Monday, January 31, 2005
January's Accomplishments
The last day of January is finally upon us. This will be good news if you are particularly fond of February, and even better news if it is time for you to look back over your GDR 2005 list and examine your achievements and areas for improvement.
And so, here is my list. First published at the start of January, this summary is a derivative of the full GDR 2005 list. It was broken down into all the things I must achieve during the month of January – fictional, non-fictional and business/marketing. It was updated during the month with things that came along during the period also. It provides an interesting look at my writing life over the past 30 days.
January – GDR
Fiction
* 1 new short story - The Oasis (4400 words)
* 2 new poems - Lost Tears and Disposable Pen
* 9 issues of Hunting Jack - all completed (upto issue 45)
* Re-write Daffodils, Loaded and Bill McCarthy - Daffodils put on hold until crits available from NFG. Loaded re-written into a stronger piece (3300 words). Bill McCarthy not complete. Roll over to Feb
Non-Fiction
* Plan and make a start on Web Development manuals - Plan drawn up
* Research more non-fiction markets - Did this daily via freelancing job sites. Also applied for two freelance jobs
Marketing and Publicity
* Remind UPSA about interview request - complete
* Press release for Hunting Jack competition - Complete. Sent to national and local agencies and publications
* Contact target media for free HJ issues - Complete. Sent to national and local agencies and publications
* Leaflet re-distribution for Hunting Jack - Postponed until February. To be done during the half-term school holidays
* Prepare classified ad for KIC - One ad prepared and submitted for Hunting Jack. One ad prepared and submitted for website services
* Contact The Leither magazine with specific interview/feature query - Complete. Awaiting response
Things that came up in January
* Issue 2 of KIC website development column - 12 issue plan finalised. Issue 2, draft 1 complete
* Issue 2 of Theatre review column - Still organising night at theatre
* Issue 1 of Travel column (for issue 2) - Having trouble for ideas
* Issue 1 of UK music column (for issue 2) - Loads of ideas discussed with editor. Already approached two bands with view to ‘grassroots’ coverageo 1st draft imminent
* Website development request from US-based artist - Still in negotiation stage
Successes
* Three poems by Ultimate Hallucination E-zine - Limbo, Asphyxiation and Frustrating Facilitators
* Heart Of A Child accepted for publication in February’s edition of Wild Child Publishing
* Hunting Jack sold as a 3-month special on Ebay
* 2 other new subscribers
Disappointments
None – just more challenges for next month
Statistics
Total word count for January:
* 16,000 (fiction)
* 1,600 (non-fiction)
* 19,000 (blog)
Summary
It’s been a good month. I set myself some pretty tough targets and bar a couple of legitimate postponements, I have surprised myself how well I have kept to a structure and increased my output.
The word count alone says it all. In the main GDR for the year I said I would do a minimum of 2 hours per night on weekdays and 10 hours on weekends. It never worked out like that – life got in the way, but I have learned to carve out what time I can.
The largest non-writing goal was to buy a house with Gail. This we have done and are in the middle of selling our current property. This upheaval has been – I think – directly responsible for the erratic writing time. But when I think about the nights unable to write, to the days and nights when I made time for nothing else, I am sure I have done more than I would have had I stuck religiously to the plan.
As a result, my commitment and desire has grown together and I have benefited in immeasurable amounts.
Looking ahead to February, the main task is to keep focussed and continue the work. I will perhaps even add to it and see how far I can stretch myself. If I fail, it will be my own doing, but the confidence gained from this month will surely stand me in good stead.
I received some responses from the latest press release:
* ITV's Teletext services have indicated a possible interest within their Entertainment section. Good, good!
* The Daily Record can't AFFORD me! What?
* The School Library Association has queried a block subscription for each school, which could then be used as 'site subscription' so to speak. They also asked about payments.
With a large part of my day spent putting together next month's To Do list, I wondering what to begin with. I couldn't decide so decided to shave my head and watch a couple of episodes of The Sopranos.
I will leave you now, my dear faithful bloggerettes, with the words of Kristin Tenor from the Writing Perc mailing list, who this week pretty much summed it all up for me...
"Some people just don't get it. Writing isn't about being published, it's about weaving words into understanding. It's about being true to the spirit within you that wants to set itself free. It's about standing up for what you believe in, and sometimes it's simply how we heal.
Writing is about writing. Nothing else.
