The new chapter has taken a few days to edit. Here are the challenges I faced whilst editing this chapter.
The main delay was due to changing the role of Ana in the story.
In the original version, she goes away to see a specialist doctor in America to get help with her sleep disorder. This resulted in her being away for most of the story.
In my current rewrite I have decided Ana will have a bigger part to play. She doesn’t go away, Mariah confides in her and together they experiment with magic. I’m enjoying writing the new content but it is slowing me down.
In addition, chapter 13 is 3.5k words long. This is long for me as my chapters generally tend to be half that.
The last delay on this chapter is that Aria is going through a nocturnal stage so I’m spending more of my evening settling her than working on my novel.
If you would like to see the new chapter on Wattpad, click here.
I’m really impressed that I managed to get a chapter edited today. Aria has refused to nap all day so I am shattered but I really wanted to get another one done.
I think the next chapter will be tricky because I have changed the role of Ana in the new outline. This will impact the next chapter as I will need to add in some new content to make it work.
I find editing really hard but I will write a post soon covering the methods I use that make it a little easier. But, I would love to hear the methods you use?
If you would like to see the new chapter on Wattpad, click here.
My main time to write is in the evenings. I started working on this chapter on Wednesday but since then there have been a number of personal distractions.
One of my best friends is in hospital with her baby and I wanted to do something to cheer her up. I gave up an evening to work on creating her a special letter and gift. Another evening was lost to looking at my families finances and trying to work out how we will afford everything this month as I am no longer bringing in any money on maternity leave.
Today, I have taken every chance I have had to get some writing done and I have finally finished editing the chapter to post on Wattpad. If you have time to take a look, please do give it a read and let me know what you think.
How are you progressing towards your writing goals?
You may have caught my previous post where I reflected on my progress so far this year towards my annual goal. As we enter into Spring, I am evaluating where I am at and setting myself some new goals for the next quarter.
Social Media
Blog (Word Press): To continue to post at least twice a week keeping to my content schedule as much as possible.
Instagram: To maintain the new connections I have made and continue to engage with them and share content about my writing.
Twitter: Continue to share links to my content on Twitter and connect with writers on the platform.
Facebook page: To brainstorm how I can use this to connect with more writers.
YouTube: To be brave and get in front of the camera and start sharing video content.
Tumblr: Share Instagram and Word Press content to this platform.
Writing
Red Dresses (formerly Scarlet House): To start writing a new novel. I shall use Camp NaNo to make progress towards this goal in April.
Jewel of the sea: To edit Act 2 and hopefully begun editing Act 3.
Personal
Working Together Course: Complete this course and decide what my plans are as my maternity leave comes to an end.
Scrapbook/Journal: Start using a planner to get more organised.
Read at least three books by the end of June: I have already read one this year so I just have two more to go to get back on track of my goal of six books by the end of the year.
Development
Writer courses: Continue to take advantage of any free courses that come my way if I have the time to do these.
Save the Cat Writes a Novel: Finish reading this fabulous resource on novel writing.
What are your goals?
I shall review these again at the end of June. I often feel like I haven’t achieved much until I acknowledge what I have managed to do. Will you be setting any goals?
Writers starting out often are juggling other responsibilities. They may be a student with assignments gobbling up their time, or full time employed to pay their bills, or a parent with young children that demand their time. Whatever their hustle, they still want to write.
Every time life gets in the way of their dream, they feel like a failure. Plust writing can be quite lonely experience with nobody to talk to when things aren’t working out. Often, you will feel like you are the only one struggling to find time to write unless you find yourself a writing group.
This group encourages everyone to support each others achievements no matter how small. Sabrina sets weekly goals that are easy to achieve but help people to keep writing and moving onwards. Currently, there is an Instagram daily photo challenge #hustlingwriterscommunity.
Why did Sabrina start the group?
I asked her and she said:
“I wanted to start the group because I was sure there were people out there, like me, who hadn’t quite met their writing goals yet. People that dream of being full time authors but are still needing to work other jobs or study before they reach those goals.
And, I wanted to create a space where we could sympathise and encourage each other, as we all have similar struggles and similar goals. Social media tends to make everything a bit of a rat race, so I wanted to create a nurturing space, where it’s ok to not be perfect and productive 100% of the time.
I often beat myself up when life gets in the way. There’s comfort in knowing people are going through the same things, and I hope that other people in the group feel the same comfort and encouragement”
Well, I certainly feel that Sabrina met her goal here. With the support of her group, and her passion to write, I hope she achieves her dream one day soon to be a published author.
Sabrina Sheldon likes to write YA Fantasy Romance and loves all things Fairy Tale. The best place to find her is @midnightstarlightwrites on Instagram.
The year is coming to an end and as I look back I am really pleased with what I have achieved.
What I used from 2017
I ended 2017 by reflecting on what I had learnt in my first year of blogging.
When I look back at my Reflecting on 2017 post, I still use a lot of the tools and tricks I learnt in my first year of blogging.
Things I no longer do is embed Instagram pictures within my blog posts as they no longer seem to work. I also stopped using LoCal.
I am disappionted that I didn’t put what I learnt about creative writing into practice. Writing blog posts feels easier than writing a novel as I can dip in and out more easily, whereas when I write a novel I like to get into the chapter and write a chunk – nowadays, I struggle to find the time for that.
Progress towards 2018 Goals
I have acheieved 82% of the goals I set at the start of 2018. I’ve also achieved goals that I hadn’t anticipated such as article writing for an online magazine. I particpated in NaPoWriMo (poetry writing) which is outside my confort zone and really stretched and challenged me. I also hit my NaNoWriMo word count goal.
Personal life
I’ve also felt positive about my personal achievements this year. I completed my CIPD HR Diploma which is a professional qualification. I gave birth to my beautiful daughter Aria Rose.
I’ve also been making the most of my materntiy leave by being actively involved in activities at my son’s school such as parent phonic classes and parent maths classes (so I can better support him with his homework). I have also been making it to the Stay & Play sessions. I am out attending groups with my baby and making new mum friends for her and we are currently doing baby massage classes together.
I have really enjoyed including some blogs posts about my personal life and will continue to do so next year.
What is in store for 2019?
Well more personal posts for sure but I need to set some goals to get my focus back on my fiction writing as getting published is my lifelong ambition. Check back early January to see the goals I set to keep progressing.
If you follow my blog then you know that on Mondays, I like to share posts by other bloggers that I have enjoyed. Today, I am sharing with you an article by Stacey Jane McIntosh.
Tips for Surviving NaNoWriMo
Stacey is attempting NaNoWriMo and attempting the the full 50k words. This isn’t her first time and in her article she shares what she has learnt to help other writers. If you are doing NaNo, this is worth a read!
Stacey writes paranormal romances and Celtic fairy tales – she sounds like my type of girl and I should probably go check out her books. She blogs about what she is reading and writing so if that appeals to you, then give her a follow.
Would you like to be featured?
I am always looking for new bloggers to feature on my blog. If you are interested, please comment to help me find you blog. I often share articles on writing, blogging, parenting or organic beauty.