Day 31: Queries, where art thou queries

At the beginning of the month I had a goal to send out 31 queries in March. I didn’t send out 31, I’d like to say I sent out a heck of a lot more but nope, I sent out a total of 14. That’s fine. It’s better than zero and I did attempt the goal. I don’t consider it a failure but a learning process. Here’s what the past 31 days have taught me:

1 - You can’t just come up with queries out of the blue. You need some sort of plan. 

2 - Brainstorming a dozen ideas at a time, then setting a period of time to research them, then to write, then edit, seems easier and less demotivating than going one at a time. 

3 - Which comes first - the idea or the market? My confidence sucks when it comes to matching my ideas to markets. But in the end I like a bit of both. Sometimes the idea comes first, at other times it’s the market that I specifically feel like brainstorming for.

4 - Each day is going to bring new writing challenges. Waiting for inspiration and the muse is just not going to get that query written.

5 - Butt in chair is the only thing that works. If you want to write, you have to force yourself to write even when you don’t feel like it. 

6 - Giving up is failure, persistence and practice will get you achieving your goals. This year, I’m going to persist and practice.

7 - You will get rejected. Or worse, you won’t get a response. Shit happens. Get over it. Move on. Resubmit. It happens to everyone. 

8 - Start where you feel comfortable. Trade, consumer, online...the markets are everywhere. 

9 - Have fun with it. 

10 - Your success depends solely on you. Take responsibility and make your dreams come true. 

Day 30: Celebrating

It’s baby shower day. I’m sitting in Burleigh, tables are reserved and slowly starting to relax. The surf in the background is soothing while the runners that pass just make me want to put on my running shoes and follow. Two months, maybe two and a half and I can get back into it. Slowly. I have to be patient. 

I'm a bit of a control freak so I wanted to reserve the tables myself. I'm an early riser so it's not like it was too much effort on my behalf plus I saw it as an opportunity to do some writing in the fresh air. Write I did. 

1 - an essay on joys of pregnancy
2 - a post for my running blog 

And thanks to family and friends, and my two besties, my baby shower rocked!

Day 29: Not writing

It’s the weekend again and I haven’t written. It has been a busy morning preparing for tomorrow’s baby shower but that’s just an excuse. 

No really. I’ve been at it since 6am. 

Now it’s time to put my feet up and relax for a little bit. Later on I’d like to go for a power walk and do some yoga, make a chicken curry, get J to give me a pedicure, pick up eski from parents place, and chill. Yes, I’d like to write too. 

Just a little bit. A little bit is better than nothing. 

Day 28: Writing Projects Keep the Muse Alive

You know that feeling where you sit down down, turn on your lap top, open up a word document or your writing journal and stare at a blank page not knowing what to write. Yep. That’s exactly how I feel this morning. I want to write but my brain seems blocked. 

Solution.

Have multiple writing projects on the go at any one time so that when you’re feeling blocked on one you can skip to another and continue to churn out the words. That way you don’t feel defeated. 

And if nothing works.

It means it’s time to step away from the page. Go for a walk. Watch an episode of Scandal. Dust off the gym membership. Bake a three course meal. Call a friend. Make a cuppa, put your feet up and read. Whatever. Just get away. 

I’m currently working on several projects. A personal finance website, a health and fitness website, and brainstorming ideas for a travel website. These are the topics that I want to focus on: personal finance, health & fitness, and travel. Parenting will make its way in there too I’m sure given that I”m going to become a first time mum in less than two months. 

Day 27: Highs & lows

There will be highs and there will be lows. We need to be prepared for both.

I haven't slept properly for the past two nights. Last night was the worst. I tossed and turned from about 12:30am to about 4am. I was checking the clock every forty minutes or so because I couldn't get to sleep. It was ridiculous. I was wide awake but what in the world was I going to do in the middle of night when I had to be up for work in a few short hours?

I finally fell asleep around 4am when J was getting up for work. I fell asleep but kept waking up every half an hour until about 5:30am when I decided to get up, have a shower, eat breakfast and get ready for work.

The universe had other plans.

I felt like shit. Light headed, shaky and exhausted.

I called in sick and stayed in bed till after midday. Then I had a 30 minute nap around 4pm. I felt better.

