Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

Now I’m Getting Nervous

This Is A Good Thing…

Six Days and Counting…

If I was not getting nervous about the challenge of writing ten novels in one hundred days, the challenge wouldn’t be challenging me. So yes, I am nervous and excited at the same time.

Where my focus has gone now, six days out from the start, is making sure my schedule here in Vegas has enough time built into it. I have only really been here for three weeks. So everything, including this office, is still new. That will make this interesting. I can’t just drop down into old habits and routines of 23 years on the coast.

That’s worrisome all by itself.

I need to do between 4,000 and 5,000 words a day, so around four hours of time every day. And I am ramping up my exercise at the same time. I have gone 23 days now with over 10,000 steps a day and running a few bits every week. And I have lost eight pounds so far, slightly ahead of my two pounds per week goal.

But that exercise takes time and focus and energy. And Kris and I are working on two new workshops as well, Tags and Study, recording them to start next week.

And even more important, we are working on the schedule for the big Master Business Class in October. We hope to have that lined out and talking to the instructors before my challenge starts. (And we have one new person joining the staff at the Master Business Class. I will announce him later this week.)

So basically, I am clearing the decks and looking at my schedule this fall. I have trips scheduled, so will need to write while traveling some. And the Master Business Class will take a week out of the picture, so I will need to be ahead.

You know, life stuff.

I have no idea what I will be writing, although now that I am in Vegas, I hope to do a few Cold Poker Gang novels along the way, since they are set here. That would be fun. But I am not giving that any thought at all. I will worry about what I am writing when I start writing next Sunday.

So follow along here this fall. I will do regular posts about the challenge (not daily by a long ways, so no worry there.) I want to do enough posts over the hundred days to fill the book about doing this challenge. And I have other things to write about here. (grin)

However, if you really want to follow this challenge and my thinking very, very closely, I am offering that chance to ten people and there are still slots open. Here is what you get and what it costs if you want to be very, very close in to this challenge of mine and actually read the books quickly after I finish them.

(I honestly can’t believe I am offering this. Never seen anyone else in writing do something like this.)

— Cost $500.
— Limited to first 10 paid.
— You get a letter every day from me for 100 days about the process of writing the ten novels starting September 9th. (Even on my bad days or miss days you get a letter.)
— You can ask questions about the process when you want.
— Early read on every book I write, meaning as soon as Kris reads it and WMG proofs it.
— Anything you start and finish writing inside the hundred days, you can send to me to read after the challenge is over.

Any questions, feel free to ask. Jump in by paying to Paypal at dean@deanwesleysmith.com  And then write me to tell me you signed up. No need to ask me if there are spots open. I will announce here when it fills, if it fills. (Full refund if I don’t finish at least seven novels.)

Follow here or in real close the process of me flailing around writing 10 novels in 100 days. Pulp Speed Five, here we come. (Scotty, we’re going to need more power.)

 

5 Comments

  • Sean McLachlan

    Being nervous is a good thing. Ages ago, I read an article by Dan Rather who admitted he got nervous every time he went on air. He said it motivated him and improved his performance.

  • Topaz

    Anything you start and finish writing inside the hundred days, you can send to me to read after the challenge is over.
    Hi Dean.
    How do you read the stories? Like a first reader as in the other challenge, or like an editor like in the short story writing workshop?

    • dwsmith

      Just a first reader, nothing more. And I will ask you if you even want comments from me. I sure don’t want any comments from anyone following along that I send the books to. And some might not even want any comments from me, which is fine.