I didn't forget...

In my last post, I said that I was giving myself until Friday to make some writing goals. That happened, but I forgot to blog about it. I apologize, dear readers, for leaving you on the edge of your seats!

First of all, thanks Jessye for the idea about carrying a notebook with me. I'm not sure why that idea hadn't occurred to me earlier, because it's actually something I used to do. So I'm starting there. At first, I thought I would go out and buy myself a new notebook to start with, but then I realized that was my way of putting things off. Now my journal that I've been writing in on and off for about two years will be going wherever I go. Hopefully, it gets filled up quickly, because I do love a new journal.

I've also started working on a new project. My novel is still my main project, but it can be a bit overwhelming to me some days. I've had another project in mind for a while, and it can be broken down into smaller chunks. I hadn't started it though, because I was afraid it would distract too much from my novel. Well, I think that line of reasoning was a bit flawed. My new project is essentially a collection of short stories, and working on those keeps me writing and working toward a finished piece. I think working on that on days that my novel just feels too heavy is a much better idea than just pushing everything to the side.

I have also decided to talk about my writing with more people. It's hard for me to bring up the fact that I'm writing a book with most people, because I don't want to sound pretentious. Unless I mention it, no one is going to have any idea that I'm doing it. But without people knowing about it, I can't get any encouragement or feedback of any kind. Thankfully, being in class has allowed me to have it critiqued, and I have a much better idea of what I need to do next. If I had been unwilling to put myself out there, I wouldn't be able to say that. It's also important for me to talk to people because I can't really put any of my writing on this blog because of complications with publication later on. It would be great if I could put things on here and have people respond to them, but I'd basically be ruining my chances at my end goal. The most important reason I need to talk with people about my writing, however, is that the more I talk about writing and being a writer, the more I feel like it's true, the more I feel like that's actually a part of who I am. And believing that is pretty essential to staying motivated!

I would love to write every day, but with my schedule as it is, that's not really feasible. But I want to make writing a part of my "work" schedule on certain days of the week (most likely Thursday through Saturday or Sunday with my current schedule). I'm hoping to figure out a way to make myself accountable in this area. Maybe there's some sort of blog feature for that. I'll have to investigate.

Finally, I think it's important for me to realize that my reading plays a big part in my writing. I read every day for about an hour during my lunch breaks at work, and usually do a little reading on the weekends as well. Reading anything from the classics to the contemporary, and in a variety of genres and styles, is only going to improve my writing. Being well-read helps me to see what works, what I would like to emulate, and how to really craft a piece. There may be days when all I do is read without writing, and that's ok. Reading is strengthening my writing, whether I realize it or not. In fact, music, dance, art...anything created...will influence who I am and what I write.

Anyway...those are some ideas that I have come up with to help myself feel more organized in this adventure. As I've said before, suggestions (and encouragements!) are always welcome. Thank you for taking the time to be a part of this with me :)