Last week’s log:
MONDAY: Plotting next book
TUESDAY: Plotting next book
WEDNESDAY: Plotting next book
THURSDAY: Plotting next book, plotting Nov 11 novelette.
FRIDAY: 5,346
SATURDAY: 4,626
SUNDAY: Production, Nov 11 Novelette.
The teeny word count really doesn’t portray how jam-packed this week was.
I got the next full novel on my production schedule plotted and ready to go by mid-Thursday morning.
Friday through to Sunday had already been booked: I was planning to write a novelette that will be released on November 11 for the Armistice Day centennial (as I keep being reminded, that’s Remembrance Day for most of North America).
On Thursday, I didn’t want to start writing the normal book for a couple of hours, then have to break off the next day to start a different story, so I rolled right into research and plotting for the centennial novelette.
Mid-Friday, I started writing it, and I finished it mid-Saturday and immediately rolled into production on the book (editing, cleaning up, setting up site pages, formatting pre-order files, uploading). Consequently, I had the book up for pre-order by Saturday night (I had the cover made last week, anticipating this time crunch), and could spend all Sunday on further production. It’s now with the editor, who will get it back to me by the end of the week, when I will have to prep it for the ARC team, to go out on Monday…which means I’m on track for release on November 11.
This was a “bonus” release — it wasn’t on my production schedule, but when someone pointed out to me the Armistice Day centennial a couple of weeks ago, I knew I had to try to squeeze a story in, somewhere, marking the date. [If you’re curious, details are here.]
I’ve managed it by the judicious use of a calendar, scheduling and pre-planning…and lots of talking to the rest of my family, who left me alone for the entire extended weekend, so I could get it done.
I’m now very tired, but very pleased with how this worked out. Next weekend is Canadian Thanksgiving, and I will be taking two of those days off, at least. I can feel in my bones I need down time. So more planning this week to get blog posts written and production covered for the weekend…and some extra word count, too.
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