August 2020 Update

August is the month of what the f***. The month crept by at a snail’s pace, yet my word count sucked. I released City of Bones on time, which is good, but there are some many other projects I wanted to get done. It makes my stretch goal of 800k for 2020 not going to happen. But maybe if I hustle, I can get 750k? On a happy note, my editing is getting under control. I think I can cross something off my list.

2020 GOALS

1. Write 600,000 words in publishable story related projects.
   • (Bonus) Write 800,000 words as a stretch goal.
   • (Bonus)Write 750,000 words as a stretch goal.
2. Write every day of at least 500 words, making words in a row at 731 days in a row.
3. Catch up on editing, allowing only 2 manuscripts waiting to be edited.
4. Edit every day of 1 chapter at a minimum.
5. Secure cover art for any book in the editing stage.
6. Publish a minimum of 1 book.
7. Publish a minimum of 3 books.
8. Publish a minimum of 5 books.
9. Publish a minimum of 7 books.
10. Write one blog post a week.
11. Write update blogs at the start of every month.
    • Write an update blog for the remaining months.
12. Clean up Tokyo Tempest #1 with a proofread.
13. Write and submit 5 short stories to markets.
14. Publish 7 short stories or novellas to amazon.
15. Set up a Patreon account.
16. Set up proper social media author accounts and a proper newsletter.
17. Have 1 paying client of editing services.
18. Make 100 dollars one month through publishing.
19. Make 500 dollars one month through publishing.
20. Make 1000 dollars one month through publishing.
21. (Bonus) Get back in shape physically by losing 20 lbs
    • (Bonus) Loose another 20 lbs

Breakdown of Goals.

As I have so many goals, and many of them build on others, I will be only going over the goals I am dealing with at the moment.

1. Write 600,000 words in publishable story related projects.
   • I am at 430k words for 2020. This month I wrote 51,740 words. If I keep this pace up, I will be around 637k words for the year. This is good. While not stretch goal great, it is improving and getting me excitied. I am wondering how many other projects I get off my plate.
   • I did math and 800k stretch goal is 95k a month. That will not happen. But 750k is 80k a month. This is also probably not going to happen, but closer to a possibility. So it’s now 750k.
2. Write every day of at least 500 words, making words in a row at 731 days in the road.
   • I am on day 611 of 731. I am making my goal. It is hard at times, but I am doing it.
3. Catch up on editing allowing no more than 2 manuscripts waiting to be edited.
   • I pushed on the editing this month, while I have projects I am editing, I only have two waiting to be edited. This is a marked improvement. This excites me as I refine my production process to get novels published and on your kindles.
4. Edit every day of 1 chapter at a minimum.
   • I got this one down. I have managed to make it something I do during my normal day.
5. Secure cover art for any book in the editing stage.
   • I have decided to only do covers for books that are getting close. No need to stress over it. At the moment I have covers for the three Order of Ghosts Saga books. I will seek to get more covers once others get closer to publication.
6. Publish a minimum of 1 book.
   • Done! Enlisted. Book one of the Agent O’Neal Saga.
7. Publish a minimum of 3 books.
   • Kidnapped. Book two of the Agent O’Neal Saga.
   • Traitor. Book three of the Agent O’Neal Saga.
8. Publish a minimum of 5 books.
   • Felix the Fallen. Book one of the Order of Ghosts Saga.
   • City of Ghosts. Book two of the Order of Ghosts Saga.
9. Publish a minimum of 7 books.
10. Write one blog post a week.
    • This is being done. I have yet to miss one and I don’t attend to miss it.
11. Write an update blog for the remaining months.
    • This is to keep going. No time to waste.
12. Clean up Tokyo Tempest #1 with a proofread.
13. Write and submit 5 short stories to markets.
    • I should write some short stories.
    • I am networking and have submitted a few. Maybe I will get lucky?
14. Publish 7 short stories or novellas to amazon.
15. Set up a Patreon account.
    • I need to make a move on this. No one can sign up to something that doesn’t exist.
16. Set up proper social media author accounts and a proper newsletter.
    • https://www.facebook.com/groups/nathanpeddeauthor/
    • I now have a real Facebook group. This is a step in the right direction. Come join it. Join the party.
17. Have 1 paying client of editing services.
18. Make 100 dollars one month through publishing.
19. Make 500 dollars one month through publishing.
20. Make 1000 dollars one month through publishing.
21. (Bonus) Loose another twenty pounds.
    • I have been doing Keto for a month now. My weight has dipped down to 238lbs, but its hard to push it down. I will try another month before giving something else a go.

Future Plans.

I have so much to do. I need to get as many projects I can done. There is so much I want to write and so many stories I want to tell. This is the time to get it all done. The final push to the end of the year. So The question remains, how many novels can I get published this year and what will next year look like?

This journey is not something I can do alone. It takes support from many people for it to become a reality. The easiest way is to visit my Amazon Author Page and purchase one of my books. They are available in all countries and for free in Kindle Unlimited. I have a tip jar set up at Ko-Fe, where you can buy me a coffee. Or you can also visit me on Facebook. Your help and support are much appreciated.

