Fine-Tuning, and a New Idea

I took today off work, so I spent about 1.5 hours on my story this morning, mostly editing what I have already written. (It's so much easier to edit and fine-tune than it is to write from scratch!) I added almost 300 words in editing and wrote another small scene. What I have written is very good, very tight, but very short. Time to start writing some more new scenes!

I've also been thinking about my next story. I'm going to spend some time today brainstorming and plotting it out.

I promised my writing group I'd write three times this week. This is the second time, and it's only Wednesday. Woo hoo!

TODAY'S WORD COUNT: 3900

Reinspired

After my very inspiring writers group meeting, I went home and (gasp) worked on my novel for the first time in too, too long.

I'm going to plot out my schedule for the upcoming week and see when I can carve out some time to write. (Does that sound too passive--waiting for the time to find me, instead of making time to write?) Incidentally, I'm going through a rebellion against schedules right now (long story), which explains why I've not been writing, but is not all bad because it is keeping me sane.

My hubby gets home from work exactly two hours after I do. In that gap, I like to watch movies I know he's not interested in (indie films, adaptations of stuffy British novels), but of course I don't want to write after he gets home because I want to spend time with him.

(Haha, I've just decided on the title for my book: 469 Excuses Not to Write, Or: Procrastination Will Never Get You Published.)

We won't call this a schedule, but rather a general map of my week:

M: watch Godfather III; spend time with Hubby (NW)
T: watch Constant Gardener; spend time with Hubby (NW)
W: take day off work (woo hoo); morning=writing; afternoon=fun stuff for me; dinner with friend; evening=Bible study (3 hrs)
T: evening to write (2 hrs)
F: children's Bible study (NW)
S: morning=clean house, catch up on laundry, work on freelance editing project; afternoon=writing; evening=dinner with friends OR date with Hubby (4 hrs)

Where else can I find time to write? I ride a vanpool back and forth to work (30 minutes each way), but I usually read on the van and am not willing to give up that reading time. I have been reading on my lunch hour each day, but I want to start spending some lunch hours working on my book as well (maybe on the days I know I won't be able to write in the evenings?). I'm not sure working on my book will be relaxing enough to recharge me for the second half of my workday, but I'll try it and see.

I'm not so good at working for 10 minutes here and there. Must work on attitude toward time and grasp all opportunities to write. Must begin to make more purposeful choices about watching movies instead of letting unwatched Netflix movies guilt-trip me or dominate my free time. Am thankful I don't watch TV.

WRITTEN TODAY: 1.5 pages (double-spaced) (Do I need to start keeping up with number of words written? Maybe that will help.)

First Writers' Group Meeting

Well, today was a big day for me; it was my last day teaching Sunday School and my first meeting of the writers' small group I'm co-leading with a writer friend. The group had three people plus the two of us, which seems like a great size. We all shared our writing experience and what we want from the group (I said I am afraid of writing and need some accountability to write more regularly).

We discussed "bad" language (we are a Christian group meeting at my church) to feel out people's attitudes toward the occasional swear word in our writing. We spent 10 minutes writing an encouraging letter to an imaginary writer friend, then read them out loud to encourage each other.

We have a homework assignment: to spend 15 minutes plotting out our writing projects and goals and dreams.

I made a commitment to write three times a week for the next two weeks (until our next meeting).