WOW! Women On Writing Blog: Write Till Christmas

Friday, January 03, 2025

In October, I committed to participate in Write Till Christmas. This is an event sponsored by my writing friend Kelly Sgroi. She started this program in 2023 with the purpose of encouraging us to add to the word count of any project we've been meaning to get to all year.

Anyone who has ever seen my to-do list knows that my list is far too long for anyone to accomplish. Honestly, I'm not sure 3 full time writers could accomplish my list. I had 4 book length projects that I started the year wanting to work on. By October that number had grown to 5. And I had accomplished mere pages.

So I took a hard look at the five projects. I also had numerous paying deadlines to meet so I knew there was no way I could write a full novel without burning out. Instead, I chose an early middle grade project. I had managed to write about 2 and a half pages on it early in the year. That's not even a tiny bit impressive, but I chose this project because I knew that if I stuck with it I would be able to write a full draft between October 1 and Christmas.

How did it work?

It should have been so straight forward! But one of my deadlines really managed to slam me to the floor. I quit working on Write Till Christmas for about a week. When I met my deadline, I took another day off. As I another full day drew to a close, I made myself write a paragraph. It wasn't a good paragraph but I have to be honest. At this point I can't point to it and say, "Right there! There's the stinker of a paragraph."

Soon I was chugging along and back on schedule. I should explain. When I miss a week at a page a day, I don't tell myself that I have 7 pages to make up. Nope. When I start writing again, I'm starting fresh. So as I started writing again, I was able to accomplish a page a day. The pages once again added up.

Then I got sick. Then my son got it. Soon three of four people living in our house had it. I did not accomplish a page a day every day that week, but I did write a little something. Setting that goal to keep moving forward paid off.

When I was well, I was soon adding a page a day to my word count. By the end of the year, I had drafted a full manuscript at 82 pages.

For those of you who don't know, I write full time. I'm lucky enough to have steady contract work. Those checks keep the lights on but it is far too easy to use it as an excuse not to work on my own writing. Writing a page a day for Write Till Christmas showed me how even small goals can add up.

I'm currently ignoring that specific project. I want to let it cool before I begin revising it. So now I am working through a page a day on a booklet I plan to give away for free. Help! They Want to Ban My Book. What Do I Do? is about what I learned when my book was challenged. I'm revising what I drafted last year and have 8 solid manuscript pages. That's just under half way.

Setting a goal of writing or revising a page a day has definitely paid off for me. On a really wild day I may accomplish two full pages instead. One paragraph, one page or two. Set a small goal and stick to it. The momentum will carry you forward until you have completed something big. It is definitely worth the effort.

--SueBE

Sue Bradford Edwards' is the author of over 60 books for young readers.

To find out more about her writing, visit her site and blog, One Writer's Journey.

Click here to find her newsletter.

She is also the instructor for 3 WOW classes which begin on the first Monday of every month. She teaches:

5 comments A Page a Day, goal setting, manageable goals, Sue Bradford Edwards, Write Till Christmas

Never Stop Chasing Your Dreams – Persist and Write Till Christmas

Wednesday, October 25, 2023

My life has been all about persistence. I feel like I’ve fumbled my way through everything from work to motherhood, and writing is no different.

When I opened Word intending to write a novel for the first time, I had no idea what I was doing. I had no idea where that desire would take me. And I couldn’t see how far I would have to come before I got even close to having any of my work published. But isn’t that the beauty of ignorance? It’s bliss to be in the moment, following your inspiration and not worrying about a goal post.

I wonder, if I had known it would be 11 years before I got something published, would I have even started? Would I have bothered to enjoy the journey I had just begun? 11 years is a long time, so I think it’s safe to say I may not have troubled to finish that first manuscript. But here we are and I’m so glad I followed my heart.

When you love something, time is but a number.

I still remember sitting in my backyard, watching my first child toddle around while I enjoyed a slice of the chocolate brownie I’d just whipped up and blogged about being a stay-at-home mum and learning to cook aka Julie & Julia style.

There were times when I rode that wave of beautiful creative momentum and then there came a time when I had to decide if I was willing to push myself to get to the end of my first manuscript.

That’s what I want to talk about today.

It’s great to blog and practice craft on short stories, but if you want to be a novelist then you need to prioritise your novel. Because procrastination comes in many forms, writerly ones too! So don’t be fooled.

You will know when you are doing that writing course for good reason and when it’s taking time away from your manuscript. Time to read is great for the soul but, do you need to read that many books right now? By all means, I’m not suggesting that learning and reading are a waste of time, I’m drawing attention to the fact that you need to determine how you could best spend your time.

I must confess, I recently got lost in the Story Grid wormhole and there was a point when I knew I’d got what I needed out of it but was still trying to create an infographic that resembles abstract art more than anything else and would be of no use to me. See pictured. That is not a swipe at the Story Grid system. All I’m saying is: There comes a time when you have to recognise what you want and when you want it. And YOU have to kick your own butt to make sure you put in the time to get that draft finished by Christmas, have those edits done by November, or send those queries out by next week.

Some writers use NaNoWriMo for that end-of-the-year push. This year, I’ve decided to finish my draft before the holidays. I’ve promised my agent and gathered a great group of writers who are all here for the challenge - Write Till Christmas.

Write Till Christmas is something I’ve come up with because as much as I love NaNo, I just can’t write 50,000 words this November. But I can write 50,000 words by the end of the year.

It’s time to take action!

Remember: If you don’t check yourself, set goals, and plan towards finishing, then procrastination will take hold and before you know it; your writing dreams will push out to next year, when you turn forty, or when you get a yes. But let me tell you, after a yes, you still have to push yourself.

An agent's job is to fall in love with a manuscript and get it in front of publishers, they are not going to push you to write your next novel while you are on sub, but that’s exactly what you should be doing. Waiting around for any yes is a waste of time. Take it from someone who’s been in that boat all year.

“A bend in the road is not the end of the road… unless you fail to make the turn.” – Helen Keller

Full disclosure, the pending submissions with my current manuscript are rapidly dwindling. Do you know what that means? The road is bending and I’m ready to turn. I’ve recalculated the trip to my dreams, prepared if my first manuscript to go on sub doesn’t sell.

By working on my next idea, I’ll be organised to go on sub all over again early next year, I’m persisting!

So who’s with me for Write Till Christmas?

Kelly Sgroi is based in Melbourne, Australia. Now represented by Beyond Words Literary Agency, Kelly is thrilled to be out of the query trenches and looking forward to what comes next in her writing journey. She’s also a content writer and an enthusiastic member of the writing community. Some of her short works are published by WOW! Women on Writing, Dream Journal, The Endometriosis Foundation of America, Endometriosis Australia, and a few Medium publications. Her debut manuscript is a women’s fiction story about motherhood.