For my New Year's Resolution I put together a writing schedule that I would try to follow.  One week has gone by and I am proud to say that I have finished a chapter.  Even with a weekend full of travel, cupcakes and a child's birthday party, I was able to finish the draft to a chapter of my book.  Now, I must keep the momentum going.

Truth be told, I can already feel the excuses bottling up inside me: long day at work, too tired to write, etc.  I can also feel the laziness come on along with the need to watch my favorite shows on TV.  Forget the fact that most of them are on On Demand and I can watch some of them commercial free.  I just have the need to watch them live on the night the first air.  It is a need I must ignore.

If I can keep this momentum going, that's one chapter a week I can finish.  Most books being around 20 chapters long and since I already had 6 done by the time I started this resolution, that means I have at most 13 more chapter to go.  That's 13 weeks, only 3 and a half months.  Which means, if I keep it going, I can be well into the revising stage by summer.

It is definitely a challenge with both my attitude and a social life getting in the way, but that's why I write it down for all of you to see.  I can't let you down and in turn I won't let myself down.  Let's work together on this.

The time is upon us. This time tomorrow it'll be a new year, a new beginning and a new resolution to obtain.  My previous post gave examples of things I wanted to Get With It, Get Into It, and Get Over It.  And while that list is a good starting point, I wanted to take this time to elaborate on my biggest goal this year: Finish Writing My Book.

I have done this resolution many times before and have been both successful and unsuccessful with it.  There was one year, I was so dedicated that I even went out to socialized but made sure not to get drunk because I needed a clear head in the morning.  When I finished that book, I had such a feeling of accomplishment, I thought nothing could stop me.  Of course, that was not the case and life knew better.  I have yet to finish a book since then.

I have one I am working on and I believe it's a good story to tell.  I've been working on it all year and have yet to finish half way through the draft.  That changes tomorrow.  I have come up with a writing schedule, one that I hope will allow me not only to finish the first draft, but the rewrite and the editing as well.  I am hoping the schedule allows me to finish the book in it's entirety.  Here it is:

Monday-Thursday: Get home from work, make dinner and then write for the rest of the night.
Friday: A free night to do whatever.
Saturday: Write all day until 7 or 8pm.
Sunday: Free day to run errands, catch up on TV, read, whatever.

The schedule might change from week to week due to social engagements, but I'm hoping to keep to it at least 80% of the time.  I will do most of my reading on the train, but will also use that time to write if inspiration hits (can't let that pass).  Then perhaps on my free time I will blog about my progress or write it down in my writing journal (yes, I have a writing journal outside of this blog). 

I'm telling you about it in hopes you will keep me grounded.  As with most things in life, circumstances happen and I need to be able to overcome those circumstances and continue on my path.  If I'm ever going to have my dream of walking into a book store and seeing my book on the shelf come true, I need to finish the book.  I can't have one without doing the other.

A best friend on mine wrote a post on her blog iamnotyourguru about the year ending.  Yup, 2012 is just around the corner and she put together a somewhat "New Years Resolution" list.  The Get With It, Get Into It and Get Over It list has inspired me to put my resolution list finally out there for you to see.  I've been thinking about it for a while now and have been waiting for the right time to post it.  With her fabulous way of organizing the list, I have decided to take a page out of her book and put together my Get With It, Get Into It and Get Over It list.  Here goes:

Get With It
    - Finishing my Book: The only way I'm ever going to be a published author is to finish my book.  I have one completed, but have recently realized that it's not the right book to start with.  The one I'm working on now is the right one, but I've been having a hard time getting through it.  I have decided starting January 1 to put in place a writing schedule, one that will allow me the time I need to finish the book I have been working on all year and get it done before 2012 ends.

    - Launching this Website: I've been working with this website for two years now and I have yet to actually tell more than just my handful of friends about it.  I think it's time to tell the world.  Self-marketing is one of the great ways to launch a writing career, especially with keeping a blog.  It gets your name out there.  I have to do this.

Get Into It
    - Socializing: I need to do more of it.  Yes, I socialize, but I'm starting to find myself more comfortable being alone in my condo.  There is nothing wrong with a little me time, but I can't lock myself into my own little world no matter how comfortable it may feel.  I need to remember to get out there as well.  Maybe I should start with trying new things, a cooking class, a dance class, etc.  It's hard sometimes when you don't really have the money to spend freely.

    - Happiness: I steal this one friend my friend. But she makes a good point. It take less energy to smile than to frown.

Get Over It
    - Negative Thinking: I can't help it. I'm such a worry wart that my brain in constantly thinking about what can go wrong instead of what can go right.  I try not to let fear rule me sometimes but I have to admit to myself that worry is, in itself, it's own kind of fear.  It needs to stop.

    - Being Single: I need to stop complaining or worrying about it.  While I want to meet that special someone, I can't let it consume me to the point where everything else gets put into the back burner, especially my motivation to write.  It'll happen when it's meant to happen and I need to start putting my energy elsewhere.  It's easier said than done, I know.  But no time like the present to give it a try.