Lofty goals
This past week I've taken a bit of a break from writing to spend time with my family, but I'm back and ready to tackle the last 13,000 words of my manuscript.
I struggle with taking time off since I'm impatient and hard on myself. I strive to be the toughest boss I've had so far. However, I also recognize time away from a project allows room for reflection and more clarity when editing. Having that space lets me to see what opportunities I've missed in my work and areas I can polish. Still, I would prefer things just happened faster. Rarely do I close my eyes at night and not have something I wish I could've finished.
While I was away, I obsessed over social media updates from the National Romance Writers of America conference in Denver. I've already been to one national conference and found the workshops and feedback so helpful. Being around people with similar goals and struggles also provided a strong sense of community, which I didn't realize I needed until I had it. Writers spend hundreds of hours alone in a room to create, and so the profession naturally lends itself to introverted personalities. When I went to the conference, I wasn't sure what to expect, but hearing other people's stories allowed me to reflect on how far I've come by comparison. For a few conversations, I even felt as though I knew what I was doing. Let me tell you something. That was a very welcome feeling.
At the Writer's Digest National Conference in 2017 preparing for Pitchslam with my #1 fan.
While in New York for that national conference I attended one session on romance held by New York Times bestseller Jennifer Probst, author of the Marriage Bargain. You may have heard people say you'll know when you found your tribe? Well, that's what that one session felt like to me. Jennifer gave me a few books and spoke at length on matters that pertained to exactly what I was doing. Since then I've finished another story, become a Pro member of RWA, and joined my local chapter. I'm looking forward to being an active participant this fall at the local level and have already judged one contest. Going to a conference filled with nothing but romance writers seems to be the next logical step.
The RWA national conference is a year away, but I've already put it on the calendar and cleared the week. Having a scheduled business trip also provides a firm deadline in a field, where aside from contests, I make my timeline. My goals for next July are to have my third project edited and out on submission, as well as have my fourth manuscript finished and in the editing stages. I've been averaging one novel a year, and hope to continue that pace if not ramp up the speed. With my three past projects, I have averaged completing the first draft of a book in ten weeks, sometimes less depending on the strength of my outline.
Back to the short term, in addition to finishing the first draft of Firemark, I'll be entering it into the first of many contests next week. Every step in the right direction, however small, is one step closer to my goal.
Onward and upward towards lofty goals we go!
Kathryn
