Checking In

When you do Julia Cameron's The Artists Way, each week you are asked to answer a few questions - to check in with the progress that you've made in the last seven days. I thought it was a good idea, given that I've got a relatively comprehensive programme to achieve this year, to keep track weekly of where I am at.

The past two weeks have all been about editing. I should take a photo of just how repulsive I am finding this - but at the same time, when the redraft finally comes together, the seperate parts gel and I can call it a final draft reading for feedback and proofreading - there is a fantastic rush ... the sort that comes with a major accomplishment.

Finish one 1750 word piece shouldn't be such a great achievement but it feels like that.

The process other than being a weird interplay of being pain in the bum and providing a great feedback loop for achievement, it is a really important and educating experience. To be able to see where your writing was situated at the start of the year, and where it ended up at the end of the year. To be able to see your growth as a writer over the year.

The stories that I am currently working on came from the start of last year. They're lacking the depth of character and story development that came later on in the year. So I keep telling myself, to just keep plugging away at it ... there are (hopefully better) and easier stories on the horizon.

To date I have two stories at the almost finished stage and two that are two thirds edited. I also have another two that are complete. That means I have touched half of the material for the anthology. By tomorrow I am aiming to have six stories at the finished or almost finished stage. Then I'll attack the second half.

I've also kept up with my writing schedule of writing something every day. I'm not in a position to shift into the three pages a day mode yet (thinking it would probably be better to ease in one page, two pages and then three pages) but I'm glad that for the past 13 days I've written something.

I've also registered and organised web hosting for the Chinese Whispers project and have started to look for some other writers to work with. Additionally I've found a template for the website that Paul and I are agreed upon - but I'm staying well away from tweaking and playing with the template. That joy awaits at the end of the anthology process.

How are you tracking with your projects/resolutions/action plans?