Today is February's contribution to Alex Cavanaugh's Insecure Writers Support Group.
Why am I an Insecure Writer this month?
Because we’re already into February!!!!!
At the beginning of the year, I promised myself I’d finish my story by the end of THIS year. It seemed like plenty of time four weeks ago, but we just entered February and I’m frantically wondering what the heck happened to January. It may seem a bit premature to be worried about end of year goals only one month into the year, but I’m an Insecure Writer, which means I'm allowed to worry as much as I want.
It’s not that I haven’t been making progress on my manuscript, but did I finish one twelfth of my story in January? I don’t think so. And while eleven months may seem like a looooong time right now, if last year was any indication, these next eleven months are going to fly by in no time.
I don’t feel as though I’ve been slacking off on my writing. Quite the contrary. This Saturday, I’ll be attending a “practice your pitch” session with my local SCBWI group. On Monday, I’ll be meeting with one of my crit groups, and three days later, I’ll meet with my other crit group.
I just don't understand how some authors write multiple books in a year. They must be using some sort of time portal device.
On a more positive note, if time keeps moving like this, Spring will be here in no time. Yay!
ChemistKen
P.S. Feel free to use the comment section to convince me that eleven months really is a lot of time.
I am totally there with you. I wonder how people can even keep up when three books a year are coming out. I guess we slow writers will just keep plugging away. :)
ReplyDeleteI used the wrong Google account... Darn phone.
DeleteI used the wrong Google account... Darn phone.
DeleteIt is enough time! Just take one month at a time.
ReplyDeleteNo idea how people can crank out multiple stories a year.
I don't understand how people can write that many books a year either. I wish I was that way but I've had to accept that I'm not. And really, 11 months IS a long time! You'll get there.
ReplyDeleteIt's definitely enough time! You can do this! Way to go with your pitch session and critique group!
ReplyDeleteThat SCBWI session sounds great! Come back with lots of good stuff.
ReplyDeleteI know just how you feel. It feels like I am always underestimating how much time it will take me to do something. I wish I could put the brakes on February until I had caught up with myself.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you can do this, but I agree that it's amazing how many books some authors manage to put out. I wish I knew their secrets. Best of luck!
ReplyDeleteEleven months is a HUGE amount of time. Trust me, you're doing fine.
ReplyDeleteYou get better and you write faster. Be that as it may, I was supposed to have most of my next book done at end of December. I'm not even halfway yet.
ReplyDeleteI'm having similar issues. I thought for sure I'd finish my rewrite by the end of January. Now it's February, and I'm like, "Well, I was working on it, but . . ." These things always end up taking longer than we think/plan. Now I'm hoping to be done by the end of THIS month . . .
ReplyDeleteYeah, it snuck up on me too. Yikes!
ReplyDeleteNo doubt you'll succeed. And I don't get how other authors write more than one book a year either. I watch in awe. :-)
ReplyDeleteAnna from elements of emaginette
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ReplyDeleteTime does fly, but still 11 months left. I am all for putting off worry. Worry about if November hits and you are still no closer, lol. You have 331 days to go. @@
ReplyDeleteJuneta Writer's Gambit
Good luck with your pitch contest. Pitching has always scared me to death. And I'm not normally chicken. lol
ReplyDelete11 months is tons of time! You can do it. January was a write-off for me too. Good luck with the pitch contest!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with everything you have to do with that manuscript. I promise you...11 months will go by too quickly. I once told myself, "You have an entire semester to write twenty pages. You'll be fine." I was not fine when I had two weeks left. Not fine at all.
ReplyDeleteHere's some motivation: You've got this! Do the thing!
My first attempt at pitching was laughable :) I'm laughing with embarrassement as I type. Preparation and practice is key. Have a lot of fun with that. I think you are still on target and accomplishing so much already. Sometimes I just jiggle my priority list around to make sure I can see some progress on a given project. Have a great week, Ken.
ReplyDeleteThe writers who can write multiple books per year are highly disciplined, or they call their novelettes novels ;)
ReplyDeleteA lot can happen in eleven months. You could fall into such a good flow that the words come faster than you can type. (I'm hoping I have this happen to me too.) Before you know it, you'll have met your goal. Stay positive, keep writing, and don't stress just yet.
ReplyDeleteI can't fault you for time slipping away and no pages written. Heck I worked on my last book for 2 years, but it wasn't till I sat down an dedicated a time slot in my day to work on it that I finally got it done and submitted and pubbed. Now if only I could sit down and write again, but I'm recovering from this last one!! hee hee
ReplyDeleteWell, I wanted to be done with mine by the end of February. So, actually eleven months looks pretty good.
ReplyDeleteIt is a lot of time, but there are also a lot of things to be done in that time! I hope to get my wip out before summer, hope is the key word here! Thanks for dropping by my blog!
ReplyDeleteProlific writers have a method to their madness, I just haven't figured it out. But I'm assuming there's more method and less madness, as is my life. LOL
ReplyDeleteThere is no way I could ever write more than one book in a year. I would feel like I had short changed the character development piece. In my latest version of my working manuscript I have really explored all character backgrounds and histories. It has flushed out better conflict and created the sort of suspense I was hoping for all along. We all need to create in our own time anyway. I wish you much luck getting your manuscript exactly where you want it to be.
ReplyDeleteThe "Practice Your Pitch" session sounds great! Learning how to pitch not only helps your current work, but helps you when you plan new ones. Many writers I know write their blurb/pitch before they even start to outline so they can keep goals/stakes at the front of their minds. Good luck with your writing!
ReplyDeleteJust keep writing every day and the words really do add up. It's kind of like saving money. Keep it up and you'll be amazed at how much money you have altogether. If you're getting behind already, then spend more time writing for a little while. That's what I would do. Maybe take a few days or a week to really cram-write until you're safely out ahead.
ReplyDeleteSorry about your computer problems, Ken. I tried 3x to read your post at Sher but it wouldn't let me. Damn hackers. Wish there was a way to stop them.
ReplyDeleteHere is the trick to slowing time down--think about it as often as you can. I'm serious. Remember waiting for Christmas to come as a kid? It would take forever, because you kept counting the days, hours, and minutes until it finally arrived. But if you are on vacation, not thinking about time at all, it vanishes. So start watching that clock!
ReplyDeleteHere is the trick to slowing time down--think about it as often as you can. I'm serious. Remember waiting for Christmas to come as a kid? It would take forever, because you kept counting the days, hours, and minutes until it finally arrived. But if you are on vacation, not thinking about time at all, it vanishes. So start watching that clock!
ReplyDeleteI agree that some writers must have time-turners or something like that! Maybe the quickly-approaching spring will help inspire you to write more in those months :)
ReplyDeleteI have no idea how some writers write multiple books in a year either. I am still editing one I wrote last year, plus writing tons of short fiction. Good luck with your project. Eleven months *is* a long time, but it sure does fly by fast.
ReplyDeleteEleven months IS a long time, but I hear ya on the multiple books per year thing. It takes me MONTHS to finish a first draft. My record is three months for The Inquisitor's Mark, but I think that was a fluke/side effect of being a sequel. Six months for a first draft is more normal for me. Then a couple months for revision.
ReplyDeleteEleven months is a long time but I know what you mean about how quickly it seems to pass. I would say try not to think about it in terms of months passed but in terms of progress on your story. Keep going, I'm sure you will get there.
ReplyDeleteI also wonder how some authors write multiple books in a year. Maybe they are full time authors? Or some suffer from insomnia and don't sleep much? LOL
ReplyDeleteWhen you discover the secret though, please share!
The "practice your pitch” session sounds like a great way to polish that skill.