Goals and Deadlines by Jo Wanmer

Are you a procrastinator? 

How do you make sure you get things done, or do they sit forgotten? We all struggle to get to some tasks. Especially if they are difficult to start and harder to complete. 

Take for example the laundry. I mean who wants to wash clothes? Boring, menial task. But yet we manage to do it…repeatedly. Why?

We want to smell good, look fresh, be clean. That’s our goal. And we need the item that is hidden in the laundry basket…we want to wear it tonight.

 A deadline. 

And so the job gets done. 

 A simplistic example I know. But it demonstrates a life principle. To get anywhere worthwhile we need goals. SMART goals. Goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Recordable and have a set Time limit. 

How does that affect our writing? Ask anyone who has participated in NaNoWriMo, the classic writer’s SMART goal, and they will talk of increased productivity. 

What is a SMART goal and how do we set them? 

Let's look as NaNo’s method to get us productive.

 S - Specific Goal – 50,000 words 

 M - Measurable – our software counts for us. 

 A - Achievable – it’s a push, but possible. Thousands have proved it. 

 R - Recordable – a daily graph comparing where we are in relation to our goal appears when we record our daily word count. 

 T - Time limit. – One month, strictly. 

Therefore, the task for each day, or each week is clear. I thrive under it's discipline and have written three books that way. I love to write...to tell a story and the system inspires me. But, where are those books? Reclining on my computer, visible only to me. Why? In my head, publishing , seems to be an insurmountable task. 

I need a goal. That’s easy. The goal is to publish them. 

How to achieve that aim? Not so easy. 

One manuscript has been edited, adjusted, rewritten, re-edited, and yet still waits on my laptop. Several readers have read it and given positive reports. So wouldn’t you think some publisher would knock on my door and plead to publish it! 

After a strong encouragement from the Lord last October, including an Encouragement award from Caleb awards, I have pushed myself to cast off discouragment and return to writing. In that time, I’ve written another book (under the discipline of NaNoWriMo) and finished another that was languishing, awaiting inspiration. Good…but not good enough. They need to, deserve to be read.

How do I make a SMART goal to help me release these books out in the world?

First, I researched and wrote a list of necessary tasks that must be done to have a book ready for publication. It then became obvious. I need a progression of goals…and time limits.

So I created a deadline. I booked tickets for Omega Writer's Conference in September. By then I need to have blurbs, synopsis, book summaries done. I need to be ready to sell myself and my books to an agent. I need to improve my platform. Polish another book. The specific goal is to have two books ready for publication.  

I created a goal sheet with monthly goals that can be recorded, trying to keep the goals achievable. The chart enables me to record progress. 

To help with this, I’ve also created personal goals, covering health and spiritual well-being. I’ve yet to create a recording chart to track progress in this area. Until I do that it is not a SMART goal. However, my sugar readings, that are measured every day, have dramatically improved. 

After conference, I will set another goal. This will be TO GET PUBLISHED. I am determined. I have pushed down the negative voices and will self-publish if necessary. My stories carry God's heart and deserve to be distributed.  

 Accountability…is another important ‘A’ word. I guess you are now my accountability partners! 

How about you? How do you keep yourself on task? In this self-appointed, isolated occupation of writing, how do you keep yourself choosing keyboard over other pressing, time-stealing occupations, like the washing?

Jo Wanmer has lived in Queensland for over seventy years. She is currently celebrating 53 years of marriage to Steve. They have two children,eight grandchildren and nearly 9nine great-grand children. They are hoping this trend slows a little!

She writes out of her passion to bring a dynamic faith and daily experience of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit to her readers. He loves everyone of them and is waiting to embrace them, chat with them and laugh together.

Her first book, Though the Bud be Bruised, won a Caleb award and was published in 2012. The other titles are coming!

Time to NaNo

 by Jeanette O'Hagan

With November fast approaching, it's that time of year again.  

No, not Christmas (less than two months away). 

Not Hot Cross Buns likely to be in the stores two days after Christmas. 

Not even Supanova Brisbane the weekend after next (6-87 November, where btw you can find Rendered Realms once again.

It's time to dust of your keyboard, bring out your latest big project, clear you calendar and go for it. It's time for NaNoWriMo!

