It’s been a week of ups and downs, like most weeks.

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Last weekend I started off by writing the blog posts for the week, more or less (the book review and WordlessWednesday) – the book review for Nine Lives was a cheat as you will see if you read it but by happy circumstance the book is currently FREE to download so it was great timing and you can click on the title of the book to go and get it.

I then had some book client work to do so I spent much of Saturday and Sunday formatting and then uploading manuscripts to publishing platforms. Then checking, tweaking, re-uploading and so on and so on, you get the picture. Anyone who does their own publishing knows what I am talking about only I feel that much more responsible when I am doing it for someone else.

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I have also, hold the front page, come of age in the publishing world because this week I, or rather A Single Step (which amounts to the same thing), have been 1*’d… I am treating it like a badge of honour because I believe it means that there are enough copies of my books out there to not please everyone, out of those who can be bothered to review of course.

This was offset by a fabulous new review for The Joker anyway so it’s all swings and roundabouts isn’t it?

On Monday I got my final blog post for the week written, the podcast one. Then on Tuesday I was working away and listening to The Stark Reflections Podcast when I got a thank you mention, a really lovely one too so that was terrific and put a bounce in my step.

I had a promotion starting on Tuesday too so put a newsletter together for that, and every time I am doing that at the moment I keep being reminded I still need to do all my GDPR stuff – I have put a whole day aside for it next week. (That sounds like it’s going to be a lot of fun! :-D)

Wednesday was the day when our library bus comes for its monthly visit. Dave, who runs that bus was asking how my writing was going and when I replied, slowly, a discussion started on what I was writing etc etc. From the back of the bus one of my neighbours said she hoped I was making good progress with the sequel to Parallel Lies, and when would that be out? Gulp… there’s nothing quite like being put on the spot to concentrate the mind! Still it’s nice to know there’s someone out there wanting to read it πŸ˜€

Duly motivated I did two hours of writing, on the sequel, that very evening. I write at about 500 words an hour. So an 80,000 word book should take around 160 hours for the first draft. Hmmm…

On Thursday and Friday I had the covers back for the client I am working for so spent some time loading those up and checking again. I was able to order one proof so I am looking forward to seeing that as I think there may be an issue with the interior file – fingers crossed my fears will prove unfounded.

I had to send out another newsletter on Friday because of another promotion starting and I wrote a couple of blog posts for next week. I also did another couple of hours writing as well so that was a really good day.

Also, Claire, if you are reading this thank you for the prod regarding the audio on Friday. I came back and have progressed those plans too. I’ve picked a narrator for The Joker and asked for an audition from him. I’ve also tracked down a narrator Claire recommended to see if there is any chance of getting her to do the Grayson Trilogy for me. I think it is unlikely but if you don’t ask then you never know, do you?

Finally, onto this weeks stats and I know what is going to be an issue here, working on two projects.

Project B – Hill of Beans –  previously 5532 words – still 5532 words.

Project C – Parallel Lies sequel – previously 45 words – now 3563 words.

Onward.

Images courtesy of Pixabay

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14 Responses to Accountability Post #3 ~ To Reach That Goal ~ #amwriting #publishing
  1. On the subject of productivity, what is all the GDPR stuff? I’m not sure if I should be doing something, but unsure what. People keep mentioning it, but no one explains… Help please?

    • I have been collating various bits of info about it and yes, I think we should all be doing something if we have blogs and newsletters etc. Anything that involves someone giving us their data. I tell you what, I’m spending Tuesday sorting this out and I will share more after then of what I’ve done then you can see what you need to do and copy my stuff if it is appropriate. πŸ˜€

  2. I’ve just read this (coffee-toast-email-Twitter-blog post-pre-writing time!) and I’ve got to say it…. thank you so much for the Nine Lives review, I DO appreciate it, and the mention here, so I’m going to return the favour with a helpful suggestion that will help you get the novel(s) written. It’s this: stop taking on all these projects, they’re eating up your writing time! If writing has taken not second place but tenth place after everything else, including blog posts and podcasts and book reviews (and thank you again!), it’s going to take three years to write one of them. Your book is trying to get your attention, crying out, ‘hey, wasn’t this supposed to be all about ME, not writing blog reviews for that mouthy bee-yatch Terry Tyler?’

