Hiding from Work by Working?

Update 4 New Novel 17-23 May 2021

The words continue to flow. I am super pleased with how things are going. Everything is great.

Really, really great.

Seriously.

OK. The words are flowing and everything is great. I have ideas and notes for revision already. I feel less loathing as I get further and further in the book. And I’m starting to see a pattern to my chapters that I like.

But there are still issues.

Title is a Give Away to the Problem.

So, I am working hard… but I don’t always feel I’m working hard enough. That is part of the psychology. I knock out over and above my writing goal every session. Then I stop and I move on to other things, and then by5 or 6pm I’m sitting back watching a movie or reading a book.

I’m super happy that I have managed to start reading again. (I mentioned in several earlier posts that since I went to college my pleasure reading had dropped from 50-100 books a year to about 20 books in the last 4 years!)

But I feel like I could be doing more. And I’m actually right.

I have MORE to do then just write the new novel. I still haven’t started sending out my queries to hunt an agent to sell the Thesis Novel.

Hiding from Work

I keep spending extra time on the new novel and not doing my OTHER writing work. The excuses and the list of “other work” are always long enough that at the end of the day I know I have accomplished a lot, but I have not accomplished what NEEDS to be accomplished.

To that end, I have changed up this week’s schedule.

I always prioritize the first tasks of the day to my writing. Usually, I make a cup of tea, get a few minor things out of the way and then spend 2-4 hours writing. Usually all on the novel. I’m going to prioritize writing the query letters to start this week. At least five of them.

I’m stating this here for accountability. Next post I WILL tell you about the five agents I queried during the week. Now, let’s get back to the New Novel.

Word Goals

So, I have session goal of 2000+ and a weekly goal of 5000+ right now.

Well, every week I have been pushing more and more words, and I just keep hitting higher and higher (of course part of that is because I was avoiding other writing).

I hammered out 9,815 new words for the novel, bringing it up to 22,062 (though a reminder that my revision plans will see about 5k of that cut out. Still going well).

I’m writing with a workshop partner. Every week we write a couple chapters, exchange them and workshop. I’m starting to get ahead of him. So, yet another reason to slow down a little this week.

Essay Slump

I recently submitted a personal essay to my favorite literary magazines. I really want to see this essay in print. But alas, so far 2 rejections, 2 places it doesn’t fit criteria, and two more places that have fees (I don’t pay fees to get rejected). I’ve run out of places to submit, so now I have to do more research and try to find other magazines. A shame.

Cutting it Short

Since I have a second Blog this week, more Call of Cthulhu, and I have a bunch of query letters to get to… I’m going to stop here. I would normally talk about gaming or other writer news but not much to report on either of those.

BE well Readers.