New Year New Book

This is what I think I should do to plot a book... 

New Year, new resolutions and all that.

I'm not very good at making those, but I have started writing my next book.

What with my four years of online dating experience, I have been urged (by my current beau #TheBoss - who I met through online dating) to write my online dating story. I mean I have so much material!

I've noticed writers say they're going to write 1000 words a day, etc. and for me that's no good. It's not possible. I'd be failing before I even started. There's no point setting yourself something unachievable. It's not motivational.

I work part-time, so on the days I work, I don't tend to get to write. I have two kids, so I try not to write during the evenings, and use that time to relax and read. And now I have a new man - who takes up my weekends, so there's no way I can sit down every day and bash out 1000 words.

Anyway, I got to thinking; what if I try to reach 5000-7000 words a week. I have three days a week where I try to set aside writing. Although even I don't get write on all of these days sometimes.

At the moment I don't think even this is possible, as I am in the throws of researching (which I tend to do a bit as I write because I'm the pantster type writer apparently...) I'm just not very good at the whole plotting thing. I just end up writing and research as I go. I make notes, don't get me wrong, and make sure I put the main points I need to get into the book, but I like how the story comes to me from my head through my fingers on the keyboard, and onto the screen.

Then I got to thinking, well what if worse case scenario, I only got 3000 words written a week, in those 3 days... How long would it take me to write approximately a 90,000 word novel. So I did the math.

Basically, it would take 30 weeks, which is around 7.5 months (if they're all 4 week months!). Well that's not so bad. I could be looking at by the end of July having the first draft finished.

So that's my plan. It might be a bit longer than that as we need to factor in school holidays - but some weeks, once this novel really takes off, and I don't have to think up new names, or sneak off to the internet for some research, I'll get more than 3000 words written a week - easy.

I do use a spreadsheet to see how many words I write a day, so I can monitor my progress and see if I'm on target. I've marked off the 90th day. So let's see if I can do this.

Currently it's working title is The Golden Rules To Online Dating.

A Happy, Healthy New Year

Well, 2016 has been a fun one. Not. But I do have mixed feelings for last year.

I started it single. And happy I was.

There are so many celebrity deaths, some quite shocking that it just seemed to be taking away childhood favourites, and showing a sign that I was getting older too. Then we don't even want to talk about Brexit and Donald Trump. I fear 2017 may also be a tough year, as a consequence of the results of 2016.

However, I did meet someone (who I will refer to as #TheBoss although we all know I'm the boss really). I went on a date with this man, thinking it would probably be only the one date, like the others...  And we've shared the last six months together... :D And hopefully we will share many, many more months... years... to come. He is my calming influence. So 2016 has not been all bad.

I'm not really one for making New Years resolutions, but I do like to try and make dates, plan more to do, catch up with friends, and to try and worry less.

I have a new book release this year, so this will be exciting to look forward to. My friend and I want to see Jasper Carrott (it's a long story) and he's coming to Weston! We (#TheBoss and I) have booked Harry Potter studio tour for January with our kids - which we maybe more excited about than the kids - so already my diary is filling up.

What about you? What do you hope 2017 holds for you?

Let me take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy, healthy New Year. Fingers crossed 2017 isn't so disastrous.