I know. It’s pretty late into 2011, but so what?

Like that common saying, better late than never.

Well, the ones of you who read my last post, know there are days that I simply can’t concentrate. Then, what better than a challenge to spicy things up? Everyone feels more compelled with a challenge, right?

I have two CHALLENGES up right now: the 1000 words a day challenge and the reading challenge from goodreads.

The first one was created by writer and illustrator Debbie Ridpath Ohi. Sometimes I think 1000 words a day is too few, but, seeing as there are there days I write 5k and others I write none, it seems like a good challenge.

In her website, Debbie ask writers to display this badge on the side of the site (as you can see on mine right there —>) if you’re really trying to write a thousand words each day for at least 6 days a week. The thing is, I can’t write 6 days a week. I write 5. My family demands my full attention during weekends, and hey it’s my family, so I happily agree. Seeing as my intention is still true about writing 1000 words each day for 5 days, I will leave the badge there (I hope Debbie allows it).

If I can get 1k words a day, that’s 365k per year, which could lead to 4 or 5 novels! That’s a great number … I hope I can keep up with it.

The other challenge is from Goodreads. The widget for it is also on the right side of this blog —>

I set it up to read 36 books this year. That’s 3 per month. I can do more. I normally do more … about 48 (4 per month) or 60 (5 per month) … but, in case this year I didn’t get close to that for one reason or another, I set a lower number.

Now, for my GOALS.

I have a few.

First, I’ll try to post on this blog twice a week. On Tuesdays (or a day before or after) I’ll publish a normal post, about writing, reading, publishing, about me and whatever is going with me, etc. On Fridays, I’ll post about my WIP, ideas, outlines and editing/revisions.

Posting about my WIP also entices me to write more … imagine how embarrassing it will be if I get to Friday and I’ve only written 500 or 2000 words for the whole week? Yeah, I don’t want that to happen.

My second goal is to get 2 or 3 more manuscript ready (that means critiqued, line-edited and copy-edited) by the end of the year.

I want to get published. Soon. How, I still trying to figure out. I constantly think out going indie. But trying a e-first small press also crosses my mind. However, I don’t think about trad publishing anymore. The problem I see: the price of the books (more on that on a future post).

So, with 3 or 4 manuscript ready by the end of the year, I can start self-publishing … or, if I change my mind, while writing the second and the third, I can try and send the first to a small press. I have time to worry about that part later … right now, I’m all about WRITING!!!

What do you think of my challenges and goals?

Cheers,

With everything that is going on in my life, I think I’m doing a good job with my writing and reading schedule. At  least I hope I am.

What bothers me is that I know I can do much better than this … but how can I concentrate and totally immerse on my books when so much is going on around me? Other thing that bothers me: those “events” that disturb my concentration are out of my control and still I wish I could do something …

Let me explain a little of what I’m talking about: I moved from US to Brasil in May 2009. In November 2009, my husband had been promised to go back to US in November 2010—it’s July 2011 and we’re still waiting. And we’ve been living in between 2 houses (2 hours apart) for the last 17 months (too long to explain why now).

There are times things seem to progress and our hopes go up. Yes, we’ll go back to US! Then, other things happen, or nothing happens at all, and we loose hope and start talking about staying … See, staying in Brazil is not bad. We are Brazilians, our family is here and we love the food … but we adapted too well to living in the US. We made good friends. We miss it terribly!

Moving up and down and all around, not having my organized writing space and a normal routine, makes me crazy and spoils my concentration.

I feel like my life is pending …

There were times when I was super focused on my book, really pleased with what I was writing, then something would happen, some news would come and ruin my day … and my writing!

I’ve written 2 manuscripts this year so far. I dropped 2 others because I lost interest in them—I think so many things happened while writing them that it messed with my mojo. And I lost the inspiration to write them.

I know I’m capable of more than 2 manuscripts in 6 months—and that bothers me!  I could have written 3 or 4 if I had my own desk, my own corner, one home and no travelling around, and not expecting life-changing news.

I know my life will never be smooth and calm and perfect. Nobody’s life is. Everyone is always complaining and wishing for more. Otherwise, where would be the fun in living if everyone was static and satisfied, right?

But this indecision—going, not going, move to a new apartment, not move, talk about staying, not talk, etc—drives me crazy. I like more regularity, more stability. In the last 7 years, we’ve moved 5 times! That’s just too much …

I’ve been trying to win my anxiety over … I’ve been trying to make tea (I love coffee but try to avoid it), turn the music on and loud (I can’t do anything without music), and just write … even if I’m not in the mood, even if an upsetting news has just been delivered, even if my head is spinning …

Unfortunately, I don’t always succeed.

But I’ll never stop fighting.

And when this situation settles down—when I find out if we’re really moving to the US or staying here and choosing only 1 house—my anxiety and concentration will be under control … and that will make me very happy, cause it’ll mean I’ll be able to write more and more =)

Cheers,