Accountability Buddies

[Nouveaunew]

I love writing and have been writing for decades but my output is really sporadic due to PMDD and ADD! So, I’m wondering if anyone else who isn’t just starting out writing but really needs to feel accountable would like to be accountability buddies here? We could make our own ‘rules’ once we know who is on board …

I'm up for this. My number one rule would be to write something each day even if just research notes or a few sentences. I want to re-establish writing as a habit. I've been faffing about with querying agents and it would do me good to focus on the fun part again.

What are you writing at the moment?

@Drybird2020

I need to get back into the habit too. I’m working on some stories and poems but they’ve been left to sit for far too long.

Rule 1:

1. Write something for the project every day.

Maybe rule 2 could be to check in here to say we wrote every day? I know some days we’ve more time than others to post here (& write) but even just to say ‘sat down and wrote a bit today.’

I did write a bit today! I am taking a break from one project and giving another a go.

Is it a novel?

Me please.
Writing a series. Haven't finished anything yet.

Welcome aboard @britneyisfree

Yes, a novel. YA. The last one was contemporary, this is historical.

Yay!

I've been getting super distracted lately with other tasks instead of focusing on this - my dream.

Great stuff @Drybird2020 I tend towards contemporary in my writing but I’d imagine a historical one could be illuminating — the research alone must be intriguing.

That’s great @britneyisfree I couldn’t have put it better myself.

So how will we make this work? A daily post (however long or brief — whatever suits) to just check in and say the writing was done?

Drybird suggested a daily writing rule (and Stephen King and Anne Lamott agree!).

So, daily writing & a daily post? Anything else?

Ooh yes daily check in sounds great. It's so much harder to pick up after a day off!!

When I write daily I get so much more done even with less hours than when I pick up here and there.

So will we start tomorrow so?

There's no time like now. 😁

I had great intentions of getting up early to write, and was thwarted by a very awake and busy DC. I did manage a few hundred words yesterday, and have some handwritten notes from earlier in the week.

@Nouveaunew I am enjoying the research but the setting is in the Dark Ages which gives a lot of scope for artistic licence!

@Drybird2020

Artistic license is a gift from the gods!

Good on you. ✍️

I haven’t written yet today and my desire to write is bubbling over at this stage. I’ll post again once I’ve actually done it (I’m great at talking about it!).

I wrote today for 1.5 hours after a long long fear-filled break since May. Oh it felt great to struggle in front of the laptop again.

Well done, @Nouveaunew, you have broken the seal.

I had to wait until everyone had gone to bed and then did a couple of hours' reviewing one of my projects. There were a few nice surprises and I think I'll carry on with it.

That’s great @Drybird2020
I like the reviewing process. As I’ve abandoned my writing for so long, it’s had quite a while to ‘sit’ which is good in ways as I’m less attached to it.

My laptop is on its last legs though; so I’ll need to tackle that soon!

I haven’t written yet today as I’ve been working until now but I’ll do some tonight and post once it’s done. 🤞🏼

I got 30 minutes writing done! Little by little!

Well done, @Nouveaunew. Another day with a tick against it 🙂

I've been working out the timelines (there are 2) and filling in plot holes.

@Drybird2020
Sounds good. Good to get down to the nitty-gritty.

Yesterday and today; a bit of a rewrite of one chapter and some research leading to the discovery of a useful plot device.

That’s great @Drybird2020

Yesterday I further developed a poem and changed its course for the better — I think. It was a short session. I didn’t get any done today but ‘tomorrow is another day.’

Short is fine, I think. It's regularity that needs establishing, then we can pick up the pace. 🙂

I'm writing now, so checking in while it occurs to me .

@Drybird2020

Good on you . Keep writing. 😊

Yes, good to start with increased frequency & then increase the length of sessions — mine are so short right now … but chin up!

I managed every day last week, but only in little bits. The weekend is a write off. Literally .

Every day is amazing! Well done.

I did three days (with each session being 30 mins - 1 hour). My attention span and fear/procrastination are ridiculous but hoping to build them back up again. I’m at my desk now but haven’t started writing yet.