What is NaNoWriMo, you ask?

NaNoWriMo (pronounced Nan-No-Rye-Mo) stands for National Novel Writing Month. It started as a simple challenge to write a novel (or at least 50,000 words) in the month founded by freelance writer Chris Baty in the San Francisco Bay Area in July 1999 (the shift to November came in 2000.)


NaNoWriMo is a non-profit organisation that ‘believes your story matters.’

The challenge is to write 50,000 words on a (new) novel during the month of November.

Or you can be a NaNo rebel  - by continuing an existing project or converting hours of say editing or planning or poetry into words (generally one hour = 1000 words). Shh! Don't tell anyone. No, not really. NaNo Rebels are a sanctioned tradition probably since the early days of NaNoWriMo.  

But Wait - Don' You Have to be a bit Crazy to do NaNo?

Hmm, maybe - but then you have to be a bit crazy to be an author.

So, why do NaNoWriMo? 

• If you've always wanted to write a novel—or have stalled in the process of writing one, NaNo can give you a jump-start. As I said in 2015, NaNo coverts ‘someday’ into ‘today.’
• Tangible goals and deadlines, for many of us, are good motivators.
• It gives you an impetus to write daily or at least regularly over  a limited timeframe (30 days).
• Writing fast without constantly stopping to edit and review helps you get into the ‘flow’, immerses you into the your story world, and allows your creativity to flourish.
• There will be time after NaNo to edit messy drafts but you can't edit a blank page.
• The NaNo goal is achievable—1667 words a day (less than two hours of writing for most people)— but it is still challenging enough to stretch you.
• Even if you don’t manage 50,000 words, every word counts and you will probably write more words than you would have otherwise. 
• NaNoWriMo provides support through buddies, groups, badges, write-ins, and events
• If you finish NaNo, there are some nifty, tangible rewards, like discount codes on programs and services useful to authors. 

So you've decided to take the plunge. What next?

The first step- sign-up to Nano (at https://nanowrimo.org/) and set up your project. 

The next step - add buddies (of writers you know) and join a group (CWD has a Quirky Wordsmiths Downunder Group) where you can interact and encourage each other.

The third step - prepare (if you have time). What will you write? Do you need to plan? What about research?

The fourth step - come November 1st, start writing.  Write each day - or write is larger blocks on the weekend or a day off. Work out what suits you and your routine. Make it a date in your diary and write, no excuses. 

The fifth step - remember to record your word count (or convert your hours - for the rebels among us) on your NaNo project page each time you write. Okay, you can backdate numbers if need be - that is, up to midnight 30 November, but remember to do it. 

The sixth step - celebrate your win & collect your goodies

So Now I'm ready to Publish, Yay!

No, no, no. Not quite.  

What you have is a first draft.  

In other words, your newly birthed book baby isn't ready for University quite yet. 

Even NaNoWriMo recognises that the NaNo draft is not ready for publication. It encourages writers to make December the month of the Edit, and discusses the next steps budding authors can take, including the need for editorial services, and offers discounts on writing programs etc.

Have you done NaNoWriMo in the past?  Are you interested in joining us this November? Let us know in the comments below or on the CWD Facebook group.  Look forward to doing NaNo together :) 

CWD Member Interview – Elizabeth Tai aka Tai Weiland

Most Thursdays this year we will be interviewing one of the members of Christian Writers Downunder – to find out a little bit more about them and their writing/editing goals.

Today’s interview Elizabeth Tai (who also writes fiction as Tai Weiland)

Question 1: Tells us three things about who you are and where you come from. 

I am Malaysian but lived in Adelaide for about 3 years before returning to Malaysia. I was a journalist for 15 over years for Malaysia’s biggest English daily, The Star. I’m an avid gardener who dreams of having her own urban homestead one day where I can organise writing retreats. 

Question 2: Tell us about your writing (or editing/illustrating etc).  What do you write and why?

I write across many genres.

I currently write non-fiction as Elizabeth Tai and science fiction (space opera adventures) as Tai Weiland. I decided to use a pen name for my fiction because I spent many years building a career as a journalist and non-fiction writer as Elizabeth Tai. I’m also a personal finance blogger in real life, so it’s helpful to have a totally separate brand to write under. I also came up with a pen name because, in the past, I preferred to be more “under the radar” with my fiction. Now I wondered if I should’ve just written under one name because having two pen names is like managing two companies!

