Drafting Diaries - failing my goal & answering your questions!

[@CodyTheWriter]

Hi. It's me. The person who changed their beginning at least three times before I finished writing the rest of the story...lol. I'm also the ripe age of 29 and I am SO excited to start my 30's. Losing a full manuscript sounds like the most horrifying experience. That would end in a spiral for SURE!

[@mikwrites]

The almost 30 club 💕💕💕💕💕 and honestly losing manuscripts completely changed me hahaha but i am better for it now! (i hope)

[@Studyinbooks]

I started zero drafting in February and just reached the 4k this week. Honey you are doing fantastic don’t force too much it still needs to be fun that’s why we do it

[@mikwrites]

It absolutely is fun!!! and congratulations on your own project! 💕 thanks for watching

[@Studyinbooks]

@@mikwrites thank you and of course I am excited for more of your videos they are so motivating

[@AmysNovelIdeas]

I also failed my Camp NaNoWriMo goals. I wrote 4K words in the first two days and then ...nothing. I plotted for two months, but didn't have nearly enough figured out before I started. I've decided to allow myself more time to plot and figure things out because I'm writing a cozy mystery and then I'll start my zero draft in August. I think I may shift away from word count goals to time spent writing daily goals, so that it's more process oriented instead of product oriented. I'm loving your series and it helps motivate me to keep going!

[@fredaswan8858]

Oh, I can so relate! I also get horribly stuck if I don't have enough figured out before I try to write the darn thing. I totally support giving yourself a bit more time to get clear on where things are heading. It sounds like you're also practicing some self-kindness there, and that goes a long way. Good luck! 🍀

[@mikwrites]

I love the idea of shifting away from word count goals to daily writing goals instead. And a cozy mystery sounds SO fun to write 💕 good luck with your project! thank you for watching!

[@AriBPK]

omg MIK - a shout-out! stop I am *blushing* 😅thank you! I'm so glad the hard vs. soft writing resonated because it's true -- just because we aren't getting words down on the page, doesn't mean that we aren't progressing! but it is SO relateable to want to rewrite the whole beginning of the book, having a little ramble doc note is such a brilliant idea -- you got this, excited to see more of your drafting process 💕 also: the birding gateway drug to grandma is real lmao

[@CodyTheWriter]

A well-deserved shout out! Your videos are so fun, and this is just the beginning of a great journey for you! Wishing you all the success, because maintaining a KZbin channel is HARD, but you are making it look easy! (Also your puppies are so cute! Your dog panting in the car behind you SENT me! lol)

[@AriBPK]

@@CodyTheWriter that is so kind, thank you!!! 😭right back at you -- so excited for your livestream tonight!

[@mikwrites]

of course the shout out is WELL deserved!! I love your content so much already! And thank you 💕💕 -- and i know right? i've already hit "grandma" status in other ways so I guess birding was to be expected

[@livechangechallenge]

Well done for not changing the beginning just yet 🎉. You were so right in your last video when you said that it will be scrappy and a book is actually created in the edits. 😊. You may not have hit your target but at least you’re 4k words further along than you were last week, well done 😊. Have a good week, Adele xx

[@mikwrites]

Thanks so much Adele! 💕 and yes a VERY scrappy attempt haha

[@jaswriting]

AAhhh I relate so so much with you! It took me 2 full weeks to recover from vacation/honeymoon mode and I felt so so guilty for not hitting my weekly word goal. Just celebrated my 30th birthday a few days ago and finally broke through 35k words!! Hard writing is challenging but it's so fulfilling!

[@mikwrites]

Happy 30th!!!!!!!! 💕💕💕💕 and WAY to go on breaking through 35k words that is a HUGE accomplishment!

[@mellifluouslyanonymous]

[insert Cleveland slander] This video came in so perfectly, I was going to follow your progress but just gave up earlier today. It's important to share failures as much as wins and find wins within failures. I needed to hear that, and really appreciate it. I relate to you too much. Thank you!

[@mikwrites]

don't start a fight with me! 🤣 and yes we all should share our failures and wins because they both happen within the same process!! thanks for watching 💕

[@bunny1212kl]

Hey girl! I LOVE your writing videos so far! I really appreciate all the honest updates on your progress and all the information about your story that you’re sharing so far is super interesting :) I’m 25 and originally from Cincinnati so your Ohio comments really resonated with me lol We’re like the Florida of the Midwest 😅 Can’t wait to see more content :)

[@mikwrites]

Yes like why are we dogged on all the time 😭 but thank you for watching 💕💕

[@MirandaKTaylor]

oh my goodness… the story about writing in composition notebooks during class and pretending you were writing notes??? that was me. truly surprised i made decent grades + LOVE MONK!! my husband and i are rewatching the series right now

