Instead of always visiting Backwoods Home forums or the Survivalist forums, preparing for and awaiting the next apocalypse, I hang at a new site: Absolute Write.
It’s a writing site. For writers.
I felt like I needed a new focus and a balance in my life, since I was spending way too much time prepping for TEOTWAWKI (the end of the world as we know it). There’s absolutely nothing wrong with having extra necessities on hand in case of an emergency, but as we saw, the world did not end on December 21. Life goes on, and thus my novel must be written.
That’s me in the back! (Not really.)
The logical choice for me was to throw myself into writing forums and dream about the day when my best-selling novel is turned into a movie and I have to convince my homebody hubby to accompany me to the premiere.
But I diverge…
I read about Absolute Write in an article on online forums in an issue of Writer’s Digest. It was listed as one of ten sites for writers to check out as places for networking, inspiration, and motivation. Absolute Write had been a Favorite’s link of mine for well over a year before I even visited it (the first visit being two weeks ago). And I’d like to say that I’ve thrown myself into socializing with likeminded people who are diligently working on their dream (or at their job) of writing.
But I haven’t. Not yet.
I’m taking my time, dipping my toes in, so to speak. I don’t want to become obsessed with another site and take precious time away from my writing. I want to read posts that move me to focus on my writing, but reading those posts seem counterintuitive to my goal of finishing this damn book this year.
Which brings me to the silver in the sand…
I took up a challenge that was put forth by an Absolute Write forum member nearly three years ago. The challenge is aptly called: The Finish the Damn Book Challenge. It requires participants to do one thing to their WIP (work in progress), even if it is just to write one sentence, before doing anything else on the computer. That means no websurfing, no Facebooking, no Tumblring, no tweeting until some productive writing takes place. Also, the challenge makes us set writing goals, whether they be daily, weekly, or monthly goals, and post our achievements. My daily goal is weak: only 50 words per day, but to my credit, I’ve exceeded that goal everyday so far.
The Challenge is almost like a ten-step program, but with just four steps. The major motivator is the accountability. Oh, and the cheering you get from other members when you reach your goals.
I hope to become a more productive member of the forums, offering advice to my peers, critiquing others’ work, creating lighthearted mayhem from time to time. I just can’t let it become an obsession.
I must. Remain. Focused.
I. Must. Write.
BTW – The Absolute Write forum link is listed in my blogroll at right. Check it out.