As soon as I posted last week about my 90 challenge to finish my first draft, I went downstairs and asked ‘what have I done?’ Eddie & Oisín (prompted by Eddie) said in unison, ‘We believe in you!’ What more could I ask for 🙂

The next morning, I woke at 5am and started writing. My monkey mind said mean, unhelpful things – even if you finish it won’t be any good, look at all the great writers and books out there. Shhhh, monkey mind, shhh. Just keep writing Christine.

Looking back at the week gone by, here is what I’ve learnt;

1. Setting a deadline. This was the biggest help for me. Previously when I wrote, either I would fall down a rabbit hole of emotion or stay stuck. But with the new deadline, it made me keep going. That’s new!
2. My weekly goals need to be more specific -what chapters will I work on? Which scenes are missing? I’ll do that today before I continue writing – note to self 1. Make a list of scenes to make sure my story is moving along 2. Decide on 2-3 to work on this week.
3. Getting help – 1. I’m still waiting to hear about the competition (but it will be awhile). 2. The coaching didn’t work out this time, and that’s ok. It’s really important when you are working with a therapist or a coach that you make sure the connection is right for you – this is imperative! Otherwise, it is a waste of time, energy, and money & can be very frustrating (I speak from experience). 3. I met with my writing group last night, and I felt uplifted as always. 4. The second most helpful thing has been having these blogs & writing to an invisible audience. It has made me show up, even when I wanted to run away.  Thank you to everyone who has read & liked something I’ve written.
4. I’m still visualising my book and I’ve added in a few positive affirmations to the mix (to help counteract the negative self-talk).
5. Don’t give up – this week I had to dig deep! I found my writing why and reminded myself of my self care habits (see previous blogs). I watched a film recently which I enjoyed, about the swimmer Diana Nyad (who after four attempts, at 64, swam from Cuba to the Florida Keys), and her motto is ‘Find a way’. To get this draft finished, that’s what I’m going to do -find a way!

Days remaining in 90 day challenge = 87 (to 4th June 2024)

Word count so far  = 37,067 words

Go Christine, keep it going, find your way!