Ready, Set, Write: On Goals and Having Them Finally

Here’s something you might not know: When you burn alive for a living, summer isn’t actually the greatest season of all. On the plus side, there’s Ready, Set, Write, hosted by Alison Miller, Katy Upperman, Erin Funk, and Jaime Morrow. I’ve been participating in this summer writing intensive for years, and each year it’s responsible for a huge chunk of the words I write.

I missed last week’s goals post, but because I’m feeling inventive I’m going to combine it with this week’s update. So, here’s how I’m doing:

1. HOW I DID ON LAST WEEK’S GOALS

This is assuming I had goals last week. Which I didn’t. Unless you count the goal of finishing the entire season of Sense8. In that case, nailed it.

Because that’s lame, I’m going to set an overall RSW goal and pretend it isn’t completely unrealistic.

• Revise BLACKBIRD ISLAND
• Send revised draft to beta readers

2. MY GOAL(S) FOR THIS WEEK

• Work on revisions at least five times per week
• Complete list of needed revisions

3. A FAVOURITE LINE FROM MY STORY OR ONE WORD/PHRASE THAT SUMS UP WHAT I WROTE/REVISED

Last week, I finished the draft of BLACKBIRD ISLAND—with a second storyline for the same low, low price! Also, with an in-the-dark kiss. I should post a part of that here, right? Right. Everyone loves kissing.

Then I can’t take it anymore, the not kissing. I want my lips on his, but I get his eye instead, which is exactly as sexy as it sounds. 

4. THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE I FACED THIS WEEK

Fear. If you wrote a song about my writing and revising, it’d go something like this:

Fear, fearFearful fear 

And it would suck. But at least it’d be accurate. I have a lot of revising to do. I mean, an all-caps A LOT. I also have such a clear vision for what I want this story to be, how it should feel. I just hope I can get it there.

5. SOMETHING I LOVE ABOUT MY WiP 

That it’s done. That sounds like a cop out, but this is my blog and I can write cop outs all day long.

This was a hard one for me to write. It was hard to get past my inner editor, which means I drafted it much more slowly than anything else I’ve written. But it’s done and I do like it—major flaws and all. And though I’m afraid of not being able to turn this into the book in my mind, I’m thankful I’m at the revising stage because I know where it needs to go.

And now I’ll be off, tattooing my new mantra to my hands, where I can see it while typing: One step at a time.