Friday, July 1, 2011

Are You a Bench Warmer or Are You In the Game?

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True confession time: I am a writer who has been warming the bench for a while now.


Oh, I write. 

I write blog entries. I write e-mails. And, I even wrote a nice lengthy article for my local newspaper a few weeks ago ... but as to writing the fiction God placed a passion for on my heart a LONG time ago - I've been warming the bench for far too long.

I am at least warming the bench with a lot of writing books on my lap, and a lot of completed graphics projects on my trusty laptop (I am a full-time freelance graphic artist), but it truly bothers me that I have hardly touched my fiction since January. Oh, I could continue to make excuses about how busy my graphics business is, how my kids are always needing me, but I'm tired of not being committed to my dream. Even if I write less per day than many other writers - my gut tells me that I'll be happier if I am at least sensing some progress is being made.

So, ... I am signing up for the ACFW NovelTrack Writing for July. I'm committing to write 2,500 words a week and 12,500 for the month. I know for many of you that is a pitifully small goal, but for me it will be a good start. A VERY good start! I'll post my word count at the end of each week in the comments section here as well - for accountability. Certainly NOT to brag!


Are there any other bench warmers out there? Why don't you 'get in the game' with me and join in the ACFW Novel Track challenge! It starts today, so none of us are behind on our word count ... yet. (10,000 words by the end of the month is the minimum goal.)

6 comments:

  1. Suzanne,

    Thank you for the encouraging article. In one way, I'm moving ahead working on the novel I had originally completed in '08, but I've been letting the follow-up sit. I at one time had an October completion date for the follow-up -- LAST October!

    Like you, I singed up for the ACFW Novel writing track. I don't think your goal is small at all. I do have a bigger one, but to be honest, mine might be too big. (I chose 22,500 words, because I'm submitting to the critique group, and that number is the equivalent of critique submissions for the month.)

    Thanks for the encouragement.

    Jeff

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  2. The 4th of July doings are getting in the way a bit, but I've made some progress regardless. I think I'm at about 800 words for two days. Compared to the last several months that's major progress for me. I can only hope that it will be like a snowball rolling downhill ... picking up momentum as I go!

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  3. As of Sunday I'm at 2589 words. Hope to keep the momentum going ...

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  4. Didn't do as well this week - less than 1000 words. Pretty pathetic ... however, I did complete several emergency graphic design projects this week so I hope to pick up the pace next week.

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  5. Met my goal! 12,547 words so far. 47 over my goal. It was across multiple projects, but is still WAY better than I had been doing. If only I can keep up the momentum :) Thanks for all the encouragement here and on the Novel Track e-loop.

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