Lidy

IWSG Day and Happy New Year!

Insecure Writers Support Group New Badge

Happy first IWSG Day of 2018!

We’re starting the new year with old friends and some new to discuss our writing highs and lows. Offer support and encouragement. Thanks for bringing us all together for another year goes to ninja extraordinaire Alex Cavanaugh.

And thanks also goes to the awesome co-hosts posting today: Tyrean Martinson, Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor, Megan Morgan, Jennifer Lane, and Rachna Chhabria!

Interested in joining us? Click on the badge above. Our Twitter hashtag and handle are #IWSG and @TheIWSG.

So what’s going on with me this month?

Well, I’ve figured out my 2018 writing plan, yet left it flexible in case you know…life happens. Plus I can pick and choose which writing project I’d want to tackle. So if I don’t like one or need a break, there’s another two or three I can choose to pick up. And whatever I haven’t been able to stay on plan with, I can rollover to next year.

I’m doing another writing challenge, the 85K90, writing my new Foreseen series WIP. This time, three months long and at only 944 daily word count. Like NaNoWriMo I’ll be posting updates but on a monthly basis, on the last Monday of the month. So far, I’ve written:

1,021 words on January 1st

948 words on January 2nd

Guess the writing was on the wall when I started making temporary Wattpad covers for my new series on Canva.com. Here are the temporary covers I created:

 

Anyways, guess there might be another writing on the wall for November 2018. Been thinking a lot lately about a desert fantasy series I’ve filed away. It might be my next NaNoWriMo project. But as November is 11 months away, guess I’ll wait and see if that’ll remain true. Here’s some inspirational images behind the fantasy:

Credit image: Aaron Miller
Credit image: dinmoney at deviantart
Credit image: Selene Regener
Credit image: Selene Regener
Credit image: FreShPaInt at deviantart

And the song, Sand by Nathan Lanier, that inspired a fight to the death scene in the desert:

 

January 3 question – What steps have you taken or plan to take to put a schedule in place for your writing and publishing?

Right now I’m just going to take it a day at a time, a project at a time. Write everyday and try to meet my word count for the day. Spend a little less time thinking how the next scene will be written and actually write it. Start making mental preparations so that I won’t drag my heels when it comes time to finding beta readers. And an editor to edit my work. So hopefully, 2018 might be the year I have a completed and polished manuscript to pitch and query.

How was your New Year’s? What’s going on with you this month? What are your plans and goals for 2018? Taking part in the #IWSGPit on January 18th?

A word, after a word, after a word is power.- Margaret Atwood

22 comments

    • Thanks. I like having a visual to based on and lay the groundwork for my characters, plot, setting, etc. They serve as great writing prompts for me.

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    • Thanks Alex. It drove me crazy trying to find the link to the drawing of the girl with sand in her hand and the artist who drew it. Loved that picture and the other corresponding pictures. They all helped to further build the main character and her story inside my head.

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  6. That sounds good, knowing that whatever you don’t finish this year can roll over into 2019. Sounds like you know how you want to move forward.
    Wishing you all the best and much success in 2018.
    Shalom aleichem,
    Pat G

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    • Thanks Pat. If I want to achieve my five year goal in publishing 2-3 books by that time frame a flexible plan with rollover options is a must. Pfft, I sound like cell phone coverage commercial. Still, it’s a plan that works for me. 2018, here I come. 😀

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  8. Happy New Year, Lidy!

    I can see by your collection of images that you’re a very visual person. I get a feel for your characters and themes from the images. Zoe Saldana is one of my favorite actors.

    I also like the idea of taking it one writing project at a time, letting the end take care of things. I don’t like to pile pressure on my writing by setting too many plans.

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    • I like Zoe Saldana too. Especially as Gamora as Gaurdians of the Galaxy and the assassin in Colombiana. When I first thought of the third character, an empath and yoga master, I immediately thought of her. Don’t know why but once I thought of her and found the image, couldn’t think of anyone else visually.

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  11. Best of luck. Having flexible plans is key for me. I’m good at getting stuck on something, so I need the ability to move to something else. The covers look great. I’ll be playing around with Canva more for my upcoming novella cover.

    Looking forward to seeing how you flourish in 2018!

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  13. Hi,
    Your are so lucky to have so many writing projects in the wind so to speak. That you can just pick up and put down. I currently have one and I am awaiting feedback and it’s killing me!!!!
    I hope you have an amazing 2018 and manage to complete something!
    X

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  14. Congrats on your 1,021 words on January 1st and 948 words on January 2nd… and since today is January 10th, I’m sure that there are hundreds more words!!
    Good luck with your 85K90, writing challenge! You can do it!
    Those temporary covers are FABULOUS! 🙂
    Happy Writing, Lidy!
    See you around on Facebook and Twitter.

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