So…hi again. So sorry, I didn’t mean to vanish in Round One, but fell down a proverbial INFJ rabbit hole — which translates to a bottomless pit of research and ovethinking — it took me a good six weeks to climb out and wrap my head around what I learned. Am I tempted to jump back in? Heck, yeah! Research, especially unintentional research, is one of my favorite things. Give me an interesting website, something I can procrastinate over, and a random question (usually about a character or location) and I will check out of reality faster than you can say NaNoWriMo! Speaking of NaNoWriMo, I signed up for camp!
My goals for my first round were a bit ambitious. Or, totally insane and unrealistic, if I’m honest about it. Like you, my life is crazy, chaotic, and doesn’t always follow my precise schedule. Of course, being the idealist I am, I bit off way more than I could chew anyway because best laid plans always work out. Right?
For round two I’m going S I M P L E • B A S I C • E A S Y
Round Two Goals
- Keep Writing Scared – I will continue to push myself to try new and uncomfortable things.
- Camp NaNoWriMo – 30,000 by the end of April. That 30k will include all creative writing including blog posts.
- My Inner Editor – She has to go. I haven’t figured out how she will be kidnapped and hidden away, but her time is up. Highwaymen in the Scottish highlands might be an option….send her to the back of beyond and forget about her for a few months.
- Kill My Darlings – I will kill them, and I will cry about it. Well, maybe.
- The INFJ Loop/Rabbit Hole – Now that I understand my personality tendencies I will be mindful of not getting lost in research, procrastination, technique, plotting obsession etc… I will use a timer to focus, especially if I need to look something up. If I can’t find the answers in 15 minutes I will make a detailed note on the manuscript and in ToDoist and come back to it after the draft is finished.
That’s it. That’s my plan. Too simple? Good. But let me end by saying that it’s practically killing me not to elaborate on my plans to revise my plot board, expand on my new organizational ideas, or give a breakdown of everything I learned in my rabbit hole. But sanity must be respected and preserved at all cost. Last year, April was the worst month of our lives and I just don’t know what to expect emotionally from myself and those around me. Unexpected loss has a way of shattering us in ways we can never comprehend, but healing has a way of rebuilding us in ways we can never dream of. We will see what April brings with writing and life, but I pray she will be kind for us all.
Here’s to a brilliant, simple, and creative Round Two!
Do you plan to keep your inner editor locked up during Round Two? If so, how?
A Crazy Joyful Life 
I’m a shibari fan so my inner editor can stay bound and gagged in a closet somewhere. She must be an escape artist though because she manages to work her way free with alarming frequency.
I might decide to join you at Camp NaNo. I didn’t realize they were opening it for April goals now. What’s your username?
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You should join us! You will be writing anyway and you can adjust your Camp Nano goals by word count, hours, etc.. Here is the link to my camp page: https://campnanowrimo.org/campers/kellie-p Hope to see you there!
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This is me. https://campnanowrimo.org/campers/kaendys
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I often get lost in research too. Using a timer and making notes in the ms is a great idea. Great goals, especially keeping writing sacred. 🙂
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Thank you, Erin! I got the timer idea from a webpage I read about my personality type, so simple I never would have thought of it on my own.
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Your goals sound good! Managing the rabbit hold jumping is hard, but it’s important if we’re going to get anything else done, right? And I don’t think your goals are too simple at all–small and simple lets you build up and really get things done.
Inner editor–I keep her locked up by writing with a timer. When my brain thinks I’m in a race, it doesn’t let her talk at all because I’m too busy trying to write fast. She can’t get a word in edgewise.
Good luck with Camp and your other goals!
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When I first read your “keep writing scared” goal, I thought it was a typo for “keep writing sacred.” But I like this better. I like to always have a Big Scary Thing on the horizon, too.
I don’t think your goals are too simple at all. They seem to be geared to serve your vision, and to honor the realities of this season of your life while working with who you are.
I predict they will serve you well.
As for my inner editor – I think I’ve overwhelmed her through sheer volume (which may explain how I have about a dozen novels awaiting revision – not counting the fan fiction!)
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