Now I'm forcing myself to stay up till at least 9pm before heading to bed. I'm tired. I hope that I'll be able to sleep all through the night tonight although given I'm 33 weeks pregnant, it won't be a surprise if I need to get up half way through to go to the bathroom.

I'd like to do some writing but knowing I have to be up bright and early for work my brain is in shut down mode.

So goodnight, tomorrow is another day.

Day 26: Can you have it all?

I don't.

I guess that depends on your definition of all.

Day 25: Every excuse in the book

I’ve been writing every day for nearly two months now. It started off slowly. But after two months it’s become a habit and I feel frustrated and annoyed if I don’t write. Even if it’s just a sentence or two, I want to be writing every day. 

I’m also guilty of using excuses. Excuses not to write. Excuses not to do any marketing. Excuses not to become successful. Silly isn’t it. Why would you jeopardise your own chances of succeeding in something you love doing? If a friend complained about doing just that I’d tell her to get her shit together and start believing in herself - in a nicer way of course - or not, I’d probably say it in the fashion. 

So why aren’t I taking my own advice? Well, I can list a dozen excuses but I’m not going to. Excuses suck and they are counterproductive. 

Reasons are much better. Reasons to do something. Reasons to write. Reasons to market. Reasons to become successful. 

I love writing.
Writing gives me a sense of freedom of expression.

Not writing is more frustrating then digging through writer’s block. 

Marketing is a writer’s necessity if they want to be published. 

Marketing will get my work in the public eye.
Without marketing, I’m only writing for myself. 

My success is purely dependent on me.

I will be happy if I can be successful in what I love doing.
Success is hard work, it’s a journey not just a destination. 

What are your excuses for not doing something? What are your reasons for doing them? Which ones are you going to pay more attention to?

Day 24: Oops

I was knackered yesterday and completely forgot to post. 

Two ideas brainstormed and outlined. Now all I need is to write a quick query, pick a market, proofread, double check my facts, and send it off. 

Day 23: Queries Sent

So, I made a list last night. Just a few little things I wanted to get done.

1 - Yoga - done
2 - Send out 3 queries - done

There were others but these two were the crucial ones. Yay. Pat on the back.

What I noticed is that if I actually sit down and get writing and stop the second guessing then I can be quite productive. Getting up at 5am definitely helped.

Day 22: Do you have a favourite place to write?

Writing in cafe's, surrounding by chatter of random early risers, watching the world wake up, the sun rise, surfers tackle the waves, cyclists speed by on their morning long rides, the smell of freshly brewed coffee…the words flow, not always perfect but at least kernels to work with.

Day 21: Timing your writing

I’m useless in the evening. Especially after a long day in the office. While I’m motivated to do some writing on my way home, once I actually get home, eat, shower, and sit down, my brain switches off. Even journaling is a strain. 

So I’m shutting the computer down for the day. Instead I’m putting my feet up, watching Better Homes & Gardens, enjoying a glass of almond & coconut milk, and going to bed. Some days I feel double my age. It’s been a long week and at almost 32 weeks pregnant, I’m just getting more tired by the day. 

Happy Writing!

Day 20: I know this is what I want

The excitement bottles up, erupting on the first day. You’re keen to write, to research, to query. You churn out whatever you can find and then your bubble bursts, and you go through a low, so low that you stop. You feel paralysed and feel you cannot move on. 

The difference between those who succeed and those who don’t, is what they do next. Here are your options;

1. stop, give up and carry on living your life dreaming of something more, something better; or,
2. push past the analysis paralysis, push past the imaginary obstacle you’ve created for yourself, and achieve everything you’ve always wanted to achieve and so much more

The choice is yours. I hope you make the right one. 

Day 19: Ideas? They’re everywhere

A common question of writers is, ‘where do you get your ideas?’

Ideas are everywhere. 

In books, on television, when you read the paper, an article in a magazine. A fresh study in a medical journal, an incident on the street, a memory, an experience, a dream, a fantasy.

Use them for inspiration and you will never run out of ideas again.

I came up with two article ideas today after reading some new studies into health and fitness. I might be able to slant them to target multiple markets. One idea = two markets (at least). 

Where do you get your ideas?

Day 18: Obstacles Galore? I don’t think so.

The only real obstacle is you. That’s right. Most of the time it comes down to our own mind frame and how we perceive what is in front of us. Why can one person become more successful over another? They don’t let their personal obstacles get in the way. Sure some people seem luckier than others but many people create their own luck by taking chances and challenging themselves. 

