On This Thing Called Writing (#6)

This one is short and focused, because I have two other tasks to complete before I fall asleep. One is an overdue journal entry. The other is an episode or two of a Japanese anime. Yes, right now I consider watching this show essential to my emotional well being. 

So, here you go, a post about writing.

(This is what I want to be doing, but cannot right now. Yes, it would involve a peasant lady. Apparently, Van Gogh produced a series of works based off the work of other artists. In this case, he painted from Jean-Francois Millet's The Four Times of the Day--The Siesta.)

Last November I participated in the annual NaNoWriMo event. There were five posts about my progress and struggles. While I did exceed the organization's goal of fifty-thousands words, I failed to reach my personal goal: developing a daily habit of writing fiction. In addition, that story stopped well short of its planned ending. It has been left untouched on my computer for nearly a year. I think it is tale worth telling: I find the two main characters interesting, and their relationship entertaining. Afterall, they keep popping up in my daydreams. 

Two weeks ago, emails arrived announcing the start of a new NaNoWriMo season. Unfortunately, I ignored them, because I was focused on my daughter's sweet sixteen, which I have only just fully recovered from physically this past weekend. Being an out-of-shape middle-aged man is a pain.  But now I have some free time (I will be sharing Thanksgiving duties), and my energy has returned (I am working out again). My goal is to dedicate at least twenty minutes each morning this week working on that story. Then next week increase it to forty minutes daily. By the third week, I hope to dedicate a full hour. Yes, it will take me beyond the deadline, but that is okay. I am putting aside the fifty-thousand word target, and aiming to build a better habit. 

Then maybe I can produce my first novel before I turn fifty. That would be nice. I do have at least three more book-length stories swirling in my head. 

But for now, I am focused on waking up tomorrow morning and writing fiction for twenty minutes.

I will let you know how it goes.