I always have to have some sort of plan to get through each day, each month, each year. Something to guide me along the way. I usually have stickie notes all over the place to keep up with my various tasks, or I just make a list.
Right now I’m sort of at the end of one of those phases where I haven’t been accomplishing much (other than fiddling with and tweaking this shiny new site! Oh, the hours I’ve wasted!). And I need to set out some goals to get me through August so I don’t waste any more time. I’ve got old books to fix up and new ones to write, and not a whole lot of time in the day to do that. I’ve got to get myself back in sync. Back on a schedule
So, by the end of August, I want to:
- Finish up all the revisions to my YA fantasy novel, The Secret History of Magic. I’ve got it all mapped out, and I feel good about my plan. I just looked over my notes, and I’m starting to really get excited — I know exactly what needs to be fixed, and I’m ready to dive back into it. I know which chapter I’ll be working on in the next 21 days — so long as I don’t miss any days…!
- Write at night on a regular basis. I have the hours of 9-11 p.m. blocked out for writing, and nothing else. If I wanna read, I’ll have to do that before or (gasp!) after those hours. As I’m usually an early-morning writer, this could be a tough change, but I did it pretty effectively in the last few months as I was revamping my YA novel.
- Exercise for at least an hour a day. I just haven’t been doing this, and my energy levels have been shot, and I just feel like crud. I plan on starting with walking in the mornings — 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. is blocked out for that! — and then getting back into jogging, and throwing around the dumbbells I have in my office, gathering dust. I gotta do this. I’ve got some extra lbs. I need to drop and never find again…
- Enjoy every day. Okay, this is sounding like New Year’s resolutions, but I do need an attitude adjustment. I’ve gotten a bit out of kilter with all the various elements in my life. I’ve been grumpy. I need to stop. Life’s too damn short.
That’s the plan. Maybe not in the proper order, but that’s the order it came to me. Now, time to read, before I dive into the marathon revision process, starting tomorrow night!
Michael Jasper 
Again, I must say I love the layout of your site here. It’s awesome!
#1: Exciting! 😀 I think this is just a very good writing month, or something. I’ve been working on my manuscript, too, and revisions are going incredibly well.
#2: This works so well for me! I can write without any interruptions. Although, the bad thing is sometimes I end up staying awake too late when I really get on a roll, which makes for sleepy mornings at the day job. =/
#5: I definitely agree with this one. 🙂
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Thanks, Joya! Glad your own writing projects are going well.
So far so good for me today — took the dog for a 1/2-hour walk this morning, and my son rode his bike with me (still in his PJs!). Looking forward to diving into chapters one and two (and maybe three) tonight.
And plugging away at work, too. Sigh.
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