Tai Weiland is currently working on the space opera series, Distant Stars. I’ve always wanted to create a universe that I can write endless stories from, and this was my way of doing that! My first novel was conceptualised in 2013, during Nanowrimo.

The first book, a novella, is a prequel to the series - Heretics of Thran. The second is Book 1 - Shadows of Corinar. I’m editing the second book of the series, Nexus Point and hope to publish it by September. You can find out more about Tai Weiland at https://taiweiland.weebly.com

Question 3: Who has read your work? Who would you like to read it? 

The whole of Malaysia has read my articles as Elizabeth Tai the journalist, I suppose, but not many people know me as Tai Weiland. That’s because I’ve not gone all out to promote her. I plan to only do that once I’ve uploaded the second book of my science fiction series, Nexus Point.

Question 4: Tell us something about your process. What challenges do you face? What helps you the most?

I am a semi-planner. I would have a certain vague framework for my novel and it’s off to the races I go.

Just kidding.

I notice that I need to be able to imagine a scene in my head before I could write the words. I have to be able to connect with my characters emotionally before I get fired up. When the details of the scene and the emotions of the characters connect, I can write really fast. I can complete a novella in a month - but that’s if I have a good idea of what I want to write.

But in general, I get  frustrated at the pace I come up with ideas. My life is so full that I don’t have enough “dreaming” time to come up with the plots of my books. And since my career involves producing words as well, a lot of my creative energy is used up by the day job. 

 I’m also currently in the midst of changing careers and it takes a lot out of me. I spend so much of my time learning about my new career job and industry that it leaves leaves me little time or energy to spend on my books. A lot of times I feel as if I have to choose between my books and my career, and it’s never an easy decision.

If I had one wish, I wish I could stop time so I can just finish all my books and then hit publish!

Question 5: What is your favourite Writing Craft Book and why? 

Ooh, this is like asking me to choose a favourite child! I’d say of all the books I’ve read, Editor-Proof Your Writing by Don McNair has brought my fiction writing and editing to the next level.

Question 6: If you were to give a shout-out to a CWD author, writer, editor or illustrator – who would they be?

I’d like to give a shoutout to Sue Jeffrey who has been my steadfast friend, counsellor, agony aunt and prayer partner! (She’s also an author, writer, editor and illustrator in one package!) She was a literal answer to prayer. When I came to Adelaide in 2012 and started my writing adventure, I asked God for a writing friend, and boy did He deliver! We met during Nanowrimo when Sue and her husband Marc decided to pop in at a Glenelg cafe for a write-in I organised. In the end, we ended up talking more than writing. In fact, we’ve not stopped talking and I’m ever so grateful for her friendship.

Question 7: What are your writing goals for this year? How will you achieve them?

Two main goals: 

1. Finish the second book of my series  
2. Lay down a solid foundation for my author business. Meaning, I want to set up my mailing list, tidy up my website, set up my reader magnet and finally do some book promotion - all that jazz. I would also like to start connecting with fellow authors.

The last 2 years has been very tumultous for me, career wise, and it was hard for me to focus on my authorpreneur business. Fortunately, I came across Mark Dawson’s Self Publishing 101 course - I’m using it as a blueprint to accomplish goal #2.

Question 8: How does your faith impact and shape your writing?

I’m still working on this, to be honest. 

I’ve always been a truthteller. I once wrote a fairly popular Christian blog called “Messy Christian”, and many readers tell me they liked my blog because I was honest. I was the kind of person who called out injustice, even if the person I’m highlighting is a well-known Christian figure. I asked difficult questions and poked a lot of rigid mindsets.

But with fiction, the journey has been a little challenging. In my early years I felt really, really constricted by the need to adhere to certain “rules” in writing fiction. I thought a Christians can only write Christian fiction, and that we shouldn’t show violence or even sex. So I felt a lot of guilt when I write fiction and try to “hide” that part of me from God. I kept thinking that God would be mad at the fiction I want to write! I think that’s why I write under so many pseudonyms - on some strange level, I didn’t want people (and God!) to know I was writing them!

