checked my e-mail, checked my blog list, then decided I didn’t want to be right in the middle of something important and then have to leave for grocery shopping so while I was waiting for the husband I started cleaning out the supply cabinet my laser printer sits on (which is another story all in itself), went grocery shopping, went on a couple of errands, ran into a friend in Wal-Mart, checked three stores before finding a letter sized file holder, and even cleaned the kitty litter. Then I played a lot of spider solitaire while trying to work on the chapter.
I have discovered something important concerning writing a regular first draft as compared to writing a first draft serial - there’s no wriggle room. By that I mean when I’m writing a regular first draft if I get stuck or bogged down in one part I can just skip ahead to something else and fill in the gaps later. Sometimes it even works better if you skip ahead and then go back. You can’t do that with a serial draft.
I can’t say that I’m real happy with the way the last chapter came out. Hopefully the next one won’t be as disjointed because I need to start writing ahead in preparation for NaNo.
RECAP:
Got Chapter Five, such as it is, posted . . . eventually. Part of me thinks I should just move the serial posts to Saturday and be done with it, but the other part of me says that I need to start exercising some self-discipline in preparation for NaNo so for now they're staying put on Fridays.
Got this week’s poetry form up, including the two examples. Also have an extra poetry form waiting in the wings for November, although I don’t have the example written for it yet.
Discovered we are indeed taking Business Law in November, but I’ll still probably do NaNo anyway. I’m just going to have to learn to write real fast on the weekends. :-)
Not only started the letter to my sister, but finished a six-page missive that's being sent out today.
I signed up for two AW Blogchains - one which is doing book reviews and one that is writing a flash fiction piece. I made an effort to get my sadly negelected book review blog updated just so it's ready.
This Week’s Goals:
Chapter Six, and beyond. There are two advantages to writing beyond the chapter I need to post on Friday: one, it may actually get posted on Friday, and two, if I want to skip ahead in the story I can.
This week’s poetry form is the Pantoum (where do they get these names?!) which is yet another form with a strict rhyme scheme.
Start keeping up my journal again. I was doing so good with my journal, writing in it every night before I went to bed. And then stuff started happening and I started falling behind, and then I had two weeks where I got to stay up late because I had afternoon classes so then I fell off the journaling wagon.
Make time to read. Yes, that’s right, make time to read. I’ve got over 200 books on my “to-be-read” bookcase. I need to start reading more. (Yeah, I know, what a chore!)
Back to morning classes for two weeks. Yippee!
Now that I’ve got my goals set out, how about yours?
9 comments:
I'm working on my goals now, as the caffeine seeps into my system. Had to come read yours for some inspiration. :-)
I never thought about that whole skipping ahead thing with the serial...but I write linearly anyways, so I guess it never really bugged me. In your case, staying ahead would definitely be a good thing just for that reason alone...great idea.
Last time I kept a paper journal, my husband (then boyfriend) read it, so I stopped. Then I used my blog as a journal (back when I first started), but it's "evolved" past that now. I should journal again - maybe something digital I can keep on a memory card just for myself. Hmm...good idea - thanks! :-)
Okay, think I can write out my goals now...
Procrastination. I have been on that mode for 3 weeks now, and I am officially ashamed of myself. This week has been slight improvement as in I have written SOMETHING. I hoping to get back on track soon.
Journals: I LOVE THEM. I mean Really. LOVE. I have been keeping a journal regularly since Fall 2002, and I know that i will never stop because I very much regret not keeping it in childhood. Initially I wasn't fussy about what I bought, but now I only buy the ones I love. And I even work on improving my journaling techniques. I have a regular journal which I write nearly everyday, but if not then fairly regularly. Then I have a dream journal. That's very infrequent, only when I have dreams that stay. Then Tarot journal. Again, quite irregular. And Then I have travel journals for every time I go somewhere. And a writer's notebook. And that doesn't include all the scribble pads and stuff.
Oh and sorry to go on about it, but I rarely ever get to talk about my journals. :)
Jamie: I've come a long way if I've gone from being a terrible goal setter to being an inspiration. :-) My journal has never been interesting enough that I ever worried about anyone reading it (not that they could decipher my hand-writing) and when it was interesting, I wrote in a password protected document on the computer.
Lost: I used to write down my dreams but got out of the habit 'cause they were just so weird! One time I had a dream that I had an idea for a trilogy and I was explaining the plot to my father who told me it was a brilliant idea. When I woke up I could remember explaining it to him, but not the plot itself. So frustrating! :-)
Okay, now LW is making me nostalgic for the insanely cool journals I used to pick out. It just doesn't seem the same to keep a digital journal, and I actually have a few really nice ones I could start writing in...maybe I should start keeping one again. I was way too excited about buying a teeny-tiny green one this weekend to carry with me and record story ideas as they come.
Quick - one of you do a post about journals, and what you record and techniques you like! :-)
Why was I here again? Oh yeah...picking up my award. LOL
Jamie, I totally love that idea. And since I am Journal Obsessed, I will definitely do that post.
Though it would be cool if you guys do it too. All different perspectives :)
I may just have to do my random tuesday post about journaling tomorrow. :-)
Fun! I'll do mine on Thursday...Home offices can certainly wait. ;-)
Yeah... what's with that procrastination anyway? she asks, trying to look innocent... and not infodump. Sadness. I mean... get busy! :)
bettielee
It seems strange that you need to make time to read huh?
I've made a real effort this year and it looks to be paying off.
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