Progress

One month ago today I started my blog, so I thought it would be a good time to check on my progress with the goals I set for myself. I’ll address them one by one:

Post at least 5 times per week (except when I'm out of town).
I surprised myself by actually posting every single day. I did give myself a few days off by writing some posts in advance and scheduling them to post automatically.

Learn to silence my overactive inner critic.
I'm still struggling with this goal. I know blog writing doesn't have to be perfect, but it's hard for me to loosen up and not nitpick everything. I don't want to present myself as a writer with sloppy blog writing. But I also can't invest too much time in writing perfect posts when I should be working on my novel.

Build discipline by writing posts even when I don't feel like it.
I definitely wrote posts even when I wasn't in the mood, and it wasn't easy making sure I had something to post everyday. Some posts were short, and I know they weren't all interesting or original, but I think I've made a good start. I hope I can keep it going. I'm a creature of habit, and blogging is starting to become a habit.

Develop my writing skills.
I have been developing my writing skills apart from the blog. I'm not sure if the blog is directly helping me to develop my writing skills. But it does make me more aware of my writing process and help me stay relatively focused.

Share what I learn from the writing process.
I've written a little about my experiences writing and I've shared some useful links. I hope to share more as I learn more.

Lifestyle

Yesterday I wrote about why I want to write a novel. One reason has always been the appeal of the writing lifestyle. I’ve always pictured the typical novelist living in a lovely home in a beautiful rustic location. He or she “works” in a room lined with books, by a window with an inspiring view of the lake/mountains/ocean. He or she has plenty of free time (and cash) for hobbies and travel. He or she lives a low-stress, independent, creatively fulfilling life. Who wouldn’t want that?

I’ve learned that success as a novelist is a lot harder than I originally imagined—even for those talented and lucky enough to be published. I honestly don’t expect fame or fortune. I don’t particularly want to be famous, although a little fortune would be nice. If I ever have a novel published, I expect to continue at my current full-time job while working on the next novel and promoting myself and my work. That would be very challenging, especially compared to my fantasy.

For me, writing is a hobby with the potential to be a career. I would love to make enough money to support myself with my writing. I know it’s unlikely, but the possibility does provide some motivation. In the meantime, I’ll enjoy the writing process and all the steps of my journey as a writer. My life is already pretty good, so I won’t mind if writing a novel doesn’t lead to an extreme life makeover.

It’s nice to have a hobby with the hope of a little success, and the dream of a fantasy lifestyle.

Goals

I created this blog because I'm an aspiring writer and I want a venue for practicing my writing.

My goals:

• Post at least 5 times per week (except when I'm out of town).
• Learn to silence my overactive inner critic.
• Build discipline by writing posts even when I don't feel like it.
• Develop my writing skills.
• Share what I learn from the writing process.

I plan to periodically evaluate my progress with these goals.