I’ve been doing project management as part of my day job for several years now and one thing that is often touted (although rarely done, in my experience) is celebrate. Celebrate the beginning of a project and party harder when it is successfully completed (or simply completed without casualties).
Is a writing project so much different? Should you, the writer, be excited to start and excited to finish? Should you be willing to treat yourself? In my mind, the answer to both questions should be a resounding YES! But do you do it? If I had to be honest with myself, I would have to say that I don’t generally. I did go out for dinner when my first book was finished, but I’ve rarely done anything since.
But is there any reason why I don’t do more of it? Am I so laissez faire about the whole thing that I can’t be bothered? Or do I get so much joy from my writing that celebrating is redundant? I think the real answer is simply that I don’t think about it. The laissez faire thing is utterly ridiculous; I am passionate about my writing to the point where people will avoid asking me about it (only sometimes) and while I do get joy from it, writing is hard work and hard work deserves some special treatment.
No, I’ll stick with “I forgot”, thank you very much.
So, let’s try to answer the question. When should you celebrate? My best advice is to do so after any major milestone. That milestone should be set up in advance. Maybe it is when you reach that first 20,000 words. Maybe it’s when you finish the rough draft. And then when you finish the edited draft and again when you have a contract. The only caution I might offer is, if your milestones are too easy to achieve you may also get the dubious side-effect of becoming an alcoholic. I suspect that might have an adverse affect on future projects.
That leads me to ask you: how do you celebrate your writing and how often do you do it?
Personal Update
I am continuing to make headway on my editing of “Goddess Renewed”. I am very happy with my critique partner. He is quick to point out when I fall into the bad habit of making my characters too soft and have them act out of character. I am now past the 67% complete mark and I am very hopeful that I will be done in February.
I will be sending out “Mik Murdoch” again in the next couple days. I have a publisher in mind to receive him. Fingers are crossed.
I need to send out a Query Letter barrage for “Summer Camp Secrets” to find some interested publishers. That will happen next week.
I haven’t yet heard anything back from my single agent submission. Hopefully in the next week or so.
Have a fantastic week!