For a long time I’ve wondered why I haven’t gotten what I wanted. Why am I still not achieving what I want? It’s because I’m not trying hard enough. I’m placing imaginary obstacles in my way which are preventing me from taking the action I should be taking. 

In the end it comes down to how thick our skin is, how much rejection we are willing to take, to what lengths we are willing to go, and how much sweat, perseveration and dedication we are willing to give, in order to achieve our wildest dreams. People are living their dreams all over the place. They’ve taken action. More importantly they’ve taken responsibility for their own success. 

Are you taking responsibility for your own success? Or are you placing imaginary obstacles in your way? 

Day 17: Who do you think you are?

We are judgmental fools trying to differentiate ourselves from the rest of the flock. We label and stereotype one another with little consideration for the consequences. It starts of when we’re children. Our parents call us shy, naughty, boisterous, rude. These are just words but they become ingrained in our brain and we grow up to reflect these traits more than others. All my life my mother labelled me shy because I wasn’t outspoken and I didn’t feel I needed to be the centre of attention. That does not make a person shy. I was simply and introvert and choosing when I spoke or when I cried wolf. Shyness had nothing to do with it. I’m not shy. At 30, well almost 31, I know that now. I like attention, I like to talk, I like to have fun, travel, meet new people, but on my terms not on someone else’s. 

I can think of many labels I can give myself. Writer. Runner. Daughter. Partner. Friend. Client Maintenance Officer. Giver. Taker. Lover. Soon to be mother. Granddaughter. Swimmer. Triathlete. I probably could think up of many more but there’s no need The above shows that I am not one dimensional and I should not let just one dimension define me and my actions. 

That’s what I’ve been doing all my life. 

The ‘shy’ label has prevented me from achieving my dreams. I heard the term so many times that I started believing it and maybe even became it. Now, I fight to rip it off, because a ‘shy’ child may be cute, acceptable, lovable. A ‘shy’ adult is odd, obscure, and just doesn’t work. Not the in the world of social media, competition, and wanting to achieve your dreams. 

Now it comes down to taking the first step. Going out into the world and reaching our full potential. Only we are capable of doing that. No one is going to reach our full potential for us. Nor are they going to put in the effort to guide us if we first don’t take the first steps and reach out. 

I’ll always be an introvert. I love my ‘me’ time. The quiet of being with my own thoughts. Analysing the world, my life, and just being. I like my own company and that’s a good thing. I don’t need to take energy from others to feel good. I just need solo time be it at home on the couch, going for a walk in the park, lying under a tree at the beach, sitting at a coffee shop writing. Whatever. 

I’m a writer. I write. Whatever happens next is up to me. 

Who are you?

Day 16: The hours of 5am - 9am

Yes, I am an early riser. I love the morning hours, the birds chirping is the only noise from the outside. When the world is still sleeping my mind seems to work at its best. I feel productive and motivated to achieve my goals. In these precious hours I can get more done then if I were to wake up at 8am and work through till 4pm. 

Another query sent off today! Yay. Then I wrote up a potential travel article on spec. I'll try to send it off this week.

Day 15: And the ball is rolling

I woke at 4am this morning. Yep. That’s right. 4 am. It was still dark outside but since the better half had to get up for work I figured there was no point in going back to sleep even though it is a Saturday morning. I did yoga instead. Boy does yoga benefit the mind and body and first thing in the morning is the best time to do it too. There’s too many excuses not to later in the day. 

I drove J to work, came home, made a quick breakfast of scrambled egg on toast with avocado, radish and tomato, topped up my water, and sat down to write. 

Do you know what I actually did? I wrote. Yes. I wrote two queries this morning and submitted them. No excuses. Pat on the back for me. 

Now it’s just after 8am. I’m off to meet my two besties for breakfast/coffee and baby shower planning. 

Here’s to an awesome Saturday! Clink, clink

Day 14: Making Dreams Come True

I’m a dreamer. Always have been. Always will be. I also believe that dreams can come true, but only when they transform into goals and then become actionable steps. 

One of my problems has been working straight from the computer. I’m a bit old school and I like printed paper. While I do enjoy typing straight onto the screen, there are some things that I need the feel of a pen or pencil between my fingertips and a piece of paper or fancy notebook in front of me. The same goes for reading, yes I like the kindle, and I don’t mind perusing articles and stories on the Internet, but having the printed matter in front of me slows down my reading speed and ensures that I actually read the words rather than just scan and forget. 