But eventually my understanding of faith and my writing evolved, and I realise that I can communicate the truth and the values of the gospel in a unique way via my fiction, even if I had sex and violence in them. 

In fact, my science fiction stories has a faith component in it. It always disturbed me that science fiction worlds are often atheistic, as if that’s the pinnacle of progress. Faith is very much present in my worlds, and God takes an active part. The message of my stories is this: You may have all the technology and wonderful science, but you will still need God to truly be complete.

Making rough places smooth...together. by Jo Wanmer

I sat on my back veranda in the sun. (I love Brisbane at this time of year; any time of year really!) My friends sipped their coffee. All was good in my world until the sun fell on my legs like a spotlight. Shock! Horror! Only thirty centimetres of leg showed below my three quarter length pants but...

You see the forest on my legs (I’d convinced myself no one would ever see) was highlighted, the blond hair so long it looked as though it needed brushing not shaving! I excused myself hoping they hadn’t noticed, and rushed to do the only possible thing. I changed to jeans that covered me to my toes.

The incident, traumatic as it was, reminded me of Paul the apostle, saying some parts of the body that are unpresentable should be treated with special honour. In other words, we cover up the ugly. I’m comforted to find at least my response is biblical.

Last weekend I attended the Omega Writers Retreat in Toowoomba. (My apologies to any attendees who may have been subjected to a glimpse of unbrushed leg hair!) We gathered as a body of Christian writers. Yes, a body. As Paul says, we are many diverse parts, but one body. There were fingers pounding keyboards, eyes reading, ears attentive, hands cooking. Wisdom was taught, expertise shared, counsel given and received. Together we made a whole, and even those of us who took the word ‘retreat’ literally and forgot the word ‘writing’, were treated with honour and love.

At CWD we too, are a family. Just this week there was a plea on Facebook for someone to read a MS. Another asked what a MS was. There is interaction and reaching out in love. And there can be also be lively debate and different points of view. But we treat each other with honour and respect, remaining in unity within our diversity. I love that.

But what happens when a writer displays an ugly side, submits or publishes an unshaved manuscript, or condemns another through a review or a cutting comment? How does our body of writers cover these episodes with special modesty as Paul says in 1 Cor 12:23?

I am forever thankful that my book was submitted to several mentors and editors before a publisher laid eyes on it. They covered its ugliness with gentle words... ‘If you’re willing to work hard I think I can teach you how to write.’  ‘It will need a lot of editing.’ ‘Show the story. Don’t tell us about it.’ Others taught seminars, led workshops, read and critiqued, edited and covered my shameful spelling.  Yes the Christian writing body worked very hard to stop me embarrassing myself.

Over the years in CWD I’ve watched as writers patiently imparted their knowledge again and again to ones who are still learning. They have graciously but firmly led them away from the danger of rogue publishers, pointed them to necessity of good editing and offered to read and make suggestions.  If necessary they will go off line to bring correction or rebuke. Why do they do this? Collectively we are known as Australasian Christian Writers. What one writer publishes effects our reputation as a whole. This is why we host conferences, retreats, chapters etc. and I believe we are seeing the results in the level of writing expertise being displayed.

The hardest thing to cover is pride, quickly followed by stupidity! I was working on a novel in NaNoWriMo several years ago and a member of CWD was also writing. She shared every step on Facebook about her efforts and reached the goal of 50,000 words before the deadline, 30^th November. Allowing only one night to edit, she posted the story as an ebook the next day, under a different name. I was thankful it wasn’t written in Christian genre for I was appalled at its unprofessionalism, mistakes and even storyline. But, with no editing work, how could it have been any other way?

Writing is a process and when that production uses others’ talents within the body of Christian writers, we all stand proud. And then, we, with unshamed faces, celebrate together.

I did get Steve’s chainsaw and cut down the forest on my legs. Likewise, thanks to the Christian writing community, I have pages and pages of advice from friends, publishers and editors about how to smooth out my current MS. One day soon I’ll get the courage to take the axe to some of my beloved words so the storyline is more easily seen. 