July 2020 Update

July has been a busy month. Many words have been done, with many more not done. I went into this month full tilt, despite delays from being summer. Who wants to be inside writing when I live walking distance to the beach. I have published Order of Ghosts Saga Book 1 and Book 2 will be released on August 15. I am finishing up some last-minute details on it. I have more books planned, so making the 7 books published by the end of the year is an actual possibility.

2020 GOALS

1. Write 600,000 words in publishable story related projects.
   • (Bonus) Write 800,000 words as a stretch goal.
2. Write every day of at least 500 words, making words in a row at 731 days in a row.
3. Catch up on editing, allowing no more than 2 manuscripts waiting to be edited.
4. Edit every day of 1 chapter at a minimum.
5. Secure cover art for any book in the editing stage.
6. Publish a minimum of 1 book.
7. Publish a minimum of 3 books.
8. Publish a minimum of 5 books.
9. Publish a minimum of 7 books.
10. Write one blog post a week.
11. Write update blogs at the start of every month.
    • Write an update blog for the remaining months.
12. Clean up Tokyo Tempest #1 with a proofread.
13. Write and submit 5 short stories to markets.
14. Publish 7 short stories or novellas to amazon.
15. Set up a Patreon account.
16. Set up proper social media author accounts and a proper newsletter.
17. Have 1 paying client of editing services.
18. Make 100 dollars one month through publishing.
19. Make 500 dollars one month through publishing.
20. Make 1000 dollars one month through publishing.
21. (Bonus) Get back in shape physically by losing 20 lbs
    • (Bonus) Loose another 20 lbs

Breakdown of Goals.

As I have so many goals, and many of them build on others, I will be only going over the goals I am dealing with at the moment.

1. Write 600,000 words in publishable story related projects.
   • I am at 375k words for 2020. This month I wrote 67,439 words. If I keep this pace up, I will be around 641k words for the year. This is good. I am writing way more than I did last year. I have managed to write more words this month than any other month since I started recording.
   • You may have noticed a stretch goal of 200k more words. This is not a sane decision. I recognize this. This is due to me looking at the novels I wish to produce this year and realizing I’m not going to get the manuscripts complete. I don’t expect to get this done as in order to make my 800k goal, I will have to write 2700 words a day. This is a crazy goal for someone who types it instead of dictating. Like I said. I don’t expect to get this done, but it is not for the lack of trying. Next month I need more if I seek to make the 800k stretch goal. I need another 19k words each month to make that goal.
2. Write every day of at least 500 words making words in a row at 731 days in the road.
   • I am on day 579 of 731. I am making my goal. It is hard at times, but I am doing it.
3. Catch up on editing allowing no more than 2 manuscripts waiting to be edited.
   • This is working. I suspect that I will be working on this goal until December. But we will see how I do. I have more to do with editing, I may have to work more on it, but with the added Bonus goal, it may be hard.
4. Edit every day of 1 chapter at a minimum.
   • I got this one down. I have managed to make it something I do during my normal day.
5. Secure cover art for any book in the editing stage.
   • I have decided to only do covers for books that are getting close. No need to stress over it. At the moment I have covers for the three Order of Ghosts Saga books. I will seek to get more covers once others get closer to publication.
6. Publish a minimum of 1 book.
   • Done! Enlisted. Book one of the Agent O’Neal Saga.
7. Publish a minimum of 3 books.
   • Kidnapped. Book two of the Agent O’Neal Saga.
   • Enlisted. Book three of the Agent O’Neal Saga.
8. Publish a minimum of 5 books.
   • I am only counting books published and not on pre-order.
   • Felix the Fallen. Book one of the Order of Ghosts Saga.
9. Publish a minimum of 7 books.
10. Write one blog post a week.
    • This is being done. I have yet to miss one and I don’t attend to miss it.
11. Write an update blog for the remaining months.
    • This is to keep going. No time to waste.
12. Clean up Tokyo Tempest #1 with a proofread.
13. Write and submit 5 short stories to markets.
    • I should write some short stories.
14. Publish 7 short stories or novellas to amazon.
15. Set up a Patreon account.
    • I need to make a move on this. No one can sign up to something that doesn’t exist.
16. Set up proper social media author accounts and a proper newsletter.
    • https://www.facebook.com/groups/nathanpeddeauthor/
    • I now have a real Facebook group. This is a step in the right direction. Come join it. Join the party.
17. Have 1 paying client of editing services.
18. Make 100 dollars one month through publishing.
19. Make 500 dollars one month through publishing.
20. Make 1000 dollars one month through publishing.
21. (Bonus) Loose another twenty pounds.
    • My January weight was 277lbs. My weight today 252lbs. I am twenty pounds lighter. This was all done by intermediate fasting. It seems to be working. As the year is only half over, then I will strive to loose another 20lbs.
    • My weight has not moved in a month. I have plateued. This was expected at some point. As of today, I have started the Keto diet. My wife is on it and has lost 15lbs in the threeish weeks she has been on it. Also, her energy has gone up. This is something I need.

Future Plans.

I have so much to do. With the insane publishing plan, I need to buckle down and get things done. This will be hard with summer fun standing in my way. For now, I need to get my hands to the keyboard and write. Complete things and learn more about marketing.

