ChaBooCha Lite has started and, unlike NaNoWriMo, we all have different goals. Some of us are editing, some of us are writing a 5,000 word chapter book, and some of us are writing a 20,000 middle grade novel.
How do we make sure we keep on track so we’re
not trying to do it all in the last week?
Here
are few methods for you to try:
Word count
If
your goal is to write a set amount of words, this method could work well.
Divide
your target words by the number of days and you will know how many words you
need to write a day.
For
example, if you are writing a 20,000 word middle grade novel, divide 20,000 by
30 and you will get 667 words a day (I know it’s actually 666.667, but I’ve
rounded up). To keep up with your target, aim to write at least 667 words a
day.
If
you know you are going to have days off and will only be able to write for 20
days of the month, divide your goal by that many days. Tick off the days and
word count as you go to keep on track.
If
you are editing, you could also set a word count to edit each day. Be careful
with this as you could lose track of the words as you add and delete words in
your manuscript.
Number of Chapters
Work
out how many chapters you want your book to be and how many words will be in
each chapter. Based on this, work out how many chapters you will need to write
each day to reach your goal.
For
example, if you set a goal of 10 chapters at 500 words each, you could aim to
write two chapters a day and get your draft done in 5 days. Once your
manuscript is done, you would have time to write a second book.
If
you are editing, you could set yourself a number of chapters to edit each day
of the challenge to reach your goal.
This
is the method I use during the Chapter Book Challenge each March. I aim to
write at least 10 chapters of at least 750 words each. The extra days are set
aside for planning and research.
Set a Timer
Depending
on how you write or edit, setting a timer each day could be helpful.
Set
aside an amount of time, for example half an hour, and just write or edit as
much as you can in that time. Depending on what else is happening in your day,
you could set aside more than one period of time a day to work on the
challenge.
Your
timer could be anything from a timer on your phone to the length of kids
activities or even the length of a TV show!
This
can also be a useful method when you have a family as you can tell them you
need uninterrupted time for half an hour (or whatever the time is) and can
answer their questions and do things for them when the time is up.
For
me, I’ve found this works well when I’m editing.
These
methods can help as you can check in every day and let the others in the group
know you have achieved your daily goal and you will be able to track how you
are going.
What
methods do you use to keep track of your goals during a challenge?
*****
Melissa
Gijsbers is an Australian author and blogger. Her first children’s book, "Swallow Me, NOW!" published in 2014, was
written during the Chapter Book Challenge in 2013. When she’s not writing
or coming up with ideas for stories, she’s running around after two active boys
and working in the family business. You can find her online at MelissaGijsbers.com or on Facebook
at www.facebook.com/melissagijsbers.
*****
All signedoup members of the challenge who comment on this post will be entered into a drawing at the end of the month for a $5 (USD) Amazon gift certificate.
All signedoup members of the challenge who comment on this post will be entered into a drawing at the end of the month for a $5 (USD) Amazon gift certificate.
