As usual I’m working against the clock to get the first instalment of the 4th ghostwriting gig submitted in time. Deadline is today, and at the start of today I still had just over 11,000 words to write.
Why have I left it so long? Well, this time I can’t blame faffing or book covers or self-publishing schedules. This time I’ve had appointments here and there as well as various interruptions. I’ve also had editing to do for another client.
And, of course, we had the long weekend, and long weekends are for home and family and not for work.
However, I know that I can do it, and I will do it, as I always do. Meanwhile, I’m writing today’s blog in my Pomodoro breaks.
I’m still trying to cover my own work as well as client work. But now I have another hospital appointment that’s going to take me out of the game for a little while longer than the last one did. So all of my client work has been brought forward so that I can do as much as I can before I go in.
I’m starting to tire of always working but not getting much new writing done of my own. I didn’t give up working for other people all the time so that I can just work for other people all the time. So this week I’ve made a bit of a decision.
The plan is, from next week, to start adding short stories to the mix. I’m in the middle of a writers’ guide and I’m just starting a series-part novel. These are both big projects, although one is near to the end while the other is right at its start.
Sometimes, however, it’s nice to have something shorter, something that can be achieved and ticked off a lot quicker. This is why I’m adding stories to the mix again.
Instead of adding the short stories to my 10-project planner, which is already full with full-length projects, I created a new one just for short stories. Once I have finished 10 short stories, I will create a new one. If I finally graduate onto serials, then I’ll create a planner for those too.
Having separate planners for the different projects should keep everything tidy and consistent.
I cleared a load of magazines off my Readly app and loaded a load that still accept short story submissions. I also kept the handful of writing magazines I read, and two newspapers. Everything else has been removed.
The short stories that I sell I keep the rights to and they go towards a future anthology. At the moment, there is a handful of sinister tales waiting to go into a collection. But not enough for a full volume.
If I can manage a 4th volume of ‘twee’ stories, then I will do book 4 of Twee Tales. If I can’t, then the current 3-book set will be bundled together in an omnibus.
I’m going to start short, using my date work as a launch pad. I have guidelines in already from my two favourite markets. And I’m going to go back to working on topical stories and evergreens. Starting small will mean it can be squeezed into my existing writing schedule.
I like working on a full-length fiction and a full-length non-fiction. I enjoy the variety, and I like to have projects to bounce between for when I run out of steam on one or the other. An 800-word short story should also fit in nicely.
With my workload getting fuller for the next two weeks, I’m not sure how successful the plan will be just yet. But I can still plan, and I do love to plan.
So, there are a few irons in the fire and a lot of busy coming up. But right now, I need to clear the client work first.
Have a great weekend!