Currently Jo Wanmer is enjoying the Queensland sunshine and wind in her hair. When she's not touring with Steve or minding wonderful grandchildren, she's communicating hope. She is a pastor at a small family church at Burpengary called Access and loves speaking anywhere people want to hear of the love of God. 

Her book ‘Though the Bud be Bruised’ was published in 2012 and there are two more novels in the pipeline. Her passion is to bring the love, healing and hope of Jesus to men and women who have walked through life’s valleys. There is always light at the end of the tunnel.

That Elusive Creative Spark (Sue Jeffrey)

Amber, my own petulant cat,
and resident 'mews'.

I recently read through a wonderful series of mystery/crime thrillers by Canadian author, Louise Penny. Her Chief Inspector Gamache books are unusual in that the main character isn’t full of angst. He doesn’t drink to excess, smoke or sabotage every relationship he comes across. In fact he’s well adjusted, loves his wife and recites poetry, although this doesn’t stop his whole world from collapsing on occasion. The books are fabulous. But I digress.

I read three of the series while scrambling to complete NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) the goal of which is to write 50 000 words in one month. Now Nano (as it’s affectionately called) doesn't tend to allow time for reading. Usually the pile of books beside the bed, or in my case the line up on my Kindle, grows or at least remains static, as every ounce of energy is pressed into writing copious amounts of prose. 

But … I was stuck.

I’d spent the lead-up to Nano on another project. I had a vague idea in mind and thought I’d try out the pantser rather then the plotter approach. I began okay. I wrote a few thousand words but then they dried up. I felt as if I was writing rubbish and I hated it. I tried starting in a different point of the narrative. Yes, I could write pretty prose but my sense of story had deserted me. I panicked and jumped into another project and it flowed for a few thousand words but again my inspiration vanished. Throw in a flare of a chronic illness and I was not a happy writer.

My muse had deserted me – rotten thing – just when I needed it most.

Now I don’t personally think that The Muses, in the classical form of nine Greek goddesses, inspire the arts and sciences. As a Christian I believe that my ultimate muse is the Holy Spirit and he never leaves me. But for whatever reason my creative spark had been extinguished and I couldn’t figure out how to reignite the pilot light.

Now each time I’ve attempted Nano, it’s been more about my writing process than completing a usable novel in the time period. I’ve learned a lot about what helps and hinders my creative process. This time was no exception.

One friend suggested that I should think of my muse as a petulant cat. You can’t make a cat do anything. You have to cajole them and rub them around the ears and tickle their tummy. Then they might comply. So I tried to relax, put my feet up, do a bit of reading, which happened to include Louise Penny’s, The Long Way Home.

Essentially the plot follows a search for an artist, Peter Morrow, who is missing. As the detectives, Peter’s wife, and some friends look for him it becomes apparent that he has been on a quest in search of his muse, the creative spark that will set his work apart.

I won’t tell you the ending as it would spoil it and I highly recommend you read the whole series from the beginning as knowing the people (um, I mean the characters) well adds depth to the story. But the book made me think about my creative process. Peter was searching for a way out of his stuck-ness and essentially that involved deconstructing his perfectionist technique and finding the heart and emotion in his work.

I certainly struggle with perfectionism in my writing. I have an overactive inner editor who wants me to ‘get it right’ or not do it at all. I find it difficult to embrace the freedom that allows me to write a chaotic, messy first draft. But I believe it’s important to find that freedom. In fact I think it’s mandatory if our writing is to have the creative flair that sets it apart from a thousand other well-written stories.

This, for me, is the value of NaNoWriMo. You can try things you wouldn't normally try. 

In the midst of my stuck-ness I found that I had 8000 words to write and two days to go. I thought it was impossible.

‘Can’t do it,’ the inner editor said. ‘Just watch the cricket and be done with it.’

But something happened. I locked the fiend in a soundproofed cage and wrote. Even if I thought it was rubbish, I wrote. The result was a new approach to a story and a much more original main character. And I made the words easily. Whodathunk?

NaNoWriMo might not be your thing but I’d like to know how you tame your inner editor. What strategies do you use to silence her/him when writing a first draft? How do you ignite that elusive creative spark?