This journey is not something I can do alone. It takes support from many people for it to become a reality. The easiest way is to visit my Amazon Author Page and purchase one of my books. They are available in all countries and for free in Kindle Unlimited. I have a tip jar set up at Ko-Fe, where you can buy me a coffee. Or you can also visit me on Facebook. Your help and support are much appreciated.

April 2020 Update

With the ideal of keeping honest and transparent, here is a breakdown of April.

COVID-19

With still being locked down in my house, and everywhere closed or operation in a take-out only function, I have yet to get out to write much. My standard writing procedure is to rotate the place I write in. Most times I write at my desk. Except when I get “cabin fever” and must get out of the house. Before the COVID-19 bull, there are a few coffee shops I like to write in. One of them is Starbucks. But I only use that as they have a policy stating they can’t kick people out. The other is a coffee shop right on the beach. Being stuck in my house, I had to figure out how to stay productive.

Goal Recap.

2020 GOALS

1. Write 600,000 words in publishable story related projects.
2. Write every day of at least 500 words making words in a row at 731 days in the road.
3. Catch up on editing allowing no more than 2 manuscripts waiting to be edited.
4. Edit every day of 1 chapter at a minimum.
5. Secure cover art for any book in the editing stage.
6. Publish a minimum of 1 book.
7. Publish a minimum of 3 books.
8. Publish a minimum of 5 books.
9. Publish a minimum of 7 books.
10. Write one blog post a week.
11. Write update blogs at the start of every month.
    1. Write an update blog for the remaining months.
12. Clean up Tokyo Tempest #1 with a proofread.
13. Write and submit 5 short stories to markets.
14. Publish 7 short stories or novellas to amazon.
15. Set up a Patreon account.
16. Set up proper social media author accounts and a proper newsletter.
17. Have 1 paying client of editing services.
18. Make 100 dollars one month through publishing.
19. Make 500 dollars one month through publishing.
20. Make 1000 dollars one month through publishing.
21. (Bonus) Get back in shape physically by losing 20 lbs.

There are my goals for 2020.

Breakdown of Goals.

As I have so many goals, and many of them build on others, I will be only going over the goals I am dealing with at the moment.

1. Write 600,000 words in publishable story related projects.
   • I am at 204k words for 2020. This month I wrote 48,670 words. If I keep this pace up, I will be around 614k words for the year. This is good. I am writing more than I did last year. I want to raise that number for the year up, so I will have to do better in April
2. Write every day of at least 500 words making words in a row at 731 days in the road.
   • I am on day 487 of 731. I am making my goal.
3. Catch up on editing allowing no more than 2 manuscripts waiting to be edited.
   • There has been changes with this number. I looked back at my Felix story and decided to make some big changes in regards to the magic system. This means I now have an additional two novels to be edited. On a plus side, I have received edits for my Des O’Neal books. Look for updates on that in the next few weeks.
4. Edit every day of 1 chapter at a minimum.
   • This is being done. I have more focus on this than my other goals. Editing finished work is a week spot of mine. The time getting it done at least. I have been getting more editing per day than words. (Especially with changing Felix #1 and #2.
5. Secure cover art for any book in the editing stage.
   • Working on this. Hard going, but expect updates on it soon enough.
6. Publish a minimum of 1 book.
7. Publish a minimum of 3 books.
8. Publish a minimum of 5 books.
9. Publish a minimum of 7 books.
10. Write one blog post a week.
    • This is being done. I have yet to miss one and I don’t attend to miss it.
11. Write an update blog for the remaining months.
    • This is to keep going. No time to waste.
12. Clean up Tokyo Tempest #1 with a proofread.
13. Write and submit 5 short stories to markets.
    • I should write some short stories.
14. Publish 7 short stories or novellas to amazon.
15. Set up a Patreon account.
16. Set up proper social media author accounts and a proper newsletter.
17. Have 1 paying client of editing services.
18. Make 100 dollars one month through publishing.
19. Make 500 dollars one month through publishing.
20. Make 1000 dollars one month through publishing.
21. (Bonus) Get back in shape physically by losing 20 lbs.

Future plans.

I am getting close to being about to publish some manuscripts. I see the light at the end of the tunnel and it isn’t a train. I hope to get things moving and up. Being in the fifth month, I have yet to publish anything. I need to change that. I hope things will move soon and I will have some new titles being launched.

This journey is not something I can do alone. It takes support from many people for it to become a reality. The easiest way is to visit my Amazon Author Page and purchase one of my books. They are available in all countries and for free in Kindle Unlimited. I do have a tip jar set up at Ko-Fe, where you can buy me a coffee. Or you can also visit me on Facebook. Your help and support are much appreciated.

February 2020 Update

With the ideal of keeping honest and transparent, here is a breakdown of February.

Before I start. Oops.

At the end of January, there was supposed to be an update posted for the month. This had been missed. It had been written and not posted. So this means goal 11 will not be able to be completed. But that’s okay. I will make the other blog posts and keep going.

To sum up January, this was the second-best month I have ever done at 57k words. My editing is doing well making the daily editing goals.

