Alright, taking another brief pause on the Indie Publishing Series to issue a challenge, albeit, it is for myself. But please feel free to join in and revisit this post to provide an update on your progress.
As I write this, I find myself in one of two camps:
- I have officially crossed the blurred line between insanity and sanity
- I have reached another level in my writing journey where I want to push myself and put out another book this year
In my twisted sense of humor, I’m good with number 1. (Remember, I’m a huge Edgar Allan Poe fan, so creeping into insanity isn’t all that unappealing—just being honest.) But I’ll believe that it’s more so number 2.
The Goal and The Why
The mission is to write a minimum of 30,000 words of a manuscript by the end of August.
Why? Honestly, I believe that I have been lazy. Coasting. Using every excuse and then some to do the bare minimum. I say I want to do this full time, and yet the amount of time I put forth in writing is less than four hours per week.
Simply put: it’s pathetic. My attempts at building my writing career into what I know it can be are laughable. I’ve been collecting excuses instead of creating content, and it’s time for that to change.
Criteria for Success
Initially the ideas was to write 30k of my latest manuscript but I did tweak things a little bit. Now, there’s no hard limit to this 30K challenge, and what I mean by that is I’m giving myself some wiggle room.
The goal is to write 30,000 words for the month of August—period.
The reason I give myself this caveat is that I have several short stories in question that will add to that collective word count. They’re already in progress and deserve to be part of this challenge. They are deserving of the same level of effort at my manuscript.
Now, The Approach
I’m treating this challenge seriously at the same time embracing the natural chaos of the creative process. I am well aware some days might produce solid material with the scenes flowing like rushing rivers. Then other days might be a bit, less say stagnant.
Mainly this challenge is about consistency showing up when there is no inspiration or motivation.
This isn’t just about hitting a word count—it’s about building sustainable writing habits and proving to myself that I can commit to the craft with the dedication it deserves.
Why This Matters
This 30K goal about more than word count—it’s about proving to myself that I can stop treating my writing like a side hobby.
Challenges that push us outside our comfort zone are usually exactly what we need. I’d rather attempt something ambitious and learn from the process than continue making excuses for why I’m not progressing. Excuses why nothing is being produced.
If I happen to lose a bit more of my sanity along the way? Well, most writers are a little eccentric anyway.
Moving Forward
So here I am, ready to commit to this challenge and see what happens. This is about more than just hitting a number—it’s about developing the discipline and consistency that a serious writing career demands.
The goal is clear: 30,000 words in 30 days. No more excuses, no more coasting. Just work that needs to be done.
Time to get started.
Sound off in the comments, will you too accept the challenge? The Weirdo wants to know.
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