Friday, May 14, 2010

Getting My Work Done

Wow – have I been a bad blogger. I’d give you my excuses (moving, work, life) but this isn’t about that. Or is it?

I’m always amazed at the writers I know, especially the published ones who are always on deadline, that have families, jobs, etc that they have to juggle. As a single gal, I really shouldn’t have as many excuses as I do to not get my ‘work’ done. Because that’s what this is for those of us who want to be published – it’s work.

A while ago I posted on my other blog a quote that Nora Roberts once made about how she wants to bitch-slap anyone who wines about their muse – this is a job, do your job she said. It caused some….let’s just say mixed feelings among those who are friends on that blog who write for pleasure and who write for the purpose of being published and who are already published. And as much as every artist, writers included, need inspiration, we need to do our work more.

This week I began work on a new project I need to finish by October. The first couple thousand words I have are rough to say the least. But I’d rather have rough than nothing at all. I can fix rough, I can’t fix nothing. That’s the hardest part for me – because I want what I produce to be perfect right out of the gate. I need to resign myself to understanding that will never happen. It doesn’t happen for La Nora, it’s certainly not going to happen for me.

So with that, my goal is an average of 2,000 words a day. It doesn’t have to be pretty – it just has to be words. Oh and one other goal – to make sure to post here on Friday like I’m supposed to!!!

So what about you – how do you make sure to get your work done?

2 comments:

Andrea said...

Great post. I haven't been good at getting my work done, but I'm getting better. Shut up and write, indeed! 2,ooo words is not impossible- you can do it!

Sheila said...

Well, I haven't been writing much lately, but that's because I've been editing instead. Nearly done with this pass on my Regency romance. I'm all the way up to Chapter 3 (I started at the end and am working backwards to get a different perspective on the story). Hopefully, that's going to be my blog posting next week.

And after that, it's on to June and my summer writing challenge.