Goal Recap.

2020 GOALS

1. Write 600,000 words in publishable story related projects.
2. Write every day of at least 500 words making words in a row at 731 days in the road.
3. Catch up on editing allowing no more than 2 manuscripts waiting to be edited.
4. Edit every day of 1 chapter at a minimum.
5. Secure cover art for any book in the editing stage.
6. Publish a minimum of 1 book.
7. Publish a minimum of 3 books.
8. Publish a minimum of 5 books.
9. Publish a minimum of 7 books.
10. Write one blog post a week.
11. Write update blogs at the start of every month.
12. Clean up Tokyo Tempest #1 with a proofread.
13. Write and submit 5 short stories to markets.
14. Publish 7 short stories or novellas to amazon.
15. Set up a Patreon account.
16. Set up proper social media author accounts and a proper newsletter.
17. Have 1 paying client of editing services.
18. Make 100 dollars one month through publishing.
19. Make 500 dollars one month through publishing.
20. Make 1000 dollars one month through publishing.
21. (Bonus) Get back in shape physically by losing 20 lbs.

There are my goals for 2020. I won’t be able to get the number 11 cause of my goof. But I will get others. I’m sure there are going to be many that I won’t be able to accomplish.

Breakdown of Goals.

As I have so many goals, and many of them build on others, I will be only going over the goals I am dealing with at the moment.

1. Write 600,000 words in publishable story related projects.
   • I am at 105k words for 2020. This month I wrote 47,811 words. If I keep this pace up, I will be around 631k words for the year. This is good. I am writing more than I did last year.
2. Write every day of at least 500 words making words in a row at 731 days in the road.
   • I am on day 426 of 731. I am making my goal. Every little bit helps.
3. Catch up on editing allowing no more than 2 manuscripts waiting to be edited.
   • I have five manuscripts waiting to be editing or currently being edited. Progress is being made. I think.
4. Edit every day of 1 chapter at a minimum.
   • This is being done. I have more focus on this than my other goals.
5. Secure cover art for any book in the editing stage.
6. Publish a minimum of 1 book.
7. Publish a minimum of 3 books.
8. Publish a minimum of 5 books.
9. Publish a minimum of 7 books.
10. Write one blog post a week.
    • This is being done. I have one to talk about today, which will go up after this one is done.
11. Write update blogs at the start of every month.
    • See above.
12. Clean up Tokyo Tempest #1 with a proofread.
13. Write and submit 5 short stories to markets.
    • I should write some short stories.
14. Publish 7 short stories or novellas to amazon.
15. Set up a Patreon account.
16. Set up proper social media author accounts and a proper newsletter.
17. Have 1 paying client of editing services.
18. Make 100 dollars one month through publishing.
19. Make 500 dollars one month through publishing.
20. Make 1000 dollars one month through publishing.
21. (Bonus) Get back in shape physically by losing 20 lbs.

Future plans.

More of the same, but with more short pieces written. With the three I am apart of, it has helped my Amazon Rankings and has gotten me a few sales. I do want to get a few other books published, however.

This journey is not something I can do alone. It takes support from many people for it to become a reality. The easiest way is to visit my Amazon Author Page and purchase one of my books. They are available in all countries and for free in Kindle Unlimited. I do have a tip jar set up at Ko-Fe, where you can buy me a coffee. Or you can also visit me on Facebook. Your help and support are much appreciated.

The Importance of Making Goals

Being the new year I hear all the time that people can’t do resolutions. Or that resolutions don’t work. To prove my point, I am going to bring attention back to my spreadsheet I made last January and filled out over the year.

This is what I did with my 2019 New Years’ resolution. Most resolutions aren’t things that take a single day or a month. They usually involve solving something large in their life. Losing weight is the most common, while others want to make more money.

They usually fail cause they don’t have a real plan on how they are going to enact those plans. They think things will just change when they won’t.

In order to make your life better for the long term, the change must be fought for every day. If a person isn’t willing to keep at it every day, then the resolution will fail.

This is why I have a daily goal. I have a setlist of small daily tasks that will equal the larger goal. As long as I make the daily goals, I will make my monthly goals. That will make me earn my yearly goals. Without these smaller goals, they are no way to keep track of the larger goal.

So if you have a New Year Resolution and want to be successful, then break the goal down into the smaller pieces. Then if you have the discipline to continue each day, you will be successful in your resolution. I did it, and so can you.

This journey is not something I can do alone. It takes support from many people for it to become a reality. The easiest way is to visit my Amazon Author Page and purchase one of my books. They are available in all countries and for free in Kindle Unlimited. I do have a tip jar set up at Ko-Fe, where you can buy me a coffee. Or you can also visit me on Facebook. Your help and support are much appreciated.

