On this last Monday of #writemotivation month, I only have a quick update since I’m frantically trying to meet one of my goals. Update for last week: I wrote a 15 Minute Tweet Tale every day (hooray!), and I had two blog posts (double hooray!). Unfortunately, I’m not going to be able to rewrite one of my NYCM flash pieces for the Glimmer Train contest (sad face), but I think I’m going to be able to submit a new story for the Highlights Fiction contest (tentative hooray).
Last week I reported that after several false starts, I was abandoning my squirrel idea in favor of an elephant idea. Well, I spent the rest of the week writing and discarding openings for the elephant idea. The main problem was too much back story to fit into the 750 word limit. So I chucked the elephant idea.
I had actually decided to put another #writemotivation goal into the fail column by skipping this year’s Highlights contest when I woke up yesterday with new inspiration for the squirrel idea. After some initial bickering with my muse, I pounded out a rough draft and felt pretty victorious. Then I read it. Ugh! I was immediately back to skipping this year. But just to be sure, I sent it to my family members (always my first readers) to get their opinions. And while I know they are all incredibly biased, they all swore up and down there was a kernel of a cute story buried in there.
So I have spent all night filing away at those rough edges, and I think I finally have something that doesn’t suck too much. Now I just need to polish it until it shines. Unfortunately, I only have about 24 hours of polishing time left, so off I go!
How are your resolutions going? Any victories? Any goals you regret dropping?
On this last Monday of #writemotivation month, I only have a quick update since I’m frantically trying to meet one of my goals. Update for last week: I wrote a 15 Minute Tweet Tale every day (hooray!), and I had two blog posts (double hooray!). Unfortunately, I’m not going to be able to rewrite one of my NYCM flash pieces for the Glimmer Train contest (sad face), but I think I’m going to be able to submit a new story for the Highlights Fiction contest (tentative hooray).
Last week I reported that after several false starts, I was abandoning my squirrel idea in favor of an elephant idea. Well, I spent the rest of the week writing and discarding openings for the elephant idea. The main problem was too much back story to fit into the 750 word limit. So I chucked the elephant idea.
I had actually decided to put another #writemotivation goal into the fail column by skipping this year’s Highlights contest when I woke up yesterday with new inspiration for the squirrel idea. After some initial bickering with my muse, I pounded out a rough draft and felt pretty victorious. Then I read it. Ugh! I was immediately back to skipping this year. But just to be sure, I sent it to my family members (always my first readers) to get their opinions. And while I know they are all incredibly biased, they all swore up and down there was a kernel of a cute story buried in there.
So I have spent all night filing away at those rough edges, and I think I finally have something that doesn’t suck too much. Now I just need to polish it until it shines. Unfortunately, I only have about 24 hours of polishing time left, so off I go!
How are your resolutions going? Any victories? Any goals you regret dropping?
