I have been wanting to try embroidery!! I bought this very cool book on a whim years ago called Mystical Stitches (I think?) but haven't actually attempted anything. But I remember in the opening of the book she says how good embroidery is for creatives!
You wrote, "I’m working on a novel revision that feels like it’s been going on forever, and yet somehow it feels like I’m still at the beginning." I totally hear you on that. Very well said.
This week it's good news--my goal is to edit the LAST 20 pages of my suspense novel. Yay! May's a great time to revisit our goals and celebrate them (or, in my case, mourn the lack of progress, followed by a quick reset). Thank you for the timely reminder!
WANT TO SWAP GOALS???? jk jk jk making it to the last twenty pages is SO hard won, I would never take that from another writer, congratulations!! For me at least, winter can be a hard time to make big sweeping progress, but I bet you made more than you think! Congrats on reaching the last twenty--May is yours!!!
Haha, let's swap! I'm a year into revising this novel (multiple times), so I should be dancing. Today might be the day I reach THE END!
I actually love revising -- after the early, messy stage, that is -- because it's very satisfying to take something you've written and reshape it to match your new vision. Enjoy the journey ahead!
Gahhh goal setting is my JAM! On Monday I'll weigh in with a plan. I need to weekend to figure out just how terrible the story is that I'm working on and how much work I need to do on that before I can turn to another project.
And may (MAY) I also suggest stickers as reward/motivation?? Every 30 min = sticker. Game changer.
I WAS ALSO thinking that stickers on the calendar could be fun!!!! I LOVE the idea of time. You get a sticker for a half hour, even if it was a hard one and not many words came!
I’ve been spinning my wheels with my WIP lately and just decided I’m going to lower my expectations and just enjoy the process while I attempt to finish acts 2 & 3 before mid-June. So I love the ideas in this post! So well-timed for me. I also heard there are no planets retrograde this month and there’s a lot of forward momentum energy happening in May, so let’s seize it. Also the sunshine helps 100000%. It’s been nice feeling my seasonal depression shrivel up the second the air is slightly warm and the sun hits my face ☀️
Also, thanks for pointing out the symmetry of the next four weeks… it honestly feels like a waste to not set some kind of goal when the calendar looks like that
I didn't think through how we would communicate, if at all, on our goals, but here is my funny update: I did some writing last week (BONUS WRITING, for the beautiful perfect weeks only started yesterday!) and HOLY SHIT I AM NOT GOING TO BE DOING 10 PAGES PER DAY LOLOLOL. Most days I do 2. I had one slapper of a 4. But I am writing my current page # on a little calendar and it's motivating me. Maybe I'll post a photo of my calendar or something!
I better get on this train before it leaves the station!
OK, weekly goals for May: minimum 3K each week on a 1st draft novella-ish project I am trying to finish. Ready, set, go!
How will I care for myself during this time? Well, I just ordered a beginner's embroidery kit as a stress reliever. I hope it works!
I have been wanting to try embroidery!! I bought this very cool book on a whim years ago called Mystical Stitches (I think?) but haven't actually attempted anything. But I remember in the opening of the book she says how good embroidery is for creatives!
I'm going to do this and set a goal but I wanna see some other people go first!
I gotta know!!
You wrote, "I’m working on a novel revision that feels like it’s been going on forever, and yet somehow it feels like I’m still at the beginning." I totally hear you on that. Very well said.
This week it's good news--my goal is to edit the LAST 20 pages of my suspense novel. Yay! May's a great time to revisit our goals and celebrate them (or, in my case, mourn the lack of progress, followed by a quick reset). Thank you for the timely reminder!
WANT TO SWAP GOALS???? jk jk jk making it to the last twenty pages is SO hard won, I would never take that from another writer, congratulations!! For me at least, winter can be a hard time to make big sweeping progress, but I bet you made more than you think! Congrats on reaching the last twenty--May is yours!!!
Haha, let's swap! I'm a year into revising this novel (multiple times), so I should be dancing. Today might be the day I reach THE END!
I actually love revising -- after the early, messy stage, that is -- because it's very satisfying to take something you've written and reshape it to match your new vision. Enjoy the journey ahead!
Gahhh goal setting is my JAM! On Monday I'll weigh in with a plan. I need to weekend to figure out just how terrible the story is that I'm working on and how much work I need to do on that before I can turn to another project.
And may (MAY) I also suggest stickers as reward/motivation?? Every 30 min = sticker. Game changer.
Oh, I DO LOVE STICKERS.
hahahahahahahha
I WAS ALSO thinking that stickers on the calendar could be fun!!!! I LOVE the idea of time. You get a sticker for a half hour, even if it was a hard one and not many words came!
I’ve been spinning my wheels with my WIP lately and just decided I’m going to lower my expectations and just enjoy the process while I attempt to finish acts 2 & 3 before mid-June. So I love the ideas in this post! So well-timed for me. I also heard there are no planets retrograde this month and there’s a lot of forward momentum energy happening in May, so let’s seize it. Also the sunshine helps 100000%. It’s been nice feeling my seasonal depression shrivel up the second the air is slightly warm and the sun hits my face ☀️
Also, thanks for pointing out the symmetry of the next four weeks… it honestly feels like a waste to not set some kind of goal when the calendar looks like that
Right?! We can't waste a month like this!! (Nor an astrological situation!!!)
Exactly!
I'm in a weird spot trying to finish a story and come up with a project to work on this summer. So here are my goals:
week 1 - revise short story and get it to readers (up to 13 hrs)
week 2 - revise story and submit (up to 8 hrs)
week 3 - plan new project (10 hrs)
week 4 - begin new project, 5k
Wowowwowowow these are good goals. Are you SO EXCITED for your new project?!
No excitement. Only terrified. As always.
I didn't think through how we would communicate, if at all, on our goals, but here is my funny update: I did some writing last week (BONUS WRITING, for the beautiful perfect weeks only started yesterday!) and HOLY SHIT I AM NOT GOING TO BE DOING 10 PAGES PER DAY LOLOLOL. Most days I do 2. I had one slapper of a 4. But I am writing my current page # on a little calendar and it's motivating me. Maybe I'll post a photo of my calendar or something!