Here’s what I learned from this exercise:
I can, when committed to the idea, write at least 1,000 words a day.
With daily writing, I can make writing a habit. Every evening, I felt that I should write something.
Writing in the late evening is not conducive to a steady pattern of sleep.
In forcing myself to write nearly 20,000 words of my fantasy story, I see a lack of quality as compared to the first 12,000 or so, which were written only upon inspiration to work on that particular story. I’m hoping editing and revising will fix this.
If I let something else in my life affect my sense of self worth, I will break a productive habit unless I can mentally stop myself from giving up.
I stopped writing daily on February 3rd, after a rude coworker pointed out, unnecessarily, that my new uniform shirts fit too tight(I found out after they were ordered and delivered that they fit small). On February 4th, I started an exercise program and began counting calories again. It’s not a bad source of motivation, but it was a bit painful. Now that I know I can create a daily habit, I’m working on a daily habit of exercise.
As for the writing, I know I can write at least a thousand words in 45 minutes. It may not be my best work, but I can get the story out of my head and in front of my eyes, where I can shape it into something pleasing. I’m not feeling guilty about not writing. My early fear of not being able to get back into daily writing after a week or so away from it is fading. Of course I can get back into it. No one is my way except me.
So what’s next? I think a 5,000 word day would be a good challenge. A couple of those and I’ll be back on track for the year.