A schedule to publish two stories in one month

“A good beginning makes a good end.”~Louis L’Amour, American author

I can do three things at once; at least, I used to.

Reflecting on this past Weekend Coffee Share post, my writing and editing process reminded me of Comm 242 class at Penn State. This intro film course was an intense, hands-on filmmaking class. Everyone produced 12 projects that semester, which generated a life-consuming schedule. Every week, we edited last week’s project while filming this week’s project while writing next week’s project. I forgot how rigorous that was and how good that was. Why can’t I do that now?

Always keep busy with a project. I can do that. I have enough ideas and half-started books to keep writing and editing at all times. I don’t have to keep as insane a schedule as that film class, but why not attack writing in that way? I’m annoyed at myself for missing my Star Trek memoir deadline, but I’m not defeated. How can I make this a reality?

Let’s brainstorm here. How can I write and publish two books in one month?

August 7 – 13 (this week):

–Print out my currently-published DadLetters memoir. It’s another short story inspired by the 8-hour eBook challenge. Read through that document while doing a quick tweak, revise or whatever I immediately identify as lacking dimension. Type those edits and set aside.

August 14 – 20:

–One last critique of MomMemoir from the Montclair Memoir1 group on the 16th. What section?
–After that final feedback, begin MomMemoir 4th and final powerful edit.

August 21 – 27:

–Finish edit of MomMemoir, say the 23rd.
–Release MomMemoir to Fiverr editor for her review and line edits.
–Finalize book cover with my Fiverr graphic designer. This is already started. He needs some text from me to complete the project.
–Why she edits and he designs, write/revise DadLetters draft #2.

August 28 – September 2:

–In theory, final edit and cover design will be complete. This schedule is somewhat out of my control.
–Submit a section of DadLetters edit #2 to my Montclair Memoir1 group for their first critique of that work (August 30).
–Maybe do the next DadLetters edit #3, but my MomMemoir is the focus this week. Do what I can to:
–PUBLISH MomMemoir on Amazon and maybe other platforms. Research CreateSpace and Nook publishing options, or postpone until later.

During all this, work on my ROW80 Round 3 goals. Email, blog posts and social media are the key areas. How can they fit into this schedule? With this structure of sorts, maybe the goals will flow better.

September 3 – 11:

–enjoy Labor Day, my birthday and the Penn State-Pitt game in State College.

Tuesday, September 12 (entering second month):

–Has MomMemoir been published?
–Pick up where I left off with DadLetters memoir: submit another section to Memoir1 group (Sept. 13).
–Continue or begin researching CreateSpace, Nook, and other publishing options.
–Think about what’s next to work on. Maybe my 8-hour eBook Jimmy the Burglar. Maybe chapters of my full-length Dad memoir. To be decided based on how the previous month worked or didn’t. 

That’s doable. I focus on one major project while working on the other one in the background. It’s not exactly two books in one month, but it’s darn close. Spacing out to allow for Life to happen. Keeping up.

I bet you can do that, too.