I’m a writer. Heck, the past two weeks I’ve written over 20,000 words. A combination of free writing, novel work, blog posts and articles. I love it. I feel so much better after having written that it seems crazy for me not to do it. But my dream is to make a good living as a writer. How do I define a good living? To earn over $100,000 per annum. 

- 

Friday afternoon has arrived and I’m still motivated to get the show on the road. I’m tired from the week but I’m ready to have a productive weekend too. Queries are going to be sent out. Blog posts are going to be written and posted. The novel is going to get worked on. And I’m still going to find time to relax, read, cook, and do the antenatal classes. I may even try to attempt to do some study too, and wash the carpets if I’m feeling really domesticated.

Tonight’s task is to print off markets that pay online and start brainstorming ideas. I just need to go one by one down the list. Pick a market, come up with an idea, write the query or article, edit it, rewrite, submit. Then repeat. Easy.

What are you doing this weekend?

Day 13: Catching the train

I’ve gotten so used to writing on the train that it seems to be the only place my brain functions. The writing hat is on and the words just spill onto the page. I wonder if it’s got to do with the background noise, the people, or the rocking side to side back to front. It’s become a habit, and that’s all that matters. At least I know that for an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon I can get some solid writing done. 

Just this morning, I was driving to the station and an idea for a blog post came to mind. I quickly locked it in so not to forget when I got on the train. I started writing as soon as I set down and switched on my Macbook Air. Twenty minutes later I had a 1000 word draft on a current personal finance topic that will no doubt affect the majority of Australians, especially those living on credit. 

Now what am I going to do when I go on maternity leave? Will my brain function the same way when I’m sitting at home with baby? Who knows? I’ll cross that road when I get to it. 

I’m still no where near my goal of sending out 31 queries by 31 March. That’s purely my fault. I’m trying to do too much at once (prepare for baby, work, do an assignment, study for an exam, stay fit, spend time with family and friends, run three blogs, eat and still get some sleep). 

That doesn’t mean I’m giving up. On the contrary. I’m going to have to work much harder over the next two and a half weeks to meet my March goal. And I’m going to meet it dammit even if it means losing a couple of nights sleep. If I can aim for preparing two queries each day for the next two weeks then I will meet my goal. 

What I do find annoying is when editors do not get back to you. I followed up last week on a few queries I sent back in January. Response? Nada, nil, zilch, nothing. I’m very annoying. Given that they’re emailed, it takes two seconds to type up a thanks but no thanks email. No excuses. Regardless of how many you get per day. It’s not that hard really. 

Last week I requested writer’s guidelines from five publications. Again, nothing. Seriously, that’s just bloody rude on their behalf. How is a writer meant to get published, get her career off the ground if editors are not willing to give her a chance? I’ll keep trying though. I’ll persevere and I will get those queries out, and those articles published. 

What are you doing this week to make your freelance dreams come true?

Day 12: Um, Er, Ah

I have no idea what to write. Feeling exhausted, discouraged, frustrated, unmotivated, useless. 

Just one of those days. 

Hope you're feeling more productive today.

Day 11: Writing vs Marketing

Getting up at 4:15am is a good start to the day. It’s only half past five and I’ve already done a weights workout, showered and dressed for work, packed my lunch and had my usual two eggs scrambled on toast with half an avocado, and a glass of water with lemon. 

Being a lark isn’t for everyone. Some are night owls who’ve only just settled into a dream state when I’m rising with the sun. That’s fine. We’re all made differently and need to find our own most productive hours. I know that by the time I get home from work at 6:45pm, the last thing I want to be doing is focusing on working from home. I’m exhausted. Heck I’ve already been up for 13-14 hours. I need my 7-8 hrs of shut eye per night, even more so now with the growing baby inside me. 

So writing has been left for the train ride to and from work. I have to admit, it’s been more productive then I could have anticipated. Yesterday, with all my gibberish I exceeded three thousand words. I wonder if I can reach a million by 31 December 2015. I worked out I’d have to average about 2700 a day. Some days this seems like a million in itself while others it’s a piece of cake. I’m a creative lass who loves her numbers so having a numbers goal is a good way to keep me motivated and feeling like I’m achieving something. 

