StoryStorm - Here I come

StoryStorm is a month-long story idea brainstorming event.  Last time I came up with some amazing ideas for short-stories.  This year I'm going to focus on backstories for the main characters of my Alchemyne series and some short-stories for minor and supporting characters.

I decided to make this one of my goals because I like a challenge, it's great connecting with other writers (all of which are super nice and helpful) and it's a great way to get creative.  I feel energised and excited coming up with new tales, and I'm going to use my new writing software WriteItNow to do all my story outlining, so I'll get to learn the software at the same time.

See how being organised helps you achieve multiple goals?

Being organised is the single most important quality I've taken from all the many books I've read about achieving and obtaining your goals. My career (the one that pays the rent) took off when I read The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People by Stephen Covey and I got my first personal organizer.

Every week without fail, I planned out what I needed to get done.  Guess what? I got more done, got promotions and started earning some good money for the first time in my life. So by applying this same process to my personal goals the result should be the same, right?

This is why I decided to give Write it Down, Make it happen a go, because by writing things down (note writing/not typing) it somehow makes it more real (don't ask me how), it keeps these thoughts in your active mind and at all times you end up working on them, even if you are not aware you are doing so.

I'm no psychologist, but it works and ever since I wrote down all my writing goals, I have found an increase in my focus and drive.

So 1st January - I'm on my way to completing 2 of my goals!  Good luck to all of you with your own writing aspirations!

Write it Down, Make it Happen.

Can it really be that easy?  By writing down or your wishes and dreams an you really make them come true?

Henriette Anne Klauser seems to think so, and I very much hoped it would work for me. Three years ago, I read her book to keep me company on a long flight home.  Some of the exercises I treated with scepticism.  Others resonated with me, so much so, I dedicated weeks of my life to trying them out.  The result: some of the many things I did write down in my journal are now reality.  However, the one thing I really wanted, to be a successful author was still a dream.

I thought about this book again when holidaying in the amazing Kentucky National Park, having flown all the way from Hong Kong to see Mammoth Caves. Seeing Mammoth Caves was on my original wish list, and so I decided to read the book again, and do every exercise this time in the hope I could achieve becoming a successful author.

This is what this blog is all about. My journey through the exercises and whether I make it.  This isn’t a walkthrough of the book.  You should read it yourself. It’s a very good read with lots of inspiring stories.  What I’m going to cover, is my progress, honest feedback and some of the ideas that come to mind when I do the exercises.  So, what are my writing goals for 2019?

1.       Complete StoryStorm

2.       Take part in PitchWars

3.       Take part in PitDark

4.       Complete NaNoWriMo

5.       Complete 3-Day Novel Writing Contest

6.       Attend a Writing Retreat

7.       Complete my Samael Novel

8.       Get a good Agent

9.       Publish Samael

10.   Complete my 1^st instalment of Alchemyne (My new fantasy series)

11.   Finish reading The Mastery of Self by don Miguel Ruiz Jr

12.   Finish reading Known by Mark W Schaefer

13.   Gain a bigger web presence

14.   Be an active participant in the Hong Kong Young Readers’ Festival

15.   Learn WriteITNow Creative Writing Software

16.   Get some great graphics together for my Alchemyne Novel

17.   Visit a volcano

18.   Visit an ice cave

19.   Write to Henriette Anne Klauser and tell her about my challenge

20.   Get my blog off the ground!

As you can see, I’m quite goal oriented and love entering challenges and competitions.  Luckily for me I’m highly organised, which helps immensely when you’re working full-time and trying to achieve the objectives of a full-time author at the same time.

StoryStorm starts on 1st January, as does my Blog, Please feel free to comment and wish me luck.  More about me and StoryStorm to follow.