Welp, November is over. National Novel Writing Month sped by me, but that’s been true of every month since my son was born.

I had a lofty goal of writing 20,000 words on Dad-Life Time, but NaNoWriMo goals are always lofty, right?

Anyway, it’s time I rethink how I approach my writing schedule and goals.

But first… this!

A Mythos Update!

I announced last Friday that I will be publishing a series of mythic fantasy shorts on Wattpad: one per month every month for 2019.

The Grand Mythos of Úr’Dan, Volume I is proceeding as planned. I have not yet reviewed the first set of revisions from my editor, but I am reviewing concept sketches for a digital cover from my illustrator.

I still don’t have a confirmed date for publishing Chapter One, but I’m confident that mid-January is attainable.

Now then…

A New Writing Schedule is Needed!

I’ve made a go of keeping up a moderate writing pace while caring for an infant, but it’s gotten harder each month… since Nugget is awake more often now:

• September: 6,747 words
• October: 4,063 words
• November: 4,976 words (as of 11/28 – I still have tonight!)

For now, I know that I can hit 5,000 words per month, and that’s encouraging. If nothing else, I’ve committed to trying to write regularly. The ongoing issue has been finding the time to actually write.

With my wife home on maternity leave, I try to take over parent-duty when I get home from work. So I take Nugget and talk to him, feed him, change his diapers, play with him, and let him sleep in my arms. This is consistently the best part of my day. It’s also the most draining, which is why I give Wife the break from doing it all day.

Come February, however, Nugget will be in daycare, and the parenting duties will be split more evenly in the mornings and evenings. Our schedules will be a lot more regular, too… probably.

So I’d like to get my writing schedule back on track.

The good news is that my wife is a kind, wonderful, understanding person, and she’s happy to let me slot some time in the evenings specifically for writing.

The million-dollar (and happy-marriage) question is:

For what length of time can I leave my wife alone with an infant and an attention-whoring dog and tell them not to bother me?

And secondly, how much writing can I actually accomplish in that agreed upon time?

Testing is needed.

For the time being, I’m going to have to live with writing in short bursts a few times a week. Weekly goals are inherently harder to reach like this, so I’m adjusting my goal-keeping in the short-term.

Goals for December

1. Write 10,000 words of WoEL
2. Approve the draft concept and color concept for the cover of Mythos
3. Work through the first set of revisions for Mythos
4. Enjoy some upcoming time off with my son

Steve D