Here it is – 2014.
According on who you speak to 2014 is the European Year of the Brain, the Year of Crystallography or the Year of Curly Wurlies*.
So what does the new year bring for you? After a nice break I’m diving back into work with a vengeance. January sees two scripts to co-write with Mark, two children books to finish, a couple of comic strips and at least four new books to plot out. Let’s go!
In the meantime I’m also working on a new YA novel on spec. The problem is fitting it around my commissioned work (which is a lovely problem to have, I know).
What I’ve challenge myself to do is to write 500 words of the YA every day to keep things rolling, more if I can manage it. As my friend Nick Kyme said on Facebook yesterday, writing a novel is like running a race. It needs prep, planning and tackling in small chunks. In the case of the YA, I have a chapter breakdown and 6,500 words already on the clock. If I can stick to the small chunks around my other work it’ll soon start gathering pace.
Best of all, I’m itching to get back to it, which is always a great sign! Let’s go!
So what projects have you got on the go in 2014?
* OK, I might have made this one up, but I do love a Curly Wurly. Yum!
Ooh, I’m also getting back to writing YA (after three years spent on other things). I have 7k down already and plan at least 500 words a day. Fancy a writing buddy?
A writing buddy on the project sounds fantastic.
Some days it’s going to be easier than others. Tomorrow and Friday I need to hit 5000 words a day on another project. Will I be able to squeeze out an extra 500 words on something else. We shall see.
Yes, I’m at the day job three days a week and teaching again at the end of January so need to get a lot done ASAP. Here’s to success – let’s check in on Twitter (when we remember!)
Righto – I’ll check in with you this time next week!
I managed over 60k words in November for a first draft NaNoWriMo story. I’ve set myself a target to get it edited by Easter. Also numerous smaller targets including submitting several short stories to competitions through the year.
Good luck fitting your YA novel in – in November I found I could do a rough 5-600 words in a lunch break typing into gmail as I didn’t have access to my home computer;-)
Ah, I used to do the same when I worked in an office, rattle out words in an email at lunchtime and then mail them off to me. It’s a nice tip for people on the go.