What’s the point of a million words? Practice. Practice. Practice. The more you write the better you get at it. While not everything I churn out is going to be of stellar quality there’s a good chance that at least a a quarter of it will be salvageable. That’s still 250,000 words - a novel, multiple articles, short stories, blog posts. It means learning through practice. It’s doing rather than talking about doing.

Yes, I’m well aware of the risk of severe writer burn out. That’s fine, I’ll deal with it in 2015. The thing is I want to get better. I want to become a better writer. Ok is not good enough. Good is not good enough. I want to be a bit better than good. 

But then again sometimes I think it’s not the writing that’s the problem. Nor is it the discipline or the passion. I have all three. I’m capable of writing a decent article. I have the discipline to get up in the morning put butt in chair and write. I have the passion to write every day even though sometimes I don’t feel like writing at all. 

My problem is the marketing. I’m terrified of marketing myself to the public. When someone learns about my passion for writing I shy away and become this self conscious twelve year old wanting to hide behind something, anything, just to avoid the confrontation. What in the world am I afraid of? 

Unfortunately, selling yourself is a fact of a writers life if they want to become successful and earn a living. No one is going to come looking or you if they have no clue you even exist. Why would they bother when they have easy access to so many other writers who aren’t afraid of a little bit of rejection? Writers who are willing to get their names out there, to query, to pitch ideas, to call editors, to meet them for lunch, to write blogs, and set up websites, and self publish books, and be proud of what they’re doing on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 

I need to become one of those writers. I need to become a marketing machine until marketing no longer feels like the scariest thing in the world. It’s about taking small steps to get my brand out there, to create a brand that can be marketed and make my writing dreams come true. Heck, I’ve got a minor in marketing for my Bachelors degree, marketing should not be a problem. If people laugh then that’s their problem. They’re not worth my time or my friendship anyway. 

So yes, I can have a goal of writing a million words in 2014. It’s a hefty goal to have but it’s one that will help me in becoming a more confident writer and uncover my own style. Slowly, I’ll work on the marketing too and become a confident writer who can and does market herself. One step a time a time. One day at a time. One marketing tactic each day or even each week. It’s a start and waking up at 4:15 am has nothing to do with it if I’m wasting my time surfing the Internet. 

Do you thing marketing easy as a writer?

Day 10: Step by Step

Let’s be honest here, there are days where you don’t feel like writing. Where sitting down in front of a computer screen or with pen & paper in hand is dreaded. Generally this idea happens during a slump or after a peak. Just like athletes cannot perform at their ultimate best every day of the year, writer’s cannot write at their very best each day either. 

Peaks and troughs are inevitable in your performance whether you are a writer or an athlete. Deal with it then get on with it. Writing utter shit isn’t going to kill. It’ll probably make you a better writer because after churning out the crap what you’ll be left with is the good stuff (a little optimism never hurt anyone). Worst case scenario, at least you’ll have something to work with, to tweak and mould into your desired shape, which is preferable to staring at a blank page for hours on end. Your ass will get sore but you’ll be no closer to attaining your dream of becoming a full time high earning writer. 

That was me this morning. I got on the train and the last thing I wanted to do was right. I had other things on mind. My better half is starting a new job today. I’m excited and nervous for him. I hope he enjoys it as it’s with a big company that offers career progression, many perks and has great hours which will be helpful once baby comes in May and I return to work in November. 

Anyhow, I wrote anyway. I didn’t feel like it but I figured if I just put words on screen without much care that something would eventuate. And it did. Slowly. I wrote a post for my fitness blog, I free wrote some gibberish to clear my mind, and I brainstormed an idea for several markets that I would like to pursue this week to meet my monthly quota of queries. 31 by the 31st March. 

Day 9: Pressure be gone

I’ve been putting so much pressure on myself to write queries that it’s led to analysis paralysis and mediocre ideas. After surfing the net and reading different writers websites I realised that I don’t need to come up with 31 completely different ideas. The thought alone is exhausting. No, I’m going to use a different tactic. 

One idea = four different angles

That way I only need to come up with about 8 story ideas and simply market them for a different audience. The basic research will be similar but the end story and sources will be different. The result will be similar, just less pressure to come up with too many ideas. 

What do you think? 

