October Plans 2025

I hope everyone is having a good autumn. September saw more rejections pile up in my inbox and I chugged along on my WIPs (Works In Progress). Nothing exciting. I’m just putting words on the page. This the reality of writing. A lot of my time is writing, submitting, and waiting.

Now at the start of October, I’m anxious to get this second draft of my novel done. I want to add 30,000 words by the end of the year to my book. Which means, I need to add about 10K every month.

Sounds like a lot, but I know I need to add two extra chapters to the book and I have started revisions. I figure, it is possible to add the words. I just have to stay on top of my work.

Some would probably say I should put all other projects aside, but, if I have learned nothing in the past three years (since I came back from burnout), I know I work better when I have different projects to work on. So far this year, I’ve revised 2 older stories, written 2 new stories, written 1 essay, and worked on my book. Add the blogposts/newsletter and I have gotten a good amountt done and I still have three more months in the year.

I also filmed videos, worked my normal 9-5 job, spent time with friends and family, and, you know, slept. All that other important stuff…

So, no, I’m not going to “focus on one thing.” I’m going to keep working this way until it doesn’t work for me anymore. I wrote a few years ago that you can’t be afraid to change up your writing schedule. Do what works until it stops working and then do something else.

I spent 2 years fully focused on a novel that never worked out. Now I have multiple projects going and they are getting finished, polished, and submitted. Seems like it shouldn’t work, but it does.

Everyone is talking about “locking in” for the rest of the year. I’m not immune to that thinking either, but I think it is more beneficial to figure out how you work and lean into that. That’s what I plan on doing and hopefully, they year will end with a better version of my novel.

Now if you will excuse me, I need to go write.

Thanks for reading and happy writing.