First job on Monday was Monday’s blog post. I’d started it on Friday and intended to complete it over the weekend as I worked. As I didn’t work at the computer, though, it didn’t get done. So I had to finish it yesterday morning, choose the picture, and publish it.
I shared it to BlueSky and to Medium, and shared Friday’s blog post too as I hadn’t got around to that for some reason either. Then I read BlueSky posts for the previous 24 hours, liked or reposted any, chose 6 Medium articles, and started to read those. Some of them I gave up on part way through. A couple I read to the end and I ‘clapped’ for those.
I won’t be going on DEADLINES FOR WRITERS yet, aka 12 STORIES IN 12 MONTHS, as any comments on any stories go towards each member’s monthly comment count. However, this is usually included in my reading/commenting rounds.
We’re supposed to comment on 4 stories. Usually I go through them towards the end of the 4-week period and look for any that haven’t had their allotted 4 comments. When I look for my minimum of 4, I also look at stories posted by ‘friends’. If they have lots of comments, I’ll walk on by. If they don’t, and if the story grabs me, I’ll read and comment.
I already did my initial reading this month, so instead, towards the end of the current 4-week period, I’ll start responding to people who commented on mine. By the end of the month, I should therefore have at least 8 comments on my story.
I created a new task on TickTick for the monthly writing ideas/monthly date work, and that’s what I did next. I started by printing off blank perpetual calendars for April 2025. I have one for the month, with notes, and I have one for a week, which I print off how many times there are weeks in the month. This month I’m on April 2025.
The first dates I looked at were UK bank holidays for April 2025. Those go on in red. The next dates I looked at were the evergreens, the anniversaries that happen on the same day every year. Those go on in green. As I worked through those, I also picked up evergreen anniversaries that are date-specific, such as Palm Sunday. Those go on in blue, for 2025.
The last job I do is the topical date-specific dates, such as the start of the American Civil War. Those also go on in blue ink, because they’re also for 2025. I save the black ink for things like the numbers for each day of the month and strike-throughs for days on my perpetual weekly calendar that don’t apply for this month, such as the Monday before 1 April and the Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday after 30 April.
My perpetual blank calendars for each month start on a Sunday, and this catches me out every time, because my week starts on a Monday. But once I’m in the swing of it, I remember.
I already have a spreadsheet with the dates I’m looking for, such as 5 years ago (2020), 10 years ago (2015), 15 years ago (2010), and so on. This spreadsheet also includes a table that reminds me what I’m supposed to be doing each month:
Now (October); Think (April); Write (March); Submit (February)
That ‘Submit’ also stands for ‘Start to Publish’.
It’s a big job, but one I’m getting into a rhythm with. I have to tell myself when my blank perpetual weekly calendar is full on any day. This could be because there are lots of anniversaries on that date, or because one or more has taken more writing than a single line. I just want to go on and on, though, and it’s something I have to be more disciplined with.
I broke for dinner, caught up on blogs and emails, and then did another Pomodoro on date work.
Whilst working on the dates, I was delighted to see a topical 80-year anniversary that would tie in nicely with my Toni & Bart time-travel tale City of Ghosts. And then, a few days later, I spotted another anniversary, this time a 250-year anniversary, that could form the basis of a 4th Toni & Bart time-travel tale. That’s one existing idea from my 12 novellas in a year challenge, plus one additional idea.
I immediately added the anniversary detail to my Trello card for City of Ghosts, and I created a new card for the new tale.
Lo and behold, I came across another new idea, another 250-year anniversary, and that one was added to the list as well. It does mean, however, that 3 Toni & Bart stories need to be done before or in April next year in order to maximise the topicality… That will help no end with the scheduling.
I spotted a snooker-related anniversary too, but that’s too late for this time as it’s a full-length novel and I won’t have time to write a new one of those too. Maybe in 10 years time for that one…
I bloody ❤️ date work, me.
Another potential story for Lady Matilda was added, but it was getting too dark by then to carry on. It was 6pm, and time to close for the day.
I love it when research can be used on multiple projects!
Such a worthwhile use of time!