Day 8: Making Progress

Enough is enough, I say. How much more can I keep fooling myself? I’m a write dammit. So I write. I’ve done my 30 minutes of yoga, put on two loads of washing, checked emails and ate a nutritious breakfast - two scrambled eggs on toast with a glass of water with lemon. Time to get writing.

The query challenge for this month has been getting me down. I feel under pressure. I feel that with each passing day I’m further away from achieving my goal and closer to smacking myself over the head for being such a fool. Ok, so I’m not going to smack myself, that would look silly, and probably hurt, but you know what I mean. 

So, I took action. Preparing 31 queries scares me. I’m scared of looking like a fool. I’m frightened an editor will laugh at my request. I know it’s ridiculous. Editors are only human and the worst thing they can say is no. 

I contacted five editor’s today requesting writer’s guidelines including two publications that I’ve been dreaming of being published in for years - Shape, Runner’s World and Women’s Running. I’m a runner and a writer, what can I say, it would be pretty cool to have my byline in one of these. 

And it’s only 8:33am. 

How productive was the rest of the day? That’s subjective. 

I hung out with mum for a couple of hours, her washing machine broke and the new one won’t be delivered until next week, so she came by for coffee and hot cross buns and to use our washing machine. I managed to publish two posts on my personal finance site, went for a 30 minute power walk in the local park, and printed off part 1 of my novel in progress for proofreading. I really can’t complain today. 

How has your Saturday been?

Day 7: On Being a Writer

What does it mean to be a writer? Is it being published in The Wall Street Journal or Cosmopolitan? Is it having multiple blogs on topics of interest in the online world? Or is it simply writing every day, be it in a notebook, on the computer or laptop, or even a serviette should the muse strike when you’re least prepared. 

I’m a writer. I can write it but to say it out loud to an audience is tricky.

And that’s the problem.

If after 20 years of writing for pleasure, I don’t take myself seriously enough to call myself a writer than no one else will either. It’s disappointing. No, I’m disappointed in myself. I’m disappointed in creating ambitious goals but not following through. I don’t call it failure, because I haven’t failed anything if I haven’t tried, but nor have I succeeded. 

Maybe that’s where the problem lies. The fear of failure and the fear of success unified. How else can I explain it. The ideas are there. They always have been. But when push comes to shove and the time is to hit SEND, I freeze and feel that everything I have written is utter crap and not worthy of wasting anyone’s five minutes. 

But it’s not fair. I’m not being fair to myself. How can I expect anyone else to give me a chance if I’m not willing to give myself one first? 

Day 6: Time flies when you’re having fun ..... or wasting time

I’ve got no excuses. There are three potential ideas sitting in my Ideas file on the laptop and instead of transforming them into good queries they are left collecting digital dust. There’s also about three dozen others in various notebooks in my home office collecting real dust, the type you need to brush off with a dusting brush, on paper that might go stale after time, with coffee stains and dried income. You know the type, you used it if you’re old enough long before technology entered your life. 

I looked through my desk cabinet today and discovered several unused notebooks, large and small, lined, blank, and squared. Made me wonder did I really need to buy another one to add to the growing collection? It’s not like I can use it as loo paper, then again desperate times may call for desperate measures. No, they’re too pretty for that. Whatever. There’s a few that aren’t being used. When I buy I always come up with an idea they can be used for but they generally just stay in the drawer or desk cabinet. 

I’m a little stoic when it comes to paper and pens. Good penmanship is important to me. Jeez, you’d think I was going on 61 instead of 31 talking like this. But I’m still the generation who remembers the good times before IPads and digital recorders, 80s music and the original 90210, classes that made you learn to write in pencil before you progressed to using a pen, games outdoors in the playground instead of in front of the Xbox. 

I feel old. 

Maybe that’s why I need to start following my passion and stop wasting away in that cubicle and spending 3 hours a day commuting. At least I can get some writing done on the train. Those can sometimes be my most productive hours. Where else do you think I’m writing this now? 

It’s Thursday, by the time I get home it’ll be 6:45pm. I’ll be tired after a long day in the office. Fortunately dinner is already cooked so we only need to reheat. I might muster the energy to fit in a weights workout, I really hope I will, then I’ll plant my bum on couch, eat dinner, read a few blogs, hopefully submit a post to all three of my sites, comment on a few personal finance blogs I like, work on the novel in progress, and maybe even work on the queries instead of playing around with themes for the blogs which I’m currently not completely happy with. Ah, first world problems. 

