Keep Moving Forward

Well, NaNoWriMo2017 is over. One one hand I'm glad that it is done for this year, but on the other hand I'm sad. 

Trying to write a novel in 30 days that has any type of continuity or shape is hard. It's even harder when you don't go in with a specific plan on the novel. I typically don't spend time planning out my writing. This has been a blessing and a curse. It's a blessing because I've been able to bang out 50k words in less than 30 days. However, it's a curse because my final product has tons of plot holes, inconsistencies, etc.

I'm sad for the end of NaNo for two reasons. First, is the fact that I will miss the write-ins. Even though no one came to any of the write-ins that I administered, I still got the chance to write. I am not sure if it's the people or me when it comes to the attendance issue. I heard that some of the other scheduled write-ins this year also had minimal to no attendees. This makes me very sad because I enjoy being around others that have the same goal as me - it makes me work harder and provide a good example. Second, is the fact that I may go back to my old ways. As mentioned in my previous Blog post, I get side-tracked on writing very easily. Television, social media, family, car audio, and other interests always seems to pull me away from writing. This is especially true after a long day at work. I work in front of a computer all day and sometimes it is hard for me to want to sit in front of the computer at home just to focus on writing. I often wish there was a magic prayer that would make writing easier for me. 

I joined PennWriters and I am extremely grateful that I did. I have been to two critique sessions so far and I love it. It is very cool to see and be with some amazing and talented writers. I am making new friends and that is another plus. I'm excited to see where this new journey takes me. I am also excited to see what the group thinks of the first chapter of the second book.

Again, I've fallen from my set plans in writing. I tried reading 5 books at the same time to help with my writing skills. I realized the other day that I started skimming the chapters rather than reading and learning the skills presented. I also stopped revising the second novel. I really need to get focused and I'm trying some new things this week. Rather than sitting down to do what needs done when I can, I am going to try a set schedule. I am hoping that this will get me back on track. For this to work, I also need to schedule what I need to do for each night. This will include time to read, write, reflect, etc. 

Well, that's all for now. I am hoping that the new direction will work. I have added time to reflect on my Blog so that current and future readers can get a sense of who I am as a writer - maybe that will help sell some books in the future ;)