At the end of last year, I signed up to do the WriteChain challenge. The idea was to build up a “chain” of links — daily challenges — to get used to a consistent practise.
In April, my winning streak kicked in, and as I completed the re-write of my current work-in-progress, I had 90 days of writing in a row (earning me the title of “Master”). I took some time off from writing and editing, having some rest and working lightly on some short story submissions.
However, I’m back to editing now, and I realised that without a daily goal, I couldn’t be bothered. It’s hot (90F in England is unheard of, darn it), I’m tired and to be honest, I’ve got other stuff to be worrying about (like moving house, the changes in my jobs and my birthday).
But the moment I thought “you’ve edited, writing a minimum of 50 new words a day” for nearly a week, I suddenly found I wanted to edit. With FantasyCon around the corner, I need to be building up a regular practise again – and 50 new words requires editing around a page, which is do-able for a daily practise. In fact, if I reach 55 words a day, that’s 20,000 words a year. Not bad, for something that may take just ten minutes.
So here’s to day 8 of a new challenge. With a target to aim for, motivation is high. I’ve managed 90 links; why shouldn’t I shoot for 100? And if I reach it, I’ll be classed a “Write Chain Champion”. (Yes, a title is as good as any other motivator.)
See you on the other side. (24th of October, fingers crossed…)