I see so many articles that say that in order to be a writer, you have to write every day… One of the biggest issues I have with this is that you end up with a pile of first drafts and don’t have the time to edit! At least, I’ve found that’s true for me as I juggle writing time with a day job and everything that comes from being a mum.
For example, I participated in the 12×12 in 12 challenge back in 2012. I did this for 2 years and now have a pile of first drafts of picture books that need editing and publishing. I have also been participating in the Chapter Book Challenge and have a number of manuscripts that need polishing.
That doesn’t include other stories and novels in varying stages of completion.
Lately I’ve been finding writing challenging. It’s not that the ideas aren’t there, it’s more that when I sit down, it’s hard to focus on the words. I know this is part of my general overwhelm of life right now…
So I’ve made a decision. This year will be a year of editing and finishing some of those manuscripts that need attention.
At the end of last year, I finished the manuscript for one of my picture books and it will be published later this year. Getting the manuscript to this point gave me a huge sense of achievement. I’ve already started work on the next manuscript, sending it to an editor earlier this evening. I even have my re-writing project ready for the Chapter Book Challenge in March!
Watch this space for some new titles coming out by me. I have picture books, chapter books, novels, and more that are sitting there, just waiting to be knocked into shape. Who knows what the next book will be.
