Okay, so I set some standards on myself earlier and while I would like maintain those goals I think there is something somewhat unrealistic about them. So I think I’m going to bend the rules a little bit here to add in variables that I really can’t ignore. This is in part because I’m so far behind and I doubt I’ll ever catch up at this point. Yes, I’m still writing, but, well, let me explain.
So I had a midterm on Monday, I had a lot of reading to do for Tuesday and for today, and further reading for Wednesday, all of which was put off in preparation for the midterm. What does this mean? This means that there really isn’t a logical way I can sit here and flatly say that I can maintain a 2,000-words-a-day regimen when there are days within the school year that I can’t even set aside time for to write. In fact, it’s somewhat disappointing on myself when I can’t achieve the goals I set because school has jumped in the way. School, unfortunately, does come first in a lot of respects as I cannot allow myself to fail at my coursework. That’s not an option. School is my chance at a career and something that can keep me able to write and potentially put me in the position where I might one day write for a living.
The inevitable is that I have to consider those days when it comes to writing. As such, the new rule is as follows:
Write 2,000 words a day unless such days are encumbered with school work. This applies only to tests and significant things such as major essays and large portions of reading. Otherwise there is no excuse except laziness.
This same thing generally applies to my other rules.
Since there aren’t a lot of tests and neither are there a lot of essays or large chunks of reading, it shouldn’t be a problem. Now, this might have sounded like I’m downgrading my writing. No, not so. I’m not quitting and never will. I’m only being entirely realistic. I expect that I will be right back on track by Friday evening. I’m not quitting, but my writing will drop down just a little on some weeks, particularly weeks with midterms. I have to be realistic, otherwise it will just look like I’m not doing anything.
That being said, I’m not going to keep track of words missed unless for some reason I didn’t reach my quota on a day that I should have met it. Meaning, all words I missed this far this week don’t count because I had a midterm.
On a happy note though I am writing quite a bit of stuff. I have a story I’m going to edit and turn in to the Eaton Conference tomorrow and, to add, I’ll be working on another story for this quarter of Writers of the Future, because, well, if I made honorable mention this round, who knows, maybe I’ll do better some day. That’s a nice boost for me. I need to figure out what to write though. Maybe SF this round.
