Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Deadline

I'm rather disappointed in myself. I had been writing like crazy in the fall and the early winter, but January came and I lost that fire.

Maybe it was the grey of winter or the cold or maybe I just needed to take some time to think about something else. Regardless of what caused my pathetic streak of laziness, the sun is out again and I need to put the pressure on my inner writer.

Since I'm not accountable to anybody but myself, I need to make a deadline.

Here it is.

May 4th, 2013

This is the day I am going to have my manuscript written and rewritten and edited and re-edited. This is the day I am going to send out my first query letter. This is the day I'm going to begin my traditional publishing trip. I'm not going to work on All for Owen any more.

So why May 4th?

This gives my time to set shorter and closer goals within that time. I need to have beta readers read and give me input, I need to polish the blemishes. I need to rework the ending. There is a lot of work to do between now and May 4th.

Another reason I'm setting May 4th as my deadline, is because on May 5th, my brothers and I are going to hold our second annuall "Dude Fest." This year we're calling it "Cinco-De-Dude-Fest." We basically get together and do all the stuff our wives don't like to do, like play video games, shoot stuff, be slobs, and play long games like Risk. It will be a good way to celebrate the completion of All for Owen.

I'm rolling up my sleeves again and kicking my lazy self in the pants. I'm getting back to work.