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After my first NaNoWriMo, and experiencing first-hand how motivating it was to see my daily progress, I was desperate to find a good way to keep track of my writing once November was over. First, I printed a calendar and kept track through that, but I soon forgot to write down my word count, especially on those nights I stayed up late, had to walk over to my bookcase, grab the calendar…

Once I realised an actual calendar wasn’t working for me, I tried to create my own Excel sheet, and while I was trying to get those formulas right (Excel isn’t really my forte), John Robin, the author of the Your Daily Journal: 100 Day Starter, mentioned his Awesome Daily Writers Spreadsheet in our NaNoWriMo accountability group, and did I want to join that perhaps? I’ll admit I still don’t understand the way the Spreadsheet keeps score, but I always add my word count at the end of a writing session now! I do still struggle with writing every day, which you will see if you join us, and which John never fails to remind me of 😉

Awesome Daily Writers Spreadsheet

Welcome back, John! Tell us, what is the Awesome Daily Writers Spreadsheet?

The Awesome Daily Writers Spreadsheet is an alternative to NaNoWriMo for writers who want to write a bit every day and not stress over word count. It helps writers see the big picture and seed a habit that defines a career, not just get through a novel.

In a D&D-style scoring system, you’re rewarded experience points based on what you write each day, which add up to raise your level over time. You can see what other writers on the sheet are doing, which often gives you that added motivation to spend more time writing than you’d otherwise think to.

How is the Awesome Daily Writers Spreadsheet different from everything else out there?

Most competitive spreadsheets involve minimum word counts. For example, the Magic Spreadsheet requires a minimum quota of 250 words / day, which increases every time you ‘level up’ (inevitable as you keep writing). In many writers, this creates a sense of guilt or competitiveness that throws the whole balance of life out of whack.Read More →

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Hello, everyone!

Yes, I moved the interview to this week instead of last week, because I was busy updating my website and mailing list so that they are in line with the GDPR regulations that are coming into force…tomorrow!

I’m all set now, and ready to introduce you to John Robin, author of the recently published Your Daily Journal: 100 Day Starter. Knowing John, and knowing how ridiculously productive he is compared to any other author/entrepreneur I know, I thought it high time to ask him about his new journal, and whether it will help us become just a little bit more like him.

So, who is John Robin exactly, and what do we need to know about him?

After working for many years in academia and adult education, John left his job to pursue his dreams as a writer. Having cut his teeth as an editor at a small publishing company, John decided that, while he worked hard to prepare his debut novel, he would build a book production business to help connect self-publishing authors with editing, cover, design, and marketing services based on the traditional model. He presently is the creative director, senior editor, and production manager for his company and oversees a team of twelve.

As a writer, John’s commitment to the craft has put him on course for a debut epic fantasy novel, A Thousand Roads (January 9, 2019). He also enjoys writing nonfiction, as an instructor for the lifelong learning website Highbrow, and recently as author of Your Daily Journal: 100 Day Starter. He has numerous other projects in the pipeline, both in fiction and nonfiction, and is also a ghostwriter.

When he’s not writing, John enjoys reading, listening to educational podcasts, playing chess, recreational mathematics, drawing trees or maps with pen, creating vector graphic artwork (mostly fractals), working with textiles, playing classical piano (especially Beethoven and Chopin), long distance running and strength training, gardening, long walks, serially watching his way through TV series’ in the evenings, board game nights with friends, and of course…pandering to the whims of his cat, Wizard, who is the true muse behind his stories.

What is Your Daily Journal: 100 Day Starter about?

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Good Friday, everyone! Can you believe it’s April already? Can you believe we’re almost halfway through the first NaNoWriMo of the year already?! I swear, the older I get, the faster time runs by. Anyway, let me introduce you to Jannie Mitzeiko Harvey, who is so generous to share with us something no writer can do without…

Flexible like a bamboo, adaptable like water, and always in pursuit of quality work and innate personal happiness—these are among a few things that describe Jannie. With the mantra of ‘Time can never be turned back’, combined with her passion for reading and writing, she supports overwhelmed authors with their administrative and marketing tasks so they can focus on what authors love to do: write!

During her spare time, she plans on her next travel, fangirls over her favourite Japanese idol group, Arashi, and saves money for her cat sanctuary. Check out her website here, or follow her on Facebook.

Project Development Planner for Writers

Hi Jannie! What is it that you’ve got in store for us?

Hi! I’ve recently created the Project Development Planner for Writers. It’s a planner specifically designed for the writer. I offer it for free, which is my way of giving back to the community.

And the community loves all things free! How is the Project Development Planner for Writers different from any regular planner?

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Remember that crazy time I posted a Dutch interview… The horror, right?! Lucky for us, Maria Staal, together with Eva Kattz, has another book out, and this one’s in English!

So who are Eva Kattz and Maria Staal, authors of Fiction Builder! Outlining and Plotting your Novel in Three Constructive steps?

Eva and Maria are two friends who, unknown to each other, both set out to write fiction. Eva wrote a number of short stories and novelettes and became reasonably comfortable playing around with words. However, any attempts beyond 30K words inevitably fell apart. Maria at least managed to make it to a 50K words first draft, but without the help of a decent outline, her story became hopelessly stranded in a curiously plot-less world.

While Eva went looking for a How To book or course to help her finish her more extensive outlines, Maria realised she was so new to fiction that she still adhered to the Greatest Myth in Writer’s Land, otherwise known as ‘a magnificent story will come to you if you just sit down behind the keyboard and write!’ They decided to throw their resources together and soon discovered they could have been far more creative and productive years before, if they just had known how to outline properly.

Together they developed a new writing technique that starts where all the other How To Write books stop. Eva’s intuitive approach and vast knowledge of writing techniques perfectly combined with Maria’s practical, pioneering spirit. Now, they both use their own Fiction Builder method to write successful genre fiction.

Fiction Builder!

What is Fiction Builder! about?

Our book is a guide for every author with loads of good story ideas, but who struggles with completing an actual first draft. They end up thinking they are ‘bad’ writers, or, worse, that they lack talent. Fiction Builder! is meant to show these authors that there’s no such thing as a ‘bad’ writer. Anyone can develop their writing skills, and plotting is a vital part of that.Read More →

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In the following weeks, I’ll be shining a light on the idea of being a “prolific” writer. Today, I will share the third question I ask when trying to figure out what my clients want from their writing – What is a realistic goal for YOU for NOW?

Figure out your SHORT-TERM goals as well as your LONG-TERM goals

Being clear on your personal goal is great. Knowing what you want to achieve in the long run will provide much-needed focus and enable you to steer your determination in the right direction. But what if that personal goal is a long way down the road from where you are now? How do you get to that point without constantly being frustrated that you aren’t there yet?

The third question I always ask is: What goal is realistic for YOU for NOW?

Where it’s excellent to have clear goals in mind for the future, these goals are long-term, and not short-term. Yet, most of us find ourselves frustrated being where we ARE and not where we want to BE. And when we are frustrated about our own process, we tend to start comparing ourselves to others.

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