Update #2: Writing

When it comes to writing, from this here blog to fiction projects, I had a terrible habit of writing something every day. I mean, you see it on here, right? It seems like I hardly post on here anymore. No schedule, nothing!

Well, I'm happy to say that I finally got a habit going. It all started last month.


Before I started my vacation (more on what I did in a future entry), I signed up for a journaling class held by Tammy of Rowdy Kittens. I also volunteered to help the Writers' League of Texas test-run online courses around the same time.

The first class did something for me: I started to write daily entries. There would be times I skipped a day, but I started to feel bad about it. Next thing you know, I journaled how I wanted to start writing again, especially for contests. I decided to do a project and started on a short story idea I had for a while. I barely wrote less than a thousand words on it over my vacation. I was more determined to work on Dolls.

Then this contest showed up. I began to pen what would be my entry for that contest. The idea came to me while I had trouble sleeping. After finishing it, I took several days to look it over and add or change anything that didn't work. By Friday, it was submitted. I'll let ya know the outcome on that one in time.

I was bitten by the writing bug. I was tearing through my paper journal and determined to bring this blog back from the brink. I started off with another flash fiction story one day, song lyrics the next day, a poem after that. I opted to do one writing thing a day. Then, the short story that started off slow was taking off. I opted to write a thousand words on it every day. I finished it in about eight days. I began on another short story idea, one which I am currently working on but should be finished by Friday.

Unlike the last short story, I decided to try for 500+ words a day in this project, a habit I've been keeping up on almost daily (I allow one "cheat" day where I do nothing). My plan is to keep going until NaNoWriMo and then I'll work on finishing Dolls and last year's NaNo.

And really? I have never been happier. I feel awful if I forget to write, so I make sure to do it before I go to work. No, seriously, I actually write my 500+ words about an hour before I leave. If I don't write, I notice that I feel like a sack of sadness and grump. So for my mental health and the betterment of my writing, I prescribed this habit and been good since.

Time will tell how much this could change, but for now, I'm in a good place with it.

P.S.: I am currently attending this class by Susannah Conway. So far, I dig it!