My Writing Ramblings: Whoosh, There Goes My Deadline….

‘I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.’ – Douglas Adams.

Happy Friday all.

I can’t quite believe that August has gone and we’ve now reached September.

It’s been one of those weeks where the day job has kind of taken over. I’ve been on mid shifts which on the whole don’t bother me but it’s meant that productivity of everything else has been put on the back burner. This includes the Austen challenge.

However, I now have a few days off so I will be back on track with finishing Emma before I know it…I hope. For the people doing the Austen reading challenge with me, the book for September is Mansfield Park.

My deadline to begin my novel was yesterday.  I’ve not fully finished my planning so I’ve not started writing yet. Not finishing my planning has been my number one procrastination excuse. No more. I have given myself one more week.

I have so many feelings about beginning my novel. It has been something I have been talking about for such a long time. It’s this thing that has been built up in my head. I do worry about whether I am going to be able to begin it and keep going this time. However, I also think about when I’m a lot older and what I would regret more. Finishing a novel that possibly is not publishable but I’ve done it or not starting. Plus, there is also editing.

I worry about the end result. I am anxious that it won’t be good enough. All these things are not something I should be thinking about at this stage but habits are hard to break. So many times I’ve told myself that I am just going to start and then I talk myself out of it. I let that niggle voice of doubt win. I give it all the power. I am not sure why I do this. Has anyone else had this problem?

The thing about writing is that it is so solitary. What is not realised soon enough (especially from a new writer) is that all writers go through this stage. What you need to do is make sure you become one of those authors who come out the other side.You are not alone. I once sat in a talk with Julie Cohen (brilliant writer) whose advice was to ‘let yourself write crap.’ Words to live by. I have that on a post it near where I write.

Another quote I’ve come across recently is from Churchill. I think this is fast becoming my mantra as I get closer to embarking on my novel. ‘Never give up on something that you can’t go a day without thinking about.’ Words for all of us newbie writers to live by I think.

Until next week writing people.

by

Laura

I’m Laura. I started Novel Kicks in 2009. I wanted a place to post my writing as well as give other writers like me the opportunity to do the same. There is also a monthly book club, a writing room which features writing prompts, book reviews, competitions, author interviews and guest posts.

I grew up by the sea (my favourite place in the world) and I currently live in Hampshire. I am married to Chris, have a cat named Buddy and I would love to be a writer. I’m trying to write the novel I’ve talked so much about writing if only I could stop pressing delete. I’ve loved writing since creative writing classes in primary school. I have always wanted to see my teacher Miss Sayers again and thank her for the encouragement. When not trying to write the novel or writing snippets of stories on anything I can get my hands on, I love reading, dancing like a loon and singing to myself very badly. My current obsession is Once Upon a Time and I would be happy to live with magic in the enchanted forest surrounded by all those wonderful stories provided that world also included Harry Potter. I love reading chick lit. contemporary fiction and novels with mystery.