20 Goals for 2020.

2020 GOALS

1. Write 600,000 words in publishable story related projects.
2. Write every day of at least 500 words making words in a row at 731 days in the road.
3. Catch up on editing allowing no more than 2 manuscripts waiting to be edited.
4. Edit every day of 1 chapter at a minimum.
5. Secure cover art for any book in the editing stage.
6. Publish a minimum of 1 book.
7. Publish a minimum of 3 books.
8. Publish a minimum of 5 books.
9. Publish a minimum of 7 books.
10. Write one blog post a week.
11. Write update blogs at the start of every month.
12. Clean up Tokyo Tempest #1 with a proofread.
13. Write and submit 5 short stories to markets.
14. Publish 7 short stories or novellas to amazon.
15. Set up a Patreon account.
16. Set up proper social media author accounts and a proper newsletter.
17. Have 1 paying client of editing services.
18. Make 100 dollars one month through publishing.
19. Make 500 dollars one month through publishing.
20. Make 1000 dollars one month through publishing.
21. (Bonus) Get back in shape physically by losing 20 lbs.

Breakdown of Goals.

1. Write 600,000 words in publishable story related projects.

As I managed to write 526997 words in 2019, I need to increase that number for this year. This means that I need to increase my daily word goals from 1370 to 1639. This doesn’t seem like it will be a big stretch. This increase will is only slight and will help keep my writing practices from becoming stale. The increase will mean I’ll have a higher risk of burn-out, but I have hope that I can manage to keep it under control through my daily minimum.

2. Write every day of at least 500 words making words in a row at 730 days in the road.

A daily minimum is one of the main reasons I write every day. I have managed to write 365 days in a row, and I plan on keeping that number going. I’m not going to stop now. Increasing the minimum to 500 words is in response to me increasing my yearly number from 500k to 600k.

3. Catch up on editing allowing no more than 2 manuscripts waiting to be edited.

At the moment I have 6 novels either waiting to be edited or in the process. This needs to be corrected. This is due to last year, I edited very little in the first half of the year. I need to catch things up. In my editing process, I do three passes. One as a second draft to clean up the story, and two to clean up the prose. I count second passes and my edits by chapters edited. I don’t count words as I may have to cut words, and I need permission to do so.

To keep up with the number of words being written, I need to edit an approximate 375 chapters by the end of the year. This doesn’t include the additional amount of passes. I will need to edit at least 3 chapters a day to make the number, and I have a process to do just that.

This is probably one of the most time-intense goals to make and will allow for the success of multiple other goals.

4. Edit every day of 1 chapter at a minimum.

Due to the insane number of books to catch up on, I need to make sure I don’t have any off days. I find it is very easy to not edit anything that day in preference to write new words. This is something I need to work on.

5. Secure cover art for any book in the editing stage.

This was another reason I hadn’t managed to get many books published in 2019. Finding cost-effective cover art is hard. I could spend $500 on a cover, but I’d rather hunt and find something cheaper. It’s a business concept. Keep the costs of the product low, then it’s easier to make a profit.

6. Publish a minimum of 1 book.

This is a generic one, as I’ll probably end up changing my plan and write different projects. But at the bare minimum, I want to get 1 book out. Honestly, if this is all I get out, it will be a bit of a letdown.

7. Publish a minimum of 3 books.

A Stretch goal of the previous one. If this is all I get done, it’ll still be a letdown.

8. Publish a minimum of 5 books.

This is where I want to be. With the number of books in the editing pile, this seems reasonable that I can accomplish it.

9. Publish a minimum of 7 books.

The real stretch goal. Getting 7 books published for 2020 would be awesome and more than most authors.

10. Write one blog post a week.

This is a continuation of what I have been doing. I see no reason why I should increase or decrease this.

11. Write update blogs at the start of every month.

I enjoy writing the update posts, and once a month seems to be in the right place. This will continue.

12. Clean up Tokyo Tempest #1 with a proofread.

It needs to happen. It will happen this year if I manage to get things caught up.

13. Write and submit 5 short stories to markets.

With getting two short stories published in 2019, I have an interest in getting more. With the stories so short, it should be easier to get them done. Finding a market to accept them will be a challenge. But I shall try my best.

14. Publish 7 short stories or novellas to Amazon.

Writing short stories is a good pallet cleanser to other projects, and writing them helps keep my name in the new releases on Amazon.

15. Set up a Patreon account.

One defensive of my writing is building a fan base of readers who love my stories. This should help develop that.

16. Set up proper social media author accounts and a proper newsletter.

I have a facebook page and this blog. But to be successful, I will need more. This will help with that.

17. Have 1 paying client of editing services.

Working with other authors on their projects is something I enjoy. Getting paid for it would be better. Editing is what I want to do for a living.

18. Make 100 dollars one month through publishing.

Currently, with no new releases, I’m not making any money through my writing. This is something I want to change. This would be the first step. Make 100 dollars in a month. Amazon has a minimum payout of 100 dollars, and doing is crucial to being able to do this for a living.

19. Make 500 dollars one month through publishing.

Stretch goal. This would be a sizable chunk of my monthly budget and a good step forward.

20. Make 1000 dollars one month through publishing.

This is the goal I had in 2019. I doubt I will get here, but there is a chance. I will try and see.

21. (Bonus) Get back in shape physically by losing 20 lbs.

One issue I have been fighting with is my weight. I’m out of shape and to be blunt. I’m fat. I need to fix that. So my goal for 2020 is to lose 20 lbs and to keep it off. My current weight is 277lbs. This time last year it was 287lbs. That means I lost 10 lbs last year. It’s okay, but I need to do better.

