Goals and Procrastination

I've finished the first go-round of "Bloody Murder" edits. Now I'll go through my CP edits, finish this week and get it sent to the editor by next week. I have to flesh out my plans for a Nocturne Bites (Maybe Tali and Aiden) and for Fairy Dust (Decide whether to go for YA) which actually fits my writing style better. Hit the ground writing in Colorado.



Just finished reading "Wicked Lovely." If you like Urban Fantasy, read this one. These are not Peter Pan's Tinker Bell. It's really well written, dark and interesting.



Do you procrastinate with household chores before you write? Does fear keep you from writing, fear of failure, fear of success that you need to sustain, fear that the words just won't come? I mastered some of those fears a couple of ways.



First, I work full time so my writing time is limited and complicated because my daughter lives and home and has emergencies that I have to take care of.



As a result, I set myself a daily word count goal-an achievable goal. I also, plow through the first draft without going back to edit until the first draft is finished. So, I can't procrastinate.

Instead, I have to put the butt on the chair (button principle) and write, during lunch and in the evening at least five days a week or more.



The writing goal that works for me is 750-1000 words a day, five days a week. Wimpy I know, but I can reach it so I don't get frustrated. When I can do more, I do.



I also learned to write in emergency rooms, waiting rooms etc, on my Alpha Smart and to have my writing stuff with me at all times, even if it's just a journal in my purse so I can write by hand.



Procrastination-no time if I'm going to finish the projects. This has gotten me through two novels and a novella so far. So, I will keep on keepin' on, until I win the lottery or something. The problem is, if I can stay home and write full time, it will be so much easier to procrastinate.

Retire or not.

I'm thinking about retiring. Not from writing, from the day job. I'm thinking about it every time I have to get up at 6am, whenever I have to leave work because of family problems or I get sick. I am 65 after all.
But then I look at the power people who are still working well into their 70's. Barry Switzer just turned 70 and still works. Granted he makes more money than I do, but still. If I stayed home, I might not get any more writing done than I do now because I would sleep to 8am, make coffee, sit on the deck, journal, drink two cups of coffee, read the paper. Now it's 11am and I've wasted half the day.
I'm a procrastinator. If I have unlimited time, I don't fill it with work. I need the people contact and the impetus to get up and do things. So, I might not retire, at least not for a while . . . . or until I win that lottery. Then all bets are off.

Don't forget, Launch party on Sunday at EternalPressReaders group at Yahoo Groups. Use the ICON on the left to join. There will be prizes, free books, a "Privy to Murder" tee shirt. Come one, come all.