Sue Jeffrey was born in Scotland but moved to Brisbane, Australia with her family when she was just a wee lass. After a childhood spent reading, drawing and accumulating stray animals, Sue studied veterinary science and later moved to Adelaide where she worked as both a vet and a pastor. After a sojourn of several years in the Australian Capital Territory, Sue returned to Adelaide with two dogs, a very nice husband, and a deep desire to write. Sue has a MA in creative writing and her short stories and poems have appeared in several anthologies including Tales of the Upper Room, and Something in the Blood: Vampire Stories With a Christian Bite. Her e-book Ruthless The Killer: A Short Story is available on Amazon.com. Sue also paints animal portraits.

The Power of Creativity by Jo Wanmer

Should I kill Bobby, or let him live?

Will they all get down the mountain alive?

   These are a couple of the difficult questions I faced in November. Inspired by the NANoWriMo challenge, I opened a blank Word Document on first day of the month and started hitting keys. It was a last minute decision. However, I had a story, well a vague, broad idea of a story, in my head. 

So began my creative adventure. The illegible garbage on the page on day one morphed into real writing by day two. Encouraged, I continued. This was new territory. Although Though the Bud be Bruised is written as a fiction, it reflects exactly what happened in my life. There was no space for making up a scene. It was as it was.

This project however, didn't have such restrictions. The characters could do whatever they pleased, restricted only by my bad typing. They did crazy, unexpected things. I started to feel like a mother trying to control a group of unruly children. Then one day, Bobby just appeared in my manuscript. He bypassed my head and my character sheets and jumped out of a cave, frightening my heroine.

I considered removing him by using the back space bar. Its like turning back time really. There would be no evidence he even existed. But something about him fascinated me. So he wasn't annihilated. However, he disappeared, frightened by my unwelcoming attitude, I suspect. 

When he returned he was such a nice boy. However, before long, he knew too much and so he had to go. Yes, I killed him. No, killed is too strong a word. He died of a dreadful disease. Would it have been more humane to have deleted him at the beginning? Maybe, but to my surprise his name has popped up in the final chapters! Who would have guessed? Not me!

As much as my characters say and do the unexpected, I have to take final responsibility for all their actions. This book is close to being finished. There is only a few more chapters (of the first draft) to write (unless something unexpected happens again). Soon I can begin editing and rewriting, sorting this creative hotch potch of words into the great story that I know it can be. I'm hope I can bring all the threads of the plot into sharp focus.

Yes, I am the creator. I have created characters, actions, conversations, danger and solutions. As with a painting I can add, adjust, change moods and hues. Whole scenes could disappear. Others will be highlighted. I am looking forward to this process.

Likewise God is the creator, my creator. I've thought a lot about His creativity while writing this story. God is unrestricted by time. Likewise, authors are not confined by the book's time line. When we adjust things, the characters and readers aren't aware it was ever different. We can write scenes out of order, or even move them back or forward in time. Such is the power of a writer.

Can God do that as well? The Bible talks about the potter molding the clay. Are we, or the created things around us, in a similar position to our characters? Does God have a backspace button? Or a highlighting function? Bold? Delete?

Crazy questions I know. But He does know the end from the beginning and in my limited earth bound thinking, I don't understand that either. One thing I do know. God is BIG. Taking creative responsibility for a book has enhanced my understanding of him...just a little.

Next time I or my family are in some sort of dilemma, I'll be tempted to ask Him to use the back space button! Or to consider a rewrite. But then I remember that the dreadful experiences my heroine suffered were necessary to enable the fulfillment of her family's hopes and dreams.

Hmm. It is just as well I'm not God the creator. His job is too big for me. But writing has given me a deeper understanding of the original Author working all things together for my good. I'm so thankful that my life is in the hands of a wonderful loving Creator and not in the hands of a fickle author like me.

What about your writing experiences? I'd love to hear about your creative adventures.

Jo Wanmer lives in Queensland and loves watching the work of the Creator in the sky, the trees and the ocean. Currently she is working on a novel with the working title of 'El Shaddai'. As pastors, Jo and her husband, Steve, delight in watching God working in people's lives, bring healing and restoration; rewriting their futures. Her other passion is speaking about the greatest power on earth, the unconditional love of God. Jo is available for speaking engagements.