You are a writer because you get up each morning and make the commitment to put pen to paper. Don't ever allow anyone to take that away from you. Honor yourself as a writer and sooner or later, the rest will follow."
And so, here is my list. First published at the start of January, this summary is a derivative of the full GDR 2005 list. It was broken down into all the things I must achieve during the month of January – fictional, non-fictional and business/marketing. It was updated during the month with things that came along during the period also. It provides an interesting look at my writing life over the past 30 days.
January – GDR
Fiction
* 1 new short story - The Oasis (4400 words)
* 2 new poems - Lost Tears and Disposable Pen
* 9 issues of Hunting Jack - all completed (upto issue 45)
* Re-write Daffodils, Loaded and Bill McCarthy - Daffodils put on hold until crits available from NFG. Loaded re-written into a stronger piece (3300 words). Bill McCarthy not complete. Roll over to Feb
Non-Fiction
* Plan and make a start on Web Development manuals - Plan drawn up
* Research more non-fiction markets - Did this daily via freelancing job sites. Also applied for two freelance jobs
Marketing and Publicity
* Remind UPSA about interview request - complete
* Press release for Hunting Jack competition - Complete. Sent to national and local agencies and publications
* Contact target media for free HJ issues - Complete. Sent to national and local agencies and publications
* Leaflet re-distribution for Hunting Jack - Postponed until February. To be done during the half-term school holidays
* Prepare classified ad for KIC - One ad prepared and submitted for Hunting Jack. One ad prepared and submitted for website services
* Contact The Leither magazine with specific interview/feature query - Complete. Awaiting response
Things that came up in January
* Issue 2 of KIC website development column - 12 issue plan finalised. Issue 2, draft 1 complete
* Issue 2 of Theatre review column - Still organising night at theatre
* Issue 1 of Travel column (for issue 2) - Having trouble for ideas
* Issue 1 of UK music column (for issue 2) - Loads of ideas discussed with editor. Already approached two bands with view to ‘grassroots’ coverageo 1st draft imminent
* Website development request from US-based artist - Still in negotiation stage
Successes
* Three poems by Ultimate Hallucination E-zine - Limbo, Asphyxiation and Frustrating Facilitators
* Heart Of A Child accepted for publication in February’s edition of Wild Child Publishing
* Hunting Jack sold as a 3-month special on Ebay
* 2 other new subscribers
Disappointments
None – just more challenges for next month
Statistics
Total word count for January:
* 16,000 (fiction)
* 1,600 (non-fiction)
* 19,000 (blog)
Summary
It’s been a good month. I set myself some pretty tough targets and bar a couple of legitimate postponements, I have surprised myself how well I have kept to a structure and increased my output.
The word count alone says it all. In the main GDR for the year I said I would do a minimum of 2 hours per night on weekdays and 10 hours on weekends. It never worked out like that – life got in the way, but I have learned to carve out what time I can.
The largest non-writing goal was to buy a house with Gail. This we have done and are in the middle of selling our current property. This upheaval has been – I think – directly responsible for the erratic writing time. But when I think about the nights unable to write, to the days and nights when I made time for nothing else, I am sure I have done more than I would have had I stuck religiously to the plan.
As a result, my commitment and desire has grown together and I have benefited in immeasurable amounts.
Looking ahead to February, the main task is to keep focussed and continue the work. I will perhaps even add to it and see how far I can stretch myself. If I fail, it will be my own doing, but the confidence gained from this month will surely stand me in good stead.
I received some responses from the latest press release:
* ITV's Teletext services have indicated a possible interest within their Entertainment section. Good, good!
* The Daily Record can't AFFORD me! What?
* The School Library Association has queried a block subscription for each school, which could then be used as 'site subscription' so to speak. They also asked about payments.
With a large part of my day spent putting together next month's To Do list, I wondering what to begin with. I couldn't decide so decided to shave my head and watch a couple of episodes of The Sopranos.
I will leave you now, my dear faithful bloggerettes, with the words of Kristin Tenor from the Writing Perc mailing list, who this week pretty much summed it all up for me...
"Some people just don't get it. Writing isn't about being published, it's about weaving words into understanding. It's about being true to the spirit within you that wants to set itself free. It's about standing up for what you believe in, and sometimes it's simply how we heal.
Writing is about writing. Nothing else.
You are a writer because you get up each morning and make the commitment to put pen to paper. Don't ever allow anyone to take that away from you. Honor yourself as a writer and sooner or later, the rest will follow."
Colin 11:16 pm
