Having started the last but one post with the words “Argh, sorry…” I think it’s becoming increasingly evident that I have not yet formed a habit around posting regularly to this blog. I think it’s because it’s all too easy to say “I’ll do it tomorrow” for three weeks in a row, so nothing ever gets done. (I take this approach to many aspects of housework, and all DIY tasks, so I don’t know why this would come as a surprise to me, if I’m completely honest).
In contrast, #200WordsADay is much easier in many senses. Whilst writing new fiction every day seems more demanding than writing a measly blog post once a week (and you’ll have noticed that they’re not exactly essays I’m posting) it’s the fact that it’s every day that makes the difference. And once I stopped kidding myself that I could skip a week and write seven times as much on a Sunday it all kind of fell into place and, lo and behold, I’ve written a book and a half in 9 months.
“Waaaaaaiiit” you say. “But you haven’t posted a word count on Twitter in ages either. So you’re not even writing #200WordsADay, are you?” To which I have to say no, I haven’t. But I have been editing every day and editing is really hard. By which I mean that building a daily habit around editing has been really hard. Because editing is boring.
Writing new stuff is (generally) fun but going over and over old stuff is very much not. Yes, I can see that Echoes is getting better and yes, all this work is going to mean that I can start sending out query letters by Easter, as per my vague plan I concocted around New Year but who wants their bad writing habits constantly pointed out to them by stroppy software? (not really, love you ProWritingAid!) And it’s nice when beta readers tell you what they like but then it turns out that you also asked them what they thought didn’t work and when you realise that they have a point you have to go back and change it and why couldn’t you just write it better in the first place what is the point of all of this anyway it’s not like you’re any good at this who would want to read this pile of nonsense..?
Sorry, lost myself for a moment there.
Anyway, should be done soon, hopefully, maybe. Which means that I can crack on with the second half of Entrapment while I wait for the rejections to come rolling in.
I want to be a writer why, exactly?