[@mikwrites]

yesss i dont know how i made decent grades either because i was always writing haha - and YES we also love monk lol

[@beccatobar]

Ooh yeah the imposter syndrome doom scroll. We’ve all been victims to it some point but seriously so proud of you for overcoming that !! I loved this video and I’m so glad you’re focusing on what you’re doing well 🤍🤍

[@mikwrites]

the imposter syndrome doom scroll is SO real! And thank you!!! yes I hope to focus on the struggle AND the joys each week 💕

[@fredaswan8858]

Mik, thank you so much for the honest report. Writing after a long time away is hard. Writing when you're exhausted is hard. The fact that you still made any progress at all after such a busy few weeks is really impressive. You got this! 29:42 💪 You asked what we're working on: I'm currently outlining a novel that's been bouncing around in my head and in various documents for a few years. Your outlining video, plus a novel I recently read with really great chapter structure (Sabriel by Garth Nix), inspired me to do a chapter by chapter outline for the first time since my teens!

[@mikwrites]

Thank you so much for your kind words 💕 -- so excited for you to embark on the chapter by chapter outline! would love to hear about the progress!

[@rovingromer]

I’m a seasonal worker who’s family is from Cleveland and I have to fight TOOTH AND NAIL to defend Ohio everywhere I go. it’s nearly a full time job but us warriors have to do it

[@mikwrites]

Isn't it crazy?! I am live we are just out here living our life like everyone else 😭

[@nostolgiac]

you're my hero

[@mikwrites]

well don't make me blush! 💕 thanks for watching :)

[@lapleesa]

Hey Mik! I just love your energy and confidence, it's very inspiring, food for the soul on a sunday morning. I've only been to the US twice, once to Cleveland, Ohio! It was a very long time ago and I just remember endless green landscapes and quaint farm houses, camp fires, fields, it was very beautiful. My grandma also used to read a ton, she's passed now and it was quite something to go through all her books, like holding a part of her. Btw I gasped when you said you lost your manuscripts, I'm so sorry that happened to you. So awesome that youre getting back on the horse now! And that board game sounds so exciting, too! I'd love to hear more about that and kind of want to make one as well now. My favorite genres are mystery and thriller so it would probably be some kind of murder mystery game. I really relate with wanting to go and edit once I've written, most of my inspiration comes when I write, not when I plot. What really helped me was a video by Ellen Brock about writing types, if you havnt seen it I definitely recommend it. I figured out I'm the methodological pantser who basically plots, writes and edits at the same time. Learning that and how to best naviagte my type was super helpful. Hope youre well, Mik, thank you so much for making and sharing these videos 💛 ps: I really wanted to send a Thanks, didn't know they only accept credit card which I don't have 😑

[@mikwrites]

Thank YOU for watching and commenting! 💕 all your comments do not go unnoticed so thank you for watching my videos it means a lot. and oh no worries about the thanks, just commenting and hearing about your own progress is thanks enough 🫶

[@kayceeisonfire]

When I first started writing, I was stuck in the mindset (as a hardcore perfectionist) that I should be putting out the best possible content from the very start, and I would get hung up on literal words and sentences for minutes at a time and I would never get anything written. It did wonders for my writing once I realized that the best way to write a first/zero draft is to just write words on the page and not go back or edit anything until later drafts and now I feel more creative that ever. And this has helped me in the boring or slow parts too; if you don't want to write a slower section, just write a short summary of it and then continue, and I find that once I've written the words before and after that part, it makes it much easier to write the connection section in between because now you have full clarity from the surrounding context.

[@mikwrites]

Yes absolutely! Also as a hardcore perfectionist I had to pivot to the zero draft method for the same reasons!! thanks for watching 🫶

[@vCoralSandsv]

Yeah I totally rewrote my outline like three times and now I'm rewriting my Chapter 1. So ya. I feel ya! Keep that positive mindset! We got this!

[@mikwrites]

We DO got this!!! 🫶

[@avapakosta]

obsessed with your videos they are so inspiring/motivating! i listen to them while i’m at work hahaha

[@mikwrites]

omg thank you so much! love being your work background noise 💁‍♀️ (we all need it)

[@kokoro_flow]

I love watching birds, but that's been my thing since I was 18 and got my first digicam. I took loads of photos / videos of birds in the yard & ducks and geese at the park. But I also took much more photos / videos of my dogs.

[@briellewrites]

Enjoyed this so much 💖

[@mikwrites]

Thank you Brielle!! 🤍

[@theresakidd]

Don’t worry about it. Progress is progress.

