This week, I have taken time off work to fling myself wholeheartedly at the business of writing my next book. That sounds very grand, doesn't it - 'my next book', as if I am a hotshot author whose publisher and adoring public wait with bated breath for my next literary masterpiece. When I say 'my next book', I really mean 'my next doorstop of cheap, badly printed papers to be flung on top of the other doorstops of cheap, badly printed papers currently mouldering in my study'.
As this one has got off to a faltering start - I can't be sure of the current total wordcount, as it's strewn across two computers, but I think it's a staggering 2,500-ish - I have set myself a mountain to climb this week. By Saturday afternoon, I want to have sweated out another 30,000 words. Actually, this goal is quite fluid. Whether it remains as 'another 30,000 words' or 30,000 words including what I've already done, will be decided as the week creaks on, based on the success or otherwise of my progress. But as my starting point is pretty pitiful, it will make very little difference.
Anyway, I was supposed to start writing at 8am today. At 8.30am I was just sitting down at the computer. An hour later, I was still sending emails and looking at 'important things' on the internet. A further two hours on and I have achieved the following - booked an MOT; ordered a birthday present; stared at the detailed planner I made last night and frowned at the amount of things I'm supposed to be have done by this time; read a short story on the internet; talked to the cats and, finally, taken a cursory glance at the gawdy notebook in which I plan and sketch out my stories.
Now that it really is time to start, I'm thinking about all the other jobs I was supposed to get done today, in all that lovely time that I perfectly mapped out on my planner and am now desperately behind with. But balls to that - write I must and write I shall. Then it occurred to me that putting my intentions down on this blog and posting daily updates would actually be quite a good idea. Even though it has a readership of zero, I can kid myself that by marking my progress up on here, I will be inspired / shamed into working hard, just so I can have something impressive to relay. Rather like the weekly weigh-in at a weight loss class I suppose, it sometimes takes the scrutiny of others to really push you into action.
It's pretty sad that my own desires and ambitions are not always quite motivation enough, but never mind. At least it's another way to waste 20 minutes every day when I should be writing.
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