I’ve been known to do a few writing courses in my time and I’m not talking about my useless uni degree, I’m talking about online workshops! The blurbs always sound so incredible – like they’re going to fix all my writing woes overnight – but often I find I either don’t have the time to give them the attention they need or it’s not really new territory and I feel like I’ve wasted time when I could have actually been writing the next book!
So a while back I SWORE to myself that I would not do ANY writing courses this year. I promised, crossed-my-heart, the usual! And THEN, Angela James put out a call out on the Carina Press blog for holiday novellas for their 2013 collections. Well, I have been contemplating writing a novella for quite some time and this seemed like the perfect motivator. A deadline!
So I decided I was going to do this and THEN I happened to stumble upon a Savvy Authors course entitled Not All Holidays Have Glittering Trees: Writing Holiday Themed Stories Year Round!! And ignoring my promise to myself I enrolled. So, while I’m desperately writing away trying to finish OUTBACK DREAMS in time for my December deadline, I’m also starting this course today and contemplating the next idea!
Hopefully the course and the Carina call-out will be enough motivation for me to achieve my goal of writing a novella! As soon as I finish OUTBACK DREAMS That is 
Have you broken any promises to yourself lately?
Sigh All the time!
See you at the course LOL
LOL! See you there
That I would NOT think about this new idea until I’d finished the writing I had to do. The hero, unfortunately, was too LOUD so I just had to jot down a few notes…
Haha! We’ve ALL broken THAT promise Jackie. But it’s best to get it all down while it’s fresh
I try not to make promises to myself, but my tunnel vision helps me to stay on track. I try to draw a straight line between where I am and where I want to be (the end of a polished story) and not get distracted along the way. Needless to say it doesn’t always work
Robyn – I need some of this tunnel vision! Where can I get it?!
Ahh, my dear, you are indeed a sucker for punishment. It does sound interesting though, so I hope it’s worthwhile.
As for breaking promises to myself – too many to reveal!!
Ooh Cathryn – I’m going to get you drunk in Brisbane and MAKE you tell all!!!
ah yep! I am currently doing a classroom display course… and am completely MIA with it….don’t get me started on writing courses.
Classroom display course Julie-Anne! That does sound interesting. And fab to ”see” you again
I’d like to do a course on category. I stuggle with word counts. If you’ve seen my blog, you will have heard lol. Originally my novel was 170k! That two single titles! I could have written two books. And atm, it’s looking like I might go over my 90k limit. But I always thought it would be great to spit out a few novellas every year. A few flings inbetween the long-term relationships hehe.
Good luck, Rach. Can’t wait to see what you’ve learnt 
LOL Whitney – I nicknamed my last two books The Book That Won’t End and always go over 100k. My limit is supposed to be 90k! Strange because I spent years targeting category before I went back to ST
Haha, I actually think my current novel might stay under 95K. I remember your word count actually. Well done, Rach.