[@mikwrites]

Exactly! Every word is a step closer

[@HelenaCross]

I’d say, despite the failure, those are still words. Words you can work with and keep going from-so that’s progress. Might not be what you wanted or hoped, but it is something other than the daunting empty page, so I’d count it as a win! 🎉

[@mikwrites]

Thank you for these kind words!! 🫶

[@ellieblackwell9754]

The way my jaw dropped when you talked about your past projects getting lost 😨

[@mikwrites]

The way my jaw is still dropped 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 it was a horrible time hahah but we learn and we grow!!

[@fredaswan8858]

Totally. Losing work is soul-crushing... But mega kudos to you for bouncing back, Mik.

[@kryskross9027]

I did not have Buddy4U, but I wrote ALL the time on Proboards. I did Warrior Cats RP on Proboards. 😂🙈 And… Horses. Listen. I was like 10-12. It was super popular back in 2006, the forums had thousands of members, I even made my own website for RPing. It was honestly a really fun collaborative storytelling experience! I remember I used to write 1k words per post. I was so passionate. 😂❤ For what you accomplished this week, I would say- your goal may have been to write 2k words every day, and maybe you didn’t write every day- but each day you DID write, you wrote 2k words. If you look at it that way, I think you did stick to your goal a bit, and that of itself deserves recognition! 😊

[@mikwrites]

omg a TIME CAPSULE warrior cats 😭 yeah i used to RP on tumblr all the time hahah those were the days! and i love that outlook thank you so much!!!! that is way more encouraging 😊

[@aliciawatt1184]

Okay, first of all, I'm almost 49. 29 is not old and 30 is not old. Stop it right now, kids! Also, I'm still developing my characters and I have a new issue: I love my best friend character more than my main character...do I make her the main character and change POV...and therefore the whole mood of the story?? You know, the story that's only an idea that I'm trying to develop into an outline in Camp NANOWRIMO this month??!!! This is my grumpy old woman way of saying you're doing great. Keep going.😊

[@fredaswan8858]

You got this! I'm also on the outlining wagon at the moment. Some writing advice I've heard over and over in different places is to focus on the character with the most interesting story - and maybe that's only something you discover along the way.

[@MirandaKTaylor]

my current story did a 180 because I chose a side character that I liked more and made them the protagonist lol SO i completely understand

[@kryskross9027]

This is an issue I run into when writing characters for games like DnD and Blades in the Dark. I think I get kinda stuck on it at times, because I want to experience the main character’s story LIVE! So if the side characters are more interesting at first, it’s because I’m planning to have the main character become interesting as the story evolves. ☺️ And to be fair, there are plenty of books I have read (that I enjoyed) where the side characters were far more interesting than the main character. 😊 Leigh Bardugo does a great job of making spinoff novels based on some of those more-interesting characters with Grishaverse. I didn’t dislike Alina at all- but she was definitely propelled through the story by a rich world full of people with intriguing backstories. In Sarah J Maas’s Throne of Glass series, I’m not the biggest fan of her main character to be honest! But one of my FAVORITE books in the series is Tower Of Dawn, where we follow a side character to another CONTINENT and meet a whole new cast of characters and get a lot more delicious world building. In conclusion- It’s ok if your main character isn’t as interesting as their best friend. Having background characters with rich histories makes the world more real, and our main character may not start out that compelling, but that’s okay. 😊 P.S: stories where the main character is not the POV character is also a valid form of storytelling, and can be really compelling!

[@mikwrites]

look at this cute little community growing in the comments 🫶 😭

[@beatrizkath13]

Oh, I also love Monk ❤ the show is so nostalgic to me, I used to watch it with my father when I was a child. But now that I'm an adult, sometimes I fear that I'm becoming more similar to the character - not because of the great detective skills (unfortunately 😔), but because of the new phobias I'm developing 😅

[@mikwrites]

I feel that 😂😂😂 but yes monk is the best 🤍💗

[@katiepaigeh12]

omg i went to cleveland last year i actually thought it was cute!!

[@mikwrites]

Well thank you!!! it actually is super cute 😭

[@Evybooks]

Just started watching your video's and i'm so obsessed with ''House of stone''. It sounds so interesting and new.

[@mikwrites]

Thank you so much!! I really do love it - even though if it is taking me forever to figure the story out haha

[@moh9133]

How dare you be human! 😂 Hey you were researching for future projects & character interactions or living, as it is also known 😂 Deadlines & guidelines are to help you, so don’t punish yourself (unless that motivates you 😂) ❤

[@mikwrites]

I know, right? 😂😂 thanks for watching!

[@blexisvs]

RELATEABLE

[@kelseysbookrecs]

I wish I had answers but it just be like that sometimes. I wrote 20k words of my draft zero before I realized that the plot AND setting were gonna be completely different. Basically just taking my characters and putting them in a different universe

[@mikwrites]

Ugh I do that all the time !!!