Day 5: Getting Things Done

I have a day off work today. Unpaid mind you but necessary. I am physically and mentally exhausted The physical exhaustion comes from sitting behind a desk for 8 hours per day (something needs to change), and mentally drained from the boredom and dissatisfaction of my job (I like the company I’m over my role). 

The day started off with 30 minutes of gentle yoga followed by breakfast with my partner. Scrambled eggs on toast, a glass of water with lemon. Pretty standard. Nice to eat breakfast together mid week. Baby is kicking and it’s time to get productive. 

I’m sitting in the recliner chair with my feet up instead of my home office (gotta love water retention in the feet in pregnancy...NOT), staying elevated helps minimise the swelling and well at 29 weeks I gotta stay comfortable. It’s just after 9am and I have managed to publish two posts on my personal finance site. That’s task one and two out of the way. I’m tempted to play around with the template but I’m going to hold off until I’ve been a little bit more productive. 

Follow ups for three queries I sent at the end of January have been sent. Yay. I’ve been putting them off. It’s just an email, what in the world am I afraid of? It’s really not that hard. Note to self: Must block the negativity out whilst writing, it’s very unproductive.

Procrastination has set it. I’m not going to let it win this time around. The morning was a warm with three tasks achieved. It’s just before 10am. I’m going to get up, stretch, fill up my glass of water with lemon, charge my computer and work on the next task at hand. Procrastination be gone!

Then came the SMS. 

Coffee? 

Mm, I haven’t had mine yet. Sounds like a plan. And so after brainstorming and outlining a couple of query ideas, I shut everything down, locked up the house and walked to the coffee shop - at least there’s my other ‘to do’ item ticked off, a 30 minute walk. Yay!

So the coffee with a friend was great. Three hours later I was home and wondering where the time had flown. It was nice to catch up, enjoy a slice of cheesecake which I forgot to snap a photo of and wake up with my long black with cold milk. In between I also managed to shop, t-shirt and cardigan for the cooler months ahead. 

Productivity today has been on and off. The next item ticked off the list is making dinner - Moussaka. Traditionally it’s made with lamb but neither J nor I are big fans of lamb so I chose turkey mince instead. Still tastes great and keeps everyone happy. 

I wonder, do my three follow ups count towards my quota? Umm, no they do not. 

Finally, after several months I responded to a guest blogging request on my personal finance website. I’ve been slack. Baby brain getting the better of me. I haven’t been checking the emails which is extremely unprofessional. The day finished with posting on my running blog. 

That's 7 items ticked off today's 'to do' list. Not bad, not bad at all. 

Day 4: Analysis Paralysis

Day 4 and I haven’t done a thing. Well, not a thing. I’ve brainstormed a few ideas, made some notes, picked out a few magazines. But other than that, nothing, nada, zilch. 

Today is Pancake Tuesday. So instead of writing I’ll be making pancakes and eating them with my family. They’re going back to Poland tomorrow so it’s our last dinner and who knows when we’ll see each other next. So the writing can wait. 

It’s analysis paralysis. That’s all it is. Plus the past four days have been a little all over the place. 

Day 3: Slow starts

I feel like I’m forgetting something. Something important. Oh that’s right. I was supposed to get five or so queries out over the weekend. It didn’t happen. Instead I had fun, relaxed, chilled, explored and just was. It was nice. Sometimes you need that. A change of pace. Instead of go-go-go all the time, sitting back and enjoying the ride is just fine from time to time. 

Now that it’s Monday. It’s time to get back into it. Slowly. No need to over do it today and then suffer burn out on Tuesday. Small steps that’s all it takes. Small steps can lead to big results much faster than speedy action for a day or two and then absolutely nothing for a week. 

There’s a dark cloud hanging over the Gold Coast. On one side, it’s dark and grey and gloomy with rain trickling down from the sky, while on the eastern front the sun is making its way through the darkness, over the ocean, highlighting the highrises still sleeping along the coastal line. I wish I had a camera as the view is just lovely. But when isn’t the view lovely on the Gold Coast. Even when it rains it’s paradise. 

