What did you write last month? What will you do next month? It’s time for the Serious Writer’s Accountability Group!
Leave a comment below telling us how you got on last month, and what you plan to do next month, then check back in on the first of each month, to see how everyone’s doing.
(It doesn’t have to be fiction. Feel free to use this group to push you in whatever creative direction you need.)
Don’t remember what you promised to do? Check out the comments from last month.
And don’t forget to celebrate with/encourage your fellow SWAGr-ers on their progress!
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Examples of Goals Set By SWAGr-ers in previous months
- Finish novella – Maureen
- Write two short stories. – Jami
- Write 10,000 (fiction) words this month. – Julie
- Work on a series – Brick
- Track my time and see what’s getting in the way of my writing – Alex
- Research the market – Jami
- Writing the synopsis for my novel – Misa
- Finish one story draft each month – Carol
So, what will you accomplish this month? Leave your comment below:
(Next check-in, 1st of the month. Tell your friends. )
Don’t forget, if you need inspiration for a story you can still get ALL THE PROMPTS from StoryADay May 2014 and support the running of the StoryADay challenge at the same time. Give a little, get a little 
Click here.
Oh dear I seem to be a little late again! I managed to write three short stories in February, approx 6,500 words. Two of these were submitted to competitions, one was the BBC one, which is announced in May whether it was successful. I’ve recovered from my cataract operation and see much better now! So far this month I’ve done another 2,000 word short story and submitted it and I completed my short story for reading out. I read it out on Thursday evening and it was well received and was asked questions about it by the audience, as well as after the event. It can be nerve racking, but I was fine and it is a great confidence boost. For the rest of the month, I’m taking a break from the short stories to do prep work on the novel. I would like to re-write a couple of chapters to make a start on it.
Oh, good for you! Reading and sharing at critique nights or story slams is SO nerve wracking and so useful: you can hear your story properly and you get feedback from people on bits you forgot were good or weren’t sure about.
Well done on getting those stories submitted.
And…better late than never. Thanks for checking in! Good luck with the novel.
I’m gearing up for the April Camp NaNoWriMo. I have a few projects in mind but haven’t narrowed them down yet.
Currently, I’m adding a scene to what I thought was a finished YA novella but the beta readers concurred that I missed an important action point. I’m world-building a serial killer novel.
LOL. Although YA and serial killer are not mutually exclusive (see Dan Wells’ John Cleever novels).
Those dang beta readers. I have some that keep insisting a novella should be a novel too. I frown at them!
My goals for February were:
1. Write Daily Pages every day.
2. Write one short story first draft.
What I accomplished in February:
1. I did not write my daily pages every day, in fact I missed 3 times. BUT! I am forgiving myself and have a solution for those days. I wrote double daily pages the next day every time. So, while I did not write them daily, I completed my goal of page total 84f. This approach is practical and understanding of my often hectic schedule. Also, I love the double page days! It is so freeing to have 6 pages to work with as compared to my typical 3 pages. I’m not saying I want to write 6 every day, but it’s a nice change once in a while.
2. I wrote one short story first draft. I am not happy with it, but it is finished.
Goals for March
1. Write daily pages every day.
2. Write one short story first draft.
Understanding your own routines (but not using them as an excuse to under-achieve) is very important! Good for you, and good luck with your March goals!
I have been working on my first blog as well as the technical skills needed to revisit my poor NaNo novel that is currently collecting dust.
Goals for my blog:
*major maintain blog at least twice a week (change blogroll, reorganize, etc.)
*work on A to Z Blog Challenge posts
*stay responsive to writing challenges including flash fiction contests, story prompts, etc.
*visit blogs and leave comments 3-4 times a week minimum
Overall writing:
*stay current with Uber Group thread conversations
*monitor critiques/feedback from my current submission to the group
*complete required weekly critiques on a timely basis
*use feedback during weekly revision
Sounds like you’re focused on your writing. Excellent stuff!
Edit my manuscript from 150K to 90-110K words.
Oo, cutting words instead of adding them. I bet you add different words as you cut though, don’t you?
Do you find editing easier or harder than writing the words in the first place?
OK, I promised to write 10,000 words of fiction, read and log 15 short stories, write and use Write On Wednesday prompts, and finish two articles for Flash Fiction Chronicles.
Well, I wrote a total of 21,316 words of fiction, *takes a bow*, finished up the climax of the novel (if I’m honest, I finished that on the 28th!). I did write and post Write On Wednesday prompts, and I did read a bunch of short stories but I’m not sure if it was as many as 15. Wrote and submitted one of my two Flash Fiction Chronicles articles. I’m a little behind on the other.
For March:
* Finish first draft of novel and submit to critique group by March 5 (eek!)
* Create the StoryADay May 2015 Writing Prompt ebook, for people who like to a, use the prompts and b, plan ahead.
* Format and upload the ebook to Amazon’s KDP program (by March 27)
* Solicit celebrity/guest prompts for StoryADay May 2015
* Marketing and outreach for StoryADay May 2015
* Website maintenance for StoryADay.org
* Flash Fiction Chronicles Article (research, write, submit)
* Work on non-fiction book proposal
* Write On Wednesday — use the prompts to write quick & dirty short stories to keep my hand in!
* Read and critique novel for critique partner.
Hmm. And I thought I’d be less busy once I got that novel draft finished…
The mind boggles . . . *grin* . . .
Welp, I got my short stories submitted and have aaalllmost finished that novella (who knew that romance would be so hard to write?) and got one story accepted, so I did reasonably well in Feb. In March I aim to:
– seriously, finish that darn novella
– finish writing up beats (outline) for a second novella
– write another short story (or two)
– pick my first Camp NaNoWriMo project and do a little research
– start rewriting my middle-grade project.
Sounds like you got quite a lot done and CONGRATS on the story acceptance!
We will hold you to the deadline for finishing the novella (currently I’m finding peer-pressure-with-deadline to be like a magic wand for getting my novel done!)
Your goals sound ambitious to me, but you seem to be doing really well with meeting them, so I guess you know your abilities. Good for you!
See you in April!
Congratulations on acceptance of your short story!
Congrats on your story being accepted! Woot!
I plan to finish the third draft of my novel.
Good stuff! Have you had feedback from readers/editors yet?
Get a short story licked into shape and submitted for a writing contest here: http://www.trl.org/ProgramsResources/Pages/TRT15/TRT.aspx
That oughta be a nice study break. 🙂
Excellent. That looks like an interesting project and it’s always fun to be able to say “oh yes, that’s a copy of the anthology with my story in it…” 😉
(For example…)
That’s so cool, Julie!!! 🙂
finish edits on WIP – find photos for memoir – start A-Z blogs ready for April
Oh, how I have to resist that A-Z challenge. Too much prep to do around here! But do let us know where you’re posting.