May has been and gone.
We’ve experienced a bit of a hot spell here in the UK. Clear blue skies for the last ten days. Well, before today when the dark clouds loomed and it chucked it down. Summer over already? Hopefully not.
This month I’ve signed up for the August edition of Camp NaNo. I’m itching to get a new project underway and will take advantage of the NaNo challenge to write as much of a first draft as I can. I will post updates along the way to let you know how I’m getting on.
We’ve now had 145 downloads of our book: Just Get It Out There. Our collection of short stories and poetry. You can download your FREE copy here.
We had the first National Flash Fiction in May and I posted my story Birthday Surprise to my blog. Thank you for your comments and support. They are very much appreciated.
Onto the goals:
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1) Write more:
This month I’ve managed to write:
- 10,053 words;
- which is 33 pages;
- or 4 chapters of my book.
I’ve struggled to find time to write this month. Pokey excuse I know. Work has been ridiculously busy as the usual team of three has been the team of ONE. My colleagues were both off for two weeks so I’ve been none stop at work. In the end I wrote on 7 days (23%) as I decided not to even try to write in the evenings.
I have gone over the 80k words mark and now have less than 14k words left to *re-visit*
I aim to finish this second draft during June and will put it into a drawer for a couple of weeks before doing the next draft.
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2) Read more:
I set a target of 24 books in 2012, which is double the most books I have ever read in a calendar year. I’ve read another THREE books in May. Yay!
As last month’s FOUR books was a first. To manage another three this month is great. Two of the books were Catching Fire (Review here) and Mockingjay (Review pending) to conclude The Hunger Games trilogy. I also read Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz (Review here).
So I’m bang on target at TEN and I’m more than half way through my next book. I’m reading exclusively on my Kindle at the moment. I’ve downloaded another half-dozen books and find it so convenient and comfortable. And I was so against the idea when they first came out. Shame on me!
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3) Stay the same weight & Migraine watch:
The healthy eating plan continues, the odd curly wurly aside. 
The weather has been muggy and I’ve had a few small migraines. Touch wood I haven’t been affected too much.
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How are you doing with your goals for 2012?
Pete Denton 
I too need to do all the above, except I plan to lose weight about 4 pounds in June. I plan on reading a number of classics this summer including works of Shakespeare, Dickens, and Steinbeck.
Thanks, Donna. I’ve read ‘Of Mice and Men’ at school and some Shakespeare but never get beyond a few pages of Dickens. I should try sometime maybe. Good luck with the dieting
I learned that the secret to getting the body I want to have is to not diet. The secret is to eat what is nourishing the body I want to have. I think this same idea will work in other areas of my life as well.
True. I prefer to think that I’m eating healthily (curly wurlys aside) for life rather than short term. I hope it does work for you.
It is as simple as taking one day at a time.
You’ve written a lot. A huge amount. I really must write more. Maybe camp Nano for me too.
Thanks, Kate. It feels like a lot and then sometimes it doesn’t feel like enough.
I’m really looking forward to Camp NaNo. My mind is already working on the plot and characters. They’re doing their thing in my head and I’ll write it down in August. 🙂
That is more than I have managed to write in the last month. I need to get more down and maybe I will with a few less blog posts.
Thanks, Elliot. It is a difficult balance to get everything done we want to each month. Good luck with the writing. Blogging is writing too 🙂
Congratulations, especially on the migraines, Pete!!
Thanks, Joyce. Fewer migraines is always a blessing.
Good luck with your goals! I think it’s awesome to check in on them throughout the year like you do. Glad you’re doing more reading. Enjoyed your review of Dean Koontz’s book.
Thanks, Kourtney. I’m finding the monthly post on my progress is keeping me honest and spurring me on to keep at it. 🙂
I signed up for August 🙂 I hope to get kicked along.
Thanks for the comment. I hope you enjoy camping.
Hi Pete 🙂
Sounds like you’re still staying on top of things. Very little writing from me at the moment. How I wish I could just imagine all the words on paper (or screen rather!). I’ve been reading a lot of late though, and my goals… Be kinder to my body, although I think I’ve been kinder to my love of food this week just gone.
Hi, Ava.
I’m trying to keep on top of everything. I keep wondering whether to get one of those voice recognition programmes. I had one years ago and it wasn’t very good. My Sheffield accent was obviously too far for it to coherently understand what I was saying. They seem to be better. They need to invent the thought process programme next and we’re sorted.
Sometimes you have to be kind to your food cravings. Otherwise the sales of Curly Wurlys would suffer and I would be responsible for them going into liquidation. 🙂
I concur. I probably should own some shares in Cadbury by now. 🙂
My laptop came with voice recognition software and I did try it once, although I didn’t put much effort into it.
Might be worth my trying again, although I don’t know if I could get it to work the way I think would be efficient.
If you do and you think it’s worthwhile I’d love to know.