Writing Dailey

In the final days of February, I can proudly report three things: This month marked Writing Dailey’s fourth anniversary, I have successfully broken in this year’s new projects, and I followed through on my commitment to work on my novel. Brava to me.

Sadly, being absolutely date-oriented in all other regards, I cannot say which February day is my business’ actual birthday, but I do have another date marked on my calendar. The last Wednesday of the month—two days from now—is my next due date for novel-writing progress.

Due dates and deadlines have been an ever-present part of my life, starting in grade school, carrying on through college, following me from op-ed columnist gigs, as a newsletter editor, and now, as a four-years-going-strong freelance writer. In my line of work, it’s commonplace to be juggling deadlines constantly, and I aim to deliver early or on time. Punctuality is a point of personal pride. I just can’t say everyone within my work sphere lays the same weight upon deadlines as I do, but alas, I get on.

For many, having due dates can lead to stress, anxiety, procrastination, long nights, cramming, and other side effects. I own up to having allowed a few of those to negatively impact me over the years, but at my ripe old age, I’ve learned to thrive within the boundaries of deadlines—for the most part.

As I mentioned on a few occasions in 2024, I didn’t make as much headway on my pet project as I would’ve liked—however, a new leaf unfurled on New Year’s Day, as cliche as that may sound. When a dear friend and fellow GVSU Writing Department alumnae visited, we concocted an accountability plan for us to breathe fresh life into our WIPs.

Both of us are major readers, Writing Majors, and fantasy nerds who have been chipping away at fiction pieces for 15–20 years while also building careers, resumes, repertoires, TBR stacks, relationships, and adult life skills, among other things. With a friendship that hit 13 years in January, we’ve seen each other at our best and worst, and that goes for our writing endeavors, too.

We sat next to each other in a fiction studies course, and she, along with the rest of the class, had to read a short piece of mine that I cringe to think back on. She’s read drafts of my in-progress novels and nonfiction musings, and I’ve read the short stories she’s created and sat beside her during a reading of her college journal-published piece on the off-chance I had to step in if she failed to say “penis” aloud in front of a full room. Needless to say, we were each other’s perfect match for fiction writing accountability partners.

With added concerted effort during the past two months, I’ve made discoveries about my characters, stolen from conversations overheard, drawn inspiration from Pinterest pins (Psst, check out my Writing Inspiration board), and fortunately/unfortunately, have made lots of notes for book two of my duology when I should be focusing on book one. Regardless of which book I’m making progress on, I’ve reignited my writing habit, and it feels pretty wonderful.

I met our first deadline on the last Wednesday of January by sharing my new prologue and character profiles and notes. In the past two weeks, in preparation for deadline number two, I’ve sorted through 40 pages of novel notes, which include plot points, backstories, world-building, character descriptions, dialogue, full scenes, and more.

Now, I just have to face the age-old blank page conundrum. Ideas, snippets, and notes are easy—they come easy. But taking previous drafts, 40 pages of notes, 15+ years of daydreaming and wrestling with words, and making sure I do justice to the movie that plays in my head at all hours, even when I’m writing for clients, is overwhelming, to say the least.

I’ve spent so much time with this story and these characters; I want to make them proud and make myself proud in the process by finally nailing the draft. In my gut, I know I’m on the right track; I just have to find the courage to start typing and telling the story again in a new way.

Thankfully, I have my accountability partner—even though she lives overseas—to figuratively hold my hand through this journey. It’s like we’re in fiction studies all over again, and I’m nervous about starting and sharing my work, but having done it at 21, I know I can do it at almost 35. But accountability is such a vibe, and I’m here for it.

The final Wednesday of each month is my standing deadline to make strides toward shaping my novel into what it’s meant to be. I can’t wait to see the finished product and, hopefully, one day, share it with more eyes than just those of my accountability partner.

Coming up next:

March — More Book Talk