If you like what you are reading and wish to support me in my endeavors, please sign up for my newsletter, visit my Amazon Author Page and purchase one of my books. Or buy me a coffee. You can also visit me on Facebook. Your help and support are much appreciated.

End of 2019 Report.

On the first of every new month, I have posted a small report on how I did during the previous month. The point of it is to show that I’m still putting my money where my mouth is. This tradition will continue, except for this report shall be for all of 2019 and not just December. I will talk about my accomplishments for December first, then move into 2019 as a whole.

DECEMBER ACCOMPLISHMENTS

1. I wrote 43,627 words.
2. I have written for 365 days in a row.
3. I have finished the first draft of my story with the temp title: Werewolf.
4. I have passed the 500k mark in total yearly words at 526k.
5. I am working on re-editing my Felix books
6. I wrote my weekly blog posts.

EXAMINATION OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS

1. The entire intention of December was to take it easy as I wrote just over 63k words in November. I managed to write just over 43k words. I was worried about burn-out, and I decided that it was a bad idea to do too much over the holidays. I needed to work on my editing.
2. This is still the longest number of days in a row I have written by far. I have written 365 days in a row. My min to count as a daily goal was 150 words. I intend to keep this going. As I have no intention of stopping that streek any time soon.
3. My Werewolf story started out as a short story for a class I took. It needed to become a novel and will eventually be a trilogy. I have finished the first draft of the first book.
4. I have passed the 500k mark. In my word counts. As part of it, I have started working on some projects I can’t talk about. It will be counted in my daily word count, but you won’t hear much about it. I apologize for that. I wish to be more transparent with you all, but I can’t in this case.
5. I’m editing my Phantom Sorcerer story, and that is progressing. I should get the first of it done by the end of January. For those that have already bought it, once the new edition is published, then you can update it manually in your kindle app.
6. My blog posts are still happening.

RECAP OF THE UPDATED 2019 GOALS

1. Write 500,000 words in personal, non-school related projects.
2. Complete and publish Felix #2, Felix #3, Des O’Neal #1, Des O’Neal #2, Des O’Neal #3, Jovian Marines #1, Jovian Marines #2, Jovian Marines #3, Mech Warrior #1, Mech Warrior #2, Mech Warrior #3.
   1. Complete and Publish VRMMORPG
3. Correct cover for Felix #1.
4. Write four blog posts per month
5. Give Felix #1 and Tokyo Tempest #1 a proofread.
6. Complete and submit to market Terran Marine Raider short #1, Terran Marine Raider short #2, and RPG Death short.
   1. Added goal: complete and submit to market, JSS Leda (New title: From Planet Everdark), secret short #2 (New Title: Rise of the Ghids), and secret short #3 (New Title: Sailing Vessel Wanderlust: the Delivery).
7. Earn $1000.00 a month from novels.
8. Relaunch publishing company with a new, stronger name.
9. Get 1 client for editing services.
10. NEW GOAL: Write for 365 Days in a row of at least 100 words per day.

2019 GOALS DEBRIEF

This year has been a mix of ups and downs. I’ve had a mix of good days and bad days and ups and downs. I have burned-out once during with the stress of it all, but I recovered. The biggest thing about the year was that it has taught me discipline over motivation. I have talked about it multiple times in my blogs and will talk about it numerous times in the future.

1. 500k Words. I will be going over the details of my experiences of the first goal in a future post. But, in 2019, the primary goal is the one I was hoping would set up the rest. It is one of the few 2019 goals I have accomplished.
2. I had written a plan of what projects I was going to accomplish. But as things got added on and things changed, those went out the window. I have updated the plan multiple times throughout the year, and I have a new 2020 plan on what projects I want to write.
3. I have a new cover for Felix #1, but with the re-edit, that is not something I count as being done. It will be considered done.
4. I have managed to get a blog post each month about different subjects. Some of it about being creative, some of it writing. I tend to keep away from talking about writing.
5. This goal is a work in progress. I should have it done in 2020.
6. The two short stories I was hoping to be submitted to market didn’t happen. I have a publisher interested in one of them. But he isn’t doing another Mil Sci-Fi anthology in the near future. They are on the block of projects to work on during 2020 if I get time.
   1. The short stories From Planet Everdark, Rise of the Ghids have been published in anthologies. Click on the links to check them out. News about Sailing Vessel Wanderlust: the Delivery is forthcoming.
7. Earn $1000 per month. The naivety in that goal is thick. There was no way I was going to make that goal. Perhaps if I managed to get all the books published that I wanted to.
8. The publishing imprint has been relaunched with a better name. I am more happy with the name Atomic Slingshot Press.
9. Another goal that is thick with naivety. I do want to launch editing services, but that will have to happen in the future.
10. This goal is the second goal I’m most happy with. I have written 365 days in a row. And I know. Most people aren’t going to believe me. I have a kept records and here is an image of the chart.:

I will be posting about my 2020 goals. A friend of mine has told me that I need to post 20 goals for 2020.

If you like what you are reading and wish to support me in my endeavors, please sign up for my newsletter, visit my Amazon Author Page and purchase one of my books. Or buy me a coffee. Your help and support are much appreciated.