The train is noisy this morning but that doesn’t bother me. I have learnt to work with background noises and people sitting around me. It’s noisy but I can still hear the keys as I type. Sitting in the quiet carriage you hope for silence, this morning so far so good. There’s even a chance I won’t have someone sitting directly next to me which means I can be more comfortable writing without anyone looking over my shoulder. Not that anyone really cares. But you know me self conscious that’s just how it is. 

How am I doing so far?
Is this warm up helping me train my writing muscles for a productive day? I hope so. 

There’s so much I want to do and write and earn. That’s right earn too. I don’t want this writing gig to just be a hobby. I want it to be something more. A career that keeps me happy and allows my bank account to grow. But how? Hard work and marketing. It will happen. Slowly, but surely it will. 

Day 2: Queries. What Queries?

Mmm, day 2. I was hoping to be on a roll today but the words just aren’t flowing. Inspiration and motivation have decided to take a day off and leave me stranded at my desk trying to string a few words together to make a sentence, then a paragraph, then a query letter.

Do I feel deterred? Completely.

Am I going to give up? No F(*&ing way. 

The morning was slow. I researched two ideas relating to health & fitness as that’s what I want to specialise in. All I wanted to do was surf the net. But no, I researched, I made notes. Wrote down new words to add to my expanding vocabulary, and persevered just a little bit. 

Writing is about showing up, putting ass in chair and getting the words written. Yes, they are probably going to be shit to begin with but at least there’s something to edit later on. Much better than staring at a blank page. The next day it’s going to get better and will keep on improving until you are content. But no doubt, there are still going to be shit days. 

Shit writing days are much better than non writing days.

The afternoon was a write off (no pun intended). Family friends birthday lunch and organising stuff at home. That’s ok. A break is healthy and besides it is Sunday. Some fun is highly recommended. 

J went to work this afternoon so I had the house to myself that means time to write. Time to meet those extreme goals of writing 31 queries in 31 days. So what did I do? 

I didn’t go home. I stayed at the birthday lunch and my brother drove me home later in the evening. By that stage I was exhausted and with no hope of sending any queries out. 

31 Day Query Challenge

2014 is the year for getting things done. For achievements that are long overdue and commitments that should have been taken seriously a long time ago. I'm going to be a first time mum in three months and I'm getting motivated to achieve my wildest dreams.

It might have something to do with the fact that I'm going to be 100% responsible for another person. One that for at least the next eighteen years will be completely relying on me. I'm going to be the role model, the person that will shape their life, their future, their beliefs in the world. Yes there's the better half as well, and the rest of society, but as a mother I know I'm going to take complete responsibility.

How can I teach my kid(s) that they can achieve anything they desire if I'm not following my dreams?
How can I blatantly tell them to believe in themselves if I'm failing to do it for myself?
How can I expect more of them if I'm not expecting more of me?

I can't. That would make me a hypocrite. I don't want to be a hypocrite.

I want to be a good role model for my child to be. I want to be someone they can look up to. I want to be a support system in any way they need me to be. I want to be the best mum that I'm capable of being. I know that's not going to be possible if I'm putting my dreams on the back burner and failing to move forward. All talk and no action just makes me look silly.

Maybe it's the hormones that are making me so much more productive, maybe it's finally growing up and realising that no one is going to hand me over freelance assignments or a book deal if I don't actually make the first move myself. Either way the year has started off with a bang.

January was all about editing the novel, which I did, and realised there's so much more I need to do. But it was a good month of editing and I'm well on my way to finishing it this year and possibly even self publishing. February was for free writing. The point was to get in the habit of writing every day, getting ideas down on the computers and working through the novel.

March is here. March is all about querying. The challenge for the next 31 days is to write and submit at least 31 queries. For some it might be a walk in the park for others it might seem extremely difficult. I think one query a day is realistic and while I'm not going to be sending out  queries every day because I work full time, spend 15 hours commuting each week, and am exhausted by 8pm thanks to the pregnancy, I can still prepare the ideas during my commute and commit to sending out around 7-9 queries each weekend starting from tomorrow.

March is going to be a good month. 31 queries. Hopefully, by the end of the month I will have a freelance assignment or two. Ideally, when I'm on maternity leave I'd love to be able to get my freelance writing business off the ground.

Join me for the next month and spend time querying publications and getting your writing to where you want it to be. I'll share with you my triumphs and failures.

What are you doing this month to get published and make your writing dreams comes true?