Tomorrow is the start of another week and I have to say I am relieved.

The last three weeks have been more hectic than usual.  I have had commitments on every day and four evenings a week, which is really unheard of.  Throw in a virus I’ve had for nearly three months and it has made life rather interesting.

I have come to the conclusion that I spend many hours a week driving from one side of Sydney to the other which takes a big chunk out of my day.  Still tending to go out to the Hills where I used to live three years ago instead of sourcing things in my local area.  I am a creature of habit and like to continue the relationships I have with people eg. doctor, hairdresser, physio etc.

I have already started thinking how next year I can change regular appointments to fit in better, thus freeing up more time with the hope of reclaiming a couple of days a week.  For the rest of the year I am going to attempt to make my life more user friendly.

By the end of the day I am exhausted and it takes a long time to get things done.   My brain is tired and it makes it difficult to get anything of substance written.

I did make the commitment to write everyday which has proved a little difficult.  Today I managed to catch up on a couple of days writing and I also spent half an hour editing the current chapter I am working on.

A book is written one word at a time and each word is one step closer to the ultimate goal.

#doitregardless#

This year has been much more productive on the writing front than in 2014.  I have added quite a considerable sum of words to my autobiography.  At times the words flow freely and at others as has been the case over the last few weeks it has been hard to get anything written.  I could sit at the computer for long periods of time and only write a sentence or two.  I  emailed Joy (A&A Book Publishing) prior to our arranged meeting and stated my struggles and suggested that the 300 word count no longer seemed achievable but 100 words a day might be more realistic.  I continually have this struggle when I have finished a piece of writing as for some reason it is always difficult to commence a new chapter.  I met Joy, sat down with a cup of tea and she said ‘You are going to write a hundred words right now.’ I was surprised how easy this task was and far exceeded the word count.  Now wherever I go I take my notebook and pen with me and when time permits I sit down and write.  I have no idea why it is easier to write than to type my words directly onto the computer.  Maybe it is due to the fact that I was born in the era of pen and paper and it is easier to tap into that creative side.  I really have no idea why but for now it is working.  When I sit down to type and edit what I have written it again becomes a struggle and takes forever to amend a sentence.  It really goes to show that it is just plain perseverance and commitment that will see this book finished.  72,252 words written, but hey who is counting!#doitregardless#

It is unbelievable that it is eight months since I last wrote on my blog. In fact I had to try and work out how to view past posts and how to update my site.

Life seemed to get in the way and other things always came ahead of the need for me to acknowledge my progress or lack there of.

I have continually been full of excuses – I will get back to my writing when this is done….or after this event…..and so on.

If I am truthful with myself and anyone who cares to read this blog I need to put up my hand and claim ownership over my own lack of productivity.

I have proven over the last five weeks when challenged by Joy (A & A Book Publishing) that it is possible to move forward. She suggested that I commit to writing 500 words a day for 30 days as one of her clients had found this had worked for them.

Instead of coming up with another excuse as to why this wasn’t achievable I modified it to what I thought would work with my challenging life and agreed to make it 300 words.

It is amazing that in 30 days I wrote 9000 words. So keen was I with this achievement that I have committed to another 300 words a day for 30 days.

I have discovered that if you break things up into achievable chunks, it is possible to move forward and as they say one word at a time is all it takes to write a book.

Until next time…#doitregardless#

Spent another two hours today on editing.  I find that my need for perfection keeps me focusing on a sentence and not able to leave it until it feels right.  I have made a deal with myself that as I finish a page I will move on and not go back and re-read it or I will never finish this chapter.#doitregardless

I have been sitting at the computer for the last five hours on and off and after a very slow start this morning.   I finally feel that I am moving forward.  I get distracted so easily and it is as if I deliberately look for things to distract me.  I need patience as sometimes I sit for half an hour mulling over the construction of one sentence as it doesn’t quite convey what I want it to.  At this rate I will be old and grey before I finish this book.  But onwards and upwards.  Till tomorrow when we meet again.#doitregardless

Yesterday I sat at my computer from 12.15pm until 6pm last night reworking chapter 14.  I would love to say it was uninterrupted but it wasn’t.  There were tradesman here doing various things but I did manage to spend some time although not quality time doing what I love.  I am hoping for a more successful day today.  I have certainly learnt that if I ever wait until the time is right it never will be as life can have its own agenda.#doitregardless

On Friday I did about three hours in total re-working chapter 14 which was wonderful.  This weekend I have not done anything on my writing but have spent the time with family and my grand daughter.  Gearing up for a very productive week as it needs to be to get somewhere near the deadline that I set myself.  Until tomorrow it is bye for now.

Yesterday I wrote on my Blog, posted another snippet to my Facebook page and did one tweet.  Again I did not spend the time on my book that I had allocated but I did manage one hour in the morning re-writing or editing Chapter 14.  Today is a new day and I am just about to make a cup of tea and disappear for a couple of hours to continue where I left off.  Really need to ask myself the question ‘Am I being truly honest or am I using every other reason as an excuse  to not get to this project?’  I am my own worst enemy.  FEAR can stop me from doing the very thing I am so passionate about.  The fear of failure or the fear of success…..what if I am not good enough and my writing sucks and my story is not worth publishing or even worse I lose my family in the process because I have done the very thing that validates who I am as a person.  Their fear  keeps my family from giving the support I crave.  My book is about me and my journey and is not being written to hurt anyone.  My truth is my reality and I CAN’T and WON’T change that.  Here is to a more productive day…..#doitregardless

All I managed yesterday was to update my blog, put another snippet on my Facebook page and to do two tweets.  Not quite what I was hoping to get done but at least it is focusing my attention on my book.  Today I am ready to take action but my writing space has been invaded by the plumber and the underfloor heating guys.  I am easily distracted and can do that myself without having others encroaching on my personal space.  Here’s hoping for a productive day!#doitregardless

Well here I am nearly two months after writing my last blog and not much has happened on the Writing front. Mind you I was away on holiday for five and a half weeks and since getting home I have been catching up on the things that have needed my attention. Now it is time to focus on ME and one of the things I am most passionate about. I am confined to home for the next two weeks due to a medical procedure on my Achilles and there is no excuse to not complete the edit on Chapter 14. My goal is to have the final draft finished by the 16th of September. To keep it real I am going to update my blog daily as a way to keep me on track. So until tomorrow….it is goodbye for now.#doitregardless