Summer? What summer?

This is what it looks like outside my window right now. Not very summery, right? Apparently it's 6.4°C at the moment, so it doesn't feel very summery either. But that's ok, it's not going to stop me from participating in Beth's Second Summer in the City blogfest (which I am a tad late for, by the way).

Since the idea behind this blogfest is to make writerly goals for summer (or dreary winter holidays) and I kinda already did that on the weekend, I thought I'd look at how I'm going to try to keep those goals.

In February I wrote a post about creating a writing habit. I am the sort of person who finds it very hard to stick to goals. I have so little self-discipline I wonder if it even exists. I am easily distracted.

When I wrote the writing habit post I had very good intentions, but you know what they say (and at the risk of sounding cliche): the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

Today is the seventh day of June. I've done no writing or revisions. I have read four books. Three out of four were very good books. (Read Divergent, Poison Study and Crown Duel if you haven't already!) Now I have to put reading on hold for a while, because I know myself, and I know if I keep going through my new books no writing will get done.

It's time to try out the writing habit again.

To summarise the five steps to building a writing habit:

  1. Commit to thirty days of writing (or in my case, revising). No skipping days.
  2. Make it a ritual. Do the writing/revising first thing in the day.
  3. If my self discipline really isn't doing it for me (it hasn't got the best track record), remove temptation.
  4. Write it down and put it somewhere I can see it.
  5. Have a buddy.

And here is my June 'To Do' list (ugh... goals... maybe I'll stop using that word).

Those words of wisdom at the bottom are from my CP Maggie. Told you I was going to put them on my wall!

 

So, who wants to be my writing/revising buddy for the next 30 days? I'll keep you accountable if you do the same for me! Head on over to Beth's blog and encourage all the other goal setters, too.