End of November 2019 Report

As is now tradition, this is the post of the end of November. I’m still putting my money where my mouth is.

RECAP OF THE UPDATED 2019 GOALS

1. Write 500,000 words in personal, non-school related projects.
2. Complete and publish Felix #2, Felix #3, Des O’Neal #1, Des O’Neal #2, Des O’Neal #3, Jovian Marines #1, Jovian Marines #2, Jovian Marines #3, Mech Warrior #1, Mech Warrior #2, Mech Warrior #3.
   1. Complete and Publish VRMMORPG
3. Correct cover for Felix #1.
4. Write four blog posts per month
5. Give Felix #1 and Tokyo Tempest #1 a proofread.
6. Complete and submit to market Terran Marine Raider short #1, Terran Marine Raider short #2, and RPG Death short.
   1. Added goal: complete and submit to market, JSS Leda (New title: From Planet Everdark), secret short #2 (New Title: Rise of the Ghids) and secret short #3 (New Title: Sailing Vessel Wanderlust: the Delivery).
7. Earn $1000.00 a month from novels.
8. Relaunch publishing company with a new, stronger name.
9. Get 1 client for editing services.
10. NEW GOAL: Write for 365 Days in a row of at least 100 words per day.

NOVEMBER ACCOMPLISHMENTS

1. I wrote 63,026 words.
2. I have written for 335 days in a row.
3. I have finished and published a short story called Respawned Glory.
4. I have also started working on an unplanned werewolf story. More details on it below.
5. I have passed the 475k mark in total yearly words at 483k.
6. Working with a local cover artist for a bunch of covers for books.
7. I finished editing my VRMMORPG story, and I am now working on editing my Felix Series.
8. Wrote 4 blog posts during June.

EXAMINATION OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS

1. I wrote just over 63k words in November. This was the best month I have ever had this year. I don’t know if any others could have been better, as I never kept track of them. This makes up for October and some of my other miserable months. It also means that I can drop my daily word goal down to 1k words and concentrate more on getting my editing done.
2. This is still the longest days in a row I have written by far as well as the longest yearly word count. I count that as a win. My goal is to write 365 days in a row. Honestly, this is one of the big reasons why I write every day. 335 days in a row. I have no intention of stopping that streek any time soon.
3. I have news about the short Sailing Vessel Wanderlust: the Delivery, but I still have nothing that I talk about yet. I expect that I should be able to release information on it soon. 
4. I completed the edits for my VRMMORPG story. This was quicker to edit than the Mechwarrior story. Now I need to figure out a cover.
5. I discovered that during writing Phantom Sorcerer and Felix #2, I didn’t write down many notes. I also found that I have grown as a writer, and Phantom Sorcerer no longer meets my standards. I have pulled it down from my store, and I will be doing a new edition of it with a new cover. For those that have already bought it, once the new edition is published, then you can update it manually in your kindle app.
6. I’m working on using some of the short stories I have written for school as filler projects. A part of the problem is trying to pick up an old project. So I’m going to work on something small as a pallet cleanser. Perhaps use them as Patreon awards, or publish them on Amazon. Not sure yet.
7. A local cover artist, not my wife, is working on what I am calling “art assets.” These are so my wife can turn them into beautiful covers. They will be works of art on there own but will have no titling, which is why I need my wife.
8. My blog posts are still happening.

PLAN FOR THE FUTURE

This month was the best one ever. The plan for next month is to work on my werewolf story and get my Felix stories edited. I need to get to the third in the trilogy, and I want to be working on it early next year. This means that I must have my edits done by the end of December. This might not happen as things take time. With the semester winding down, I should have more time to get some more things done.

Publishing wise, the significant roadblock is editing, which I’m working on, and covers. Once I get those figured out, things will drop fast. It’s what got me to work faster and harder at this.

There are still problems in my methods, and I have come to realize that I can’t do all of this by myself. With my editing, I need others to help with a final pass. That despite give my books time to rest, I am still too close to them. With covers, I don’t have the time to learn the skills to take what’s in my head and put it on paper. I need help from people to do just that. Publishing is not a single person enterprise, and it will take a team of people to do this.

If you like what you are reading and wish to support me in my endeavours, please sign up for my newsletter, visit my Amazon Author Page and purchase one of my books. Or buy me a coffee. Your help and support are much appreciated.

The End of NaNoWriMo.

It is now December first, and NaNoWriMo is now done for the year. This means that the stress of the writing challenge is over, and people’s lives go back to normal.

This is true for them as well as for me. Except for my version of “normal” is perverted in comparison.

However, it shouldn’t be that way.

NaNo is supposed to be a starting point or a continuation point of the writing journey. It is supposed to allow a writer to get a large number of words done or something completed.

A large number of people that use NaNo don’t write in any other part of the year. For clarity, this is what my year has looked like so far.

Yes, I have a spreadsheet.

Don’t have to be crazy… Like me.

I’m unique, even in the writing world. Most people don’t set crazy goals like I did, and most people don’t manage to get as far as I have with it.

And that’s fine. This crazy goal has worked for me.

