Strictly Single Contest – entered. Manuscript request – sent. WIP finished – well, not quite.
But it’s getting there, thanks to a very cool online tool called Write or Die. It’s a hoot. ‘Gentle’ mode reminds you to keep typing if you stop for too long. ‘Strict’ mode shrieks some hideous noise at you (eg violin graunching, baby screaming). ‘Kamikaze’ starts deleting the words you’ve typed! I was so nervous (no; flat-out scared) I typed like a madwoman. And the words that spewed out were pretty mad, too. But – and here’s the thing – they were polishable. And post-polishing, I have to say I am pleasantly surprised. It worked. So – no more perfectionism for me. (Okay, I lie. But I promise I’ll try.) Not until at least the second draft.
A very timely reminder that writing is the most important thing I can do to enhance my writing career.