2018 Writing Roundup
November and December writing roundup:
In November I did a baby NaNoWriMo and aimed to write 25,000 words of Dragon Book, even if that was some pre-planning as well. I ended up with about 20k of prose and 5k of planning, which I was happy with.
Words: 25,100 + 7122 nonfic = 32,216 words
In December, I had to work on something else briefly, fiction-wise, and I had all the marking. Plus I took an actual break ON PURPOSE. This is a big step for me, and relaxing has been so nice.
Words: 9881 + 4350 nonfic = 14,231 words
In 2018 I wrote a total of 266,348 words, and 213,073 of them were fiction. Obviously it’s not a perfect roundup–I have to guesstimate a lot when I’m editing and such, and I count pre-planning under fiction as it saves me a lot of tangents and wrong turns.
That means I wrote 583 words of fictional prose per day, on average, and 768 words per day overall. This is my usual schedule–I’ve written around this much the previous two years, which is when I started counting. This is a pace I can keep up pretty comfortably, but in 2019 I may have to try and push this as I have a lot I want to get done.
In 2018 I worked on:
The final revision of Seven Devils before it went on sub, as well as the synopsis for the sequel.
Finishing editing a thriller, which is currently resting as it now needs another draft.
Re-writing A Hidden Hope and A Perfect Balance.
Writing An Unheard Song.
Pre-planning Dragon Book and writing the first act and a synopsis for the rest.
A short story called “A Certain Reverence” about Scotland in Space for the Edinburgh Futures Institute and the University of Edinburgh.
Another few wee projects here and there.
My plans for 2019 that are in my control are:
Release A Perfect Balance, An Unheard Song, and the Romancing the Page novella collection
Edit Seven Devils with Elizabeth May
Write Seven Devils: 2 Devils 2 Furious with Elizabeth May
Write another book (I have two options on deck but won’t know which to focus on until January)
If time, write another Laura Ambrose novella
If time, make headway with another project
2019 goals not entirely in my control:
Sell another book or two
Try to get a Bookbub for the Romancing the Page collection
Laura Ambrose as a name gains sales momentum
Outside of writing:
I’m going to keep focusing on my health. I started weight lifting and getting back into yoga in 2018 and I love it, so I’ll continue with that. I’m also working on taking care of my brain in various ways.
I also want to bring back screen free Sundays, where I go out and do stuff rather than staring at a damn computer screen all the time, and also having an actual day off every week to refill the well.
In general, I also want to limit my social media to an hour a day or so in the evenings, so I’m not constantly interrupting myself. It’s bad for focusing deeply on tasks and it’s also not amazing for my anxiety. Like many, I’m addicted to mindlessly checking my smart phone and I want to be better at leaving it in the other room.
I want to read at least 75 books.
In general, I want to be happier and calmer. Spend more time with friends and family. Have a better work/life balance. Work smarter not harder.
What are your 2019 goals?
