I don’t do resolutions. They stink of failure. just waiting to be broken and open up that chance to beat myself up. Instead I make a plan at the start of each year.
Every year for as long as I remember (as an adult) I have started the new year with some plans across different aspects of my life. I figure it’s good to give myself a little direction. I wrote about this last year, and a few years earlier. Life in its unpredictable way ensures that I need to keep adjusting these plans.
It’s been a long time since I last posted. Life’s been a bit crazy, and there just didn’t seem like there was time, or energy to post here. But, as the year draws to a close (only a matter of hours now), it feels appropriate to wrap up 2015.
So back in October I made a commitment to do NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). My initial plan was a little like this:
A nice simple plan. And something like NaNoWriMo is a great way to write a crappy first draft and understand your story. That how I finished my first draft of my manuscript that is now ‘resting’ like dough at its fifth draft stage.
How much time I have spent on editing this draft according to Properties on Microsoft Word.
Only 35 days ago I committed the deadline of 5 October to have this latest draft complete. There were some (many) moments along those 35 days that I doubted my ability to meet it. It’s been great having this commitment though as it has driven me to the (near) end.
After a two days slogging at the editing, my mind has started to wander. One of the difficulties of being left home alone to edit over half of my manuscript for a number of days is the distractions.
I’ve started thinking about all the things I could do in the house: what needs to be cleaned out, reordered, tidied. Maybe I need to sharpen my pencils, maybe all of them in the entire house. What things I could send to the op shop. Is it time to take the dog for another walk? Or am I hungry? Maybe the toilet needs a good scrub – okay, I’ve gone too far.
Photo credits to catherine on Flickr (https://www.flickr.com/photos/17305559@N00/)
They’ve all left. Hubby, Mr 14-year-old, and Mr 12-year-old have just driven off for three nights. Three whole nights. Mr 16-year-old is sunning himself in some remarkable national park with family friends in Western Australia (so jealous of him…). And I have the house to myself. For the first time in 16 years. Yep. Ridiculous I know.
Looking at this gorgeous tree it’s hard to believe editing your own manuscript could be hard.
I’m lying on our trampoline, just woken from a snooze and early spring sun is shining. My gum tree is full of birds feeding on blossom and bugs.
What could be so tough?
Truth is that I’m exhausted. Ten days into my ‘chapter a day’ and I’m tired.
I’m so proud of my mate Tania Chandler. She has just launched her debut novel, Please Don’t Leave Me Here.
Tania is one of the most disciplined and critical writers I know. I met her two years ago when she was still studying at RMIT. She said to me then that she was on her ninth draft of her manuscript and that she rose at 5am every day to write before the family got up (I know! 5am!) Two years later, and however many drafts later it is in print, and is a wonderfully compelling novel.
I love spring. I know it’s naff, but I am incredibly weather dependent and once the blossoms begin to open and the air is sweet scented, I do smile – just a little more.
And there is the age old poem that runs through my head, and sometimes spills out of my mouth at that first whiff of spring in the air. It’s the poem that my dad would say every year at the first bud.
It was such an exciting moment seeing my name in print, even if it is alongside 103 other writers (including Sian Prior).
As my mate Tania Chandler, who just launched her first novel Please Don’t Leave Me Here (a book I highly recommend), said, ‘It’s like a shot in the arm.’
It’s the boost to remind us to keep writing, that it is all worth it.