I try to be a writer, good or bad, and I even manage it from time to time. The trouble is that I procrastinate and fail to finish, or else I get something out that I am almost embarrassed to show people.

I think this needs to change, so I need a deadline and a nudge.  I get these enough at work, but let’s not get into that; I like having an income…

Lucky, Sir Terry Pratchett has put his name to a contest that fulfils those criteria [LINK]. Good start, but it needs something more.  It needs some structure and some target to aim for.  Oh look…

I recently came across the 1000 Words A Day Challenge on another blog and I did the maths; I need to do 4000 words a week to hit the deadline (even without editing) and so 1000 words a day, six days a week is not unreasonable to attempt.  I am not sure I will officially tie myself to that target, not with a day-job and a toddler also competing for my time, but it works as a target.

Okay, time to come up with a plan for making it happen…

Step one, introduce the indolent rake Mr. Bottom to the tireless taskmaster Sgt. Boot.  I have weekends when my daughter is napping and I have evenings when she is sleeping.  (usually; it was 11:30 by the time she went to bed last night)  I might have to start looking at my lunchtimes too, since Sgt. Boot might think writing is more important than Left 4 Dead.

Step two is to work out what I am writing.  I think A Prince of Shadows is going on hold, since the contest specifies ‘set on Earth’ and APoS isn’t.  My wife suggests working from one of my writing exercises, especially one like The Shining Host or Lethell’s Home-Coming, but I have seen that people also seem to like Father Leonard’s Investigation as the start of something bigger.

Step three is to get started, but my daughter is awake now, so that might have to wait…