Motivation

Every one needs some 'down time', I agree, but when a month passed and I hadn't really progressed very far with my next book, I decided to ask myself 'why?' I like my characters, and my world. I know where I'm heading re: plot and story line. Hmmm. I'm really not sure what the problem is. And I'm not sure about the solution, either.
Drastic action was called for. I'd already enrolled in another QWC Year of the Novel course, so when it came time to send through the details about my 'project', I decided to tackle something new. Maybe that's what was missing! I've been immersed in the world of Sahaar for so long, I need a holiday. My course runs for 5 months, I've picked a smaller project, a children's novel, so I'm looking at about 35 000 - 45 000 words. If I work consistently, I should have the completed manuscript by September/October. Okay, I can hear that sniggering there in the background...
So far, my brilliant plan is working. My word count isn't too hefty yet, but I have a fair bit of research to do. Setting a 'research plan' was one of the topics we covered in the first lesson. 'Be specific about the time you are allocating to research. Be specific about your topics.' These are hard lessons, but ones I really need to listen to.
So... my goal before our next lesson in 2 weeks time is 8 000 words. That doesn't seem like a lot, so hopefully I'll do it.