IWSG was created by the Captain Ninja Alex J. Cavanaugh. Click here to visit the other IWSG participants. The co-hosts are Megan Morgan, Christopher D. Votey, Viola Fury, Christine Rains, Madeline Mora-Summonte, L.G. Keltner, Patricia Lynne, and Rachna Chhabria."Write every day" is common advice given to writers.
When I first started writing, I wrote most days, but I was only writing in other people's worlds via online roleplaying games and fan fiction. That dedication to writing most days changed when I started writing for publication. I wrote in spurts. Some months I would write 20,000+ words. Others, I was lucky to get in 2,000 words. On July 1, 2015, I decided to spend a number of minutes a day on writing.
Now I don't believe you have to write every day. It's what is working for me now, but that doesn't mean I won't skip a day or more in the future. Like all advice, writing every day has its pros and cons.
Three pros are consistent writing, easier to remember where you left off in a manuscript, and completing works in a timely manner.
Two cons are you never get a day off and the necessity of having a new project ready to go when you finish an old one. That last con is my big insecurity for the day. I'm a few weeks away from starting a new novel, A Soul to Reap (Soul Reaper #1). In three or four months, I will start a new series, To the Future (YA Urban Fantasy). I've been panicking the last few weeks and wondering how in the world will I be ready to write these new books.
What is your insecurity this month?
If you haven't guessed by now, I'm a big overachiever. I finished last month's goals. Two months in a row! On March 14, I completed the first draft of A Soul to Kill (Soul Reaper #0). The first draft came in at 40,905 words. Of course, two days after I finished it, I've been wondering if the story should have been told in first person point of view instead of third. If so, then I have a big rewrite to do in April/May. *sighs* Destined (The Fate Challenges #3) continues to progress, and I've completed 17 chapters out of 41. I finished edits on "Folds in Life and Death" and the bonus woodwose section, which I plan to make available for free on my website in the coming months. I also outlined "A Soul to Protect" and have been writing it since March 15 and am on scene two out of five. I've made some progress with marketing, but we'll see how it goes the next few months.
My goals for April are:
- Write for 30 minutes a day in Destined.
- Write for 15 minutes a day in "A Soul to Protect." When I finish this short story, I'll start writing A Soul to Reap.
- Outline A Soul to Reap.
- Edit Marked based off my first critique partner's notes.
- Start rewriting/editing A Soul to Kill.
Current 2016 Stats: 90,027 words written and 705 pages edited
I'm over at the Parallels' blog today for the A-Z Challenge: Emotions. I have an excerpt from "Folds in Life and Death."
Things are
different now. Using regular shots of morphine to keep his inner monster at
bay, Ryan has led a quiet life since the Second World War. His thrills now come
from saving lives, not taking them.
Until a plane
crash brings Aleria into his hospital. Her life is vibrant. Crack to predators
like him. She’s the exact sort of person they would hunt, and thanks to a
severe case of amnesia, she’s all but defenseless.
Leaving Aleria
vulnerable isn’t an option, but protecting her means unleashing his own inner
monster. Which is a problem, because his inner monster wants her dead most of
all.
Misha Gerrick
lives near Cape Town, South Africa, and can usually be found staring at her
surroundings while figuring out her next book. Tumblr | Twitter | Google Plus | Writing Blog