But to be a writer, one must write. It doesn’t have to be a half a million words in a year, but it should be something. What I tell people is that they should write for 8 minutes. If it doesn’t flow cause of stress, etc., then at least they have something. Even if it is 100 words. BUT, if it is flowing, then they shouldn’t stop.

NaNo Writers

These guys only write during November, and some of them get 75k or 100k words done, but it isn’t a sprinting race. It’s an endurance race. So while I only managed to write 63k this November, it is only a fraction of what I managed to get done all year.

Future NaNo’s

Before I talk about my future NaNo plans, here is my writing plan for next year.

That is a preview of my 2020 goal. The number at the bottom should be interesting.

But, in terms of what NaNo means for me, take a look at the numbers listed beside each month. I will be writing a NaNo every month.

This means that was the last NaNo I’ll be participating in. There is no point anymore for me. It was fun while it lasted, but I also see no point in trying to kill myself by writing a double NaNo. Not with my writing output being what it is at.

If you like what you are reading and wish to support me in my endeavours, please sign up for my newsletter, visit my Amazon Author Page and purchase one of my books. Or buy me a coffee. Your help and support are much appreciated.

Figuring out your Dreams

This blog post isn’t about those that have a dream. It is for those people spinning their wheels, hoping one day they will do something great. This is also a follow up on last weeks post about feeling like you aren’t able to accomplish anything, yet you are working very hard at doing so.

The last point that I made that they aren’t thinking about their future. There thinking doesn’t go beyond next paycheque. People spend there time thinking about the ‘now,’ and not how to turn the ‘now’ into a better ‘tomorrow.’

Dreams are meant to inspire and push a person to become better in some way. It may be wanting a better career, or to own property, or to get those six-pack abs. But for those people without one, it almost feels like being in purgatory grasping at straws hoping to find a way out. Or digging a hole, wondering how to get out of it with the only solution being to keep digging.

How to get a Dream?

This is the million-dollar question. It’s also a fundamental question that no one really thinks about it. Either you have a dream, or you don’t. Those who have goals don’t understand how someone doesn’t have a dream. Those who don’t have no idea how to get it.

I find that most people have some sort of dream. Something deep within themselves they want to do. It is usually something hidden and secret. The fear is that the goal is a fragile thing that will shatter if there is any sort of attention placed on it. It is, therefore, best to keep it secret and hidden.

However, a hidden dream cannot grow a tough outer shell unless it has the attention to do so. There are haters in the world; people that either want to see the world burn or are jealous of what you want. In some cases, it is cause they look down upon you and don’t think that you are going to succeed. These people usually have no problem telling you what they think.

By being open with the dream, it gives you the chance to defend that dream and realize how much you want it. Cause if a hater can talk you out of it, then how was it what you wanted in the first place. It will also show any holes in the plan. These holes need to be plugged before they fester and rot the idea from the inside out.

For those who don’t have a dream, even one deep down inside; they have never thought about it, perhaps it is time to find one. You will find that once you have decided upon a dream or a goal, the necessary discipline, and motivation to push the ball forward is easier to muster. It is easier to make sacrifices if there is a carrot at the end of it all.

This is a hard process.

The first thing you need to do, whether you have a secret goal or no goal. It is to forget about the reasons why it can’t happen. Unless your goal is a truly impossible feat like living on Mars, then ignore the reasons why you can’t do it. I’ve seen many people with severe handicaps accomplish their dreams. They do wonderful things despite many reasons why not.

There is a paralyzed sailer wanting to circumnavigate the globe. Or wounded soldiers with an outlook on life that amazes me. These two are just a small example of people accomplishing things even though they have lots of reasons not to.

With the excuses out of the way and forgotten, the next step is to look deep into yourself. Not what your family wants. Or what your mother, father, brother, sister, wife, or kids want. They are unimportant at this point. They may or may not be valuable in the future, but that’s another question. The important part is to figure out what you want without excuse on why you can’t. An unsupportive family is the most significant excuse for people.

Once you have that dream in your head, it is the time to do research. This step will never end as if it is something that you genuinely want, you may become obsessed with it. This part is also essential as the do-gooders in your life will try and chop you down. You will need to have informational support to keep you upright.

Also, it is essential to develop a plan of action on how you could achieve the goal. (But that is a subject for another post). This point it’s also time to see if it is at any way possible to accomplish. It might mean going back and rethinking things in a more realistic light or figuring out a smaller dream that does the same job. Having a desire to own a real estate empire may be out of your reach, however, owning a rental house to start is an excellent first step.

This is the point where those who already had a dream and who had been hunting for one converge. It’s time to tell someone about the goal. You’ll find those critical people in your life are going to be supportive of you. Some may not, and that’s a loss for them. If you are worried some people aren’t going to be supportive, then it may be a time not to tell the nay-sayers.

Out of all those mental steps, the critical point is to dream big without any inhibitions. Once you get to the research phase, then it will be time to see how you can accomplish the goal.

If you like what you are reading and wish to support me in my endeavors, please sign up to my newsletter, visit my Amazon Author Page and purchase one of my books. Or buy me a coffee. Your help and support are much appreciated.