Day 30! - Hard Knocks - 30 Days of Dedication!

Happy Thirty Days to Me!!!

30 days ago, I started a blog after having come home from a writer's conference my dad signed up for but couldn't make. Having attempted writing before but being unaware of certain techniques, marketing, and more, and generally lacking real determination, I never lasted more than a few days. And now... I made a month!

Okay, I know. For those who have been working on this for longer (which is most everyone), a month may seem insignificant. But for me, this month has been one of the busiest for work, my father in the hospital and transferring due to near malpractice, Blogger causing multiple headaches, being very sick myself, and more.It's been a rough month.

I have two goals: Write at least one sentence a day in my novel, and blog daily. I am pleased to say that I have kept both of those goals!

I've reached some other significant milestones:

1) I wrote at least a sentence a day for the last 30 days in my novel.

2) I blogged every single day.

3) I entered a blog contest.

4) I modified my blog's appearance using a template and many modifications via HTML that required me to relearn some coding. It looks pretty awesome if I do say so myself!

5) I now have 31 followers! That means I have added one blogger every single day I have had this blog! Wow! This is both soothing to me vanity as well as encouraging since it means I am not writing to the void of the nethernet (I just made that word up... sounds like it might be good in a book...).

6) In 30 days, I feel I have integrated into an awesome writing group, Author's Incognito. They come from diverse backgrounds, ages, and interests, but all love writing and all are extremely supportive of each other in both the good and the bad times. They have been invaluable in helping me stay motivated.

7) I learned about GoodReads, multiple useful author websites, sprint writing, and a lot about networking with social media.

8) And... most awesomely... I've reached over 10% novel completion!!!! That's right, 10%+! A few days ago I was lamenting my slow progress for the past week in writing, and privately made the goal to hit 10% by today, rain or shine. I scheduled a time for myself to do a sprinting session, held to it, and two days ago crossed the threshold! I honestly wasn't thinking I would make it until today, but I haven't even written yet (I'll do that  right after this post). It was all about the sprinting. I began 30 days ago with 3,035 words I had written mostly overnight the day before Writing Boot Camp at the LDS Storymaker's conference (See Day 1 or 2 for more info if you don't know the story). That was 3.79%. Today, I stand at 8,093 words, or 10.12%!!! Okay, again, I know, for many this may not seem like a lot written overall, but for the timeframe and for myself, I think it's pure awesomeness!

Thank you everyone for your support and your reading There are fantastic things on the horizon this next month for the blog! You'll see interviews, greater implementation of other media and social networking tools, contests, writing samples, and more!

Oh, and you'll want to check in tomorrow... there will be a contest. You have to be a follower to enter this one, so if you are reading and not following, better change that (or you can simply leave a comment letting me know you follow from a different tool).

Thanks again!

Matt Tandy

Categories: Author Blog , Authors Incognito , Daily Blog , Hard Knocks , Matt Tandy , Matthew Tandy