    When people say ‘you’re so prolific’ and I say ‘you should see the state of my house’, it’s only half a joke. I know you have commitments with clients that MUST come first, because it’s your livelihood, but the rest of it – pffft. The state of the house can wait, blogging can wait; in the time it took to write this post, edit, it, re-read, choose gifs, etc, you could have written 1000 words. I scarcely blog at all when I’m mid-write, except for my (approx) weekly book review.

    You’re so good about being generous to your fellow writers, commenting on blog posts, etc, and doing stuff for other people – perhaps it’s time to say, no, I need this time for ME, to write. Or, ‘I have a novel to write, I can’t take on anything else’. I know it’s hard when you’re astrologically programmed to make life hard for yourself (!! :D!!), but it’s the only way. Your kids have flown the nest, yes? One married, one at university? Try the ‘I will be writing on Monday, Thursday and Sunday afternoons, and don’t want to be disturbed’ approach. Your husband won’t mind, and nor will the ironing pile, the blog, other people’s blogs, Twitter, Facebook. As long as your clients are taken care of, that is the only thing you HAVE to do.

    You probably won’t do any of this, but it’s an idea! Or you could try having your leg in a brace like I currently have, so that you actively CAN’T do much else… all you can do is sit and write! (And that IS a joke – it’s a f***ing pain in the arse, I can hardly walk!!).

    • Firstly, sorry about your leg situation, I had no idea and I hope it improves quickly. Secondly, you are quite right in me needing to reorder my priorities – it may not seem like it but I am actually doing that and I am blocking my writing time out as sacrosanct, and surprisingly it has been helpful in doing these posts because it makes me analyse actually what I am spending my time on each week and is making me increase my writing hours each week too. Thirdly, I know it is a real pain for you to come and comment here because of browser situations etc so I really do appreciate it and I will absolutely take what you say on board – fortunately I am extremely good at putting all household tasks well down the list of my things to do, so that’s a good start!! Cheers,T πŸ˜€

      • Gotcha – and whatever works for you, indeed! I just saw that review of Nine Lives and thought, no no, take that time for YOURSELF! It’s only a slight pain with the browsers – we’ve got internet probs at the moment and I have to hobble into another room with my laptop to use it at all; the other ones are so slow! Tip – if ever you feel like changing your provider to Talk Talk – don’t!

        And yes, let’s hear it for the unimportance of household tasks – my general way of going on is to do hardly anything at all, then one day look around and say ‘I can’t stand living in this pigsty’, and have a blitz. It’s why I need to have house guests once every few months – it makes me clean properly! I am obsessive about bathroom hygiene, bed changing and washing clothes, but that’s all. And I can’t even wash clothes right now because I live in a first floor flat and can’t get out to the back garden to hang it out!!!

        • I was once with Talk Talk… never again!! I am now at the point of having everything I wear in the ironing pile so it’s ironed as I need it at the moment, and that means the pile (nearly up to my height!) is on the sofa and the ironing board is permanently up in the sitting room, not ideal… and I hoover if I know someone’s coming round, and that’s it. πŸ˜€

    • judith anne barrow May 13, 2018 at 9:41 am Reply

      All that Terry says is so right. I’m trying to follow these ideas… I started with the housework… what housework!!

  3. Oh my Goodness, you have been so industrious, Georgia Rose!

    You have a monthly library bus? That is so cool. You can tell library bus driver Dave that he is now famous around the world.

    Good luck with the promotions!
    ~Icky. πŸ™‚

    • Thank you, Icky. We are stuck out in the sticks a little so the bus provides a service to those village-bound. It is under threat at the moment so we’re trying to make sure as many as possible are using it so it is seen as vital to the area πŸ˜€ Thanks for reading and commenting πŸ˜€

  4. Wow G, you really are a woman on a mission and you’re really motivating me. I might even make a list this weekend!

    • Good to hear, E. I live by my lists πŸ™‚ I am trying to do some plot planning via mind maps at the moment – not sure I’ve quite got the hang of that. Good luck with your list πŸ˜‰


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