There is probably a YouTube video where I can learn this in five minute chunks, but small video chunks not only do not help me learn, they infuriate me because just when we are getting to the meat of the subject, it’s time to move to the next video. Clue attention residuals floating around my brain. The distraction of the video ending, the next one starting, with it’s mandatory ad, since I am too cheap to pay for YouTube, and then the obligatory recap of the video we finished watching not a full minute ago (depending on ad length.)

No, just no. So here I am with my ebook (hard copy on the way) and I am still working through the first section.

Next up, there are questions to help me set my “destination” and “plan my journey” toward that goal.

• What is your destination, the big vision, or long term goal you have for your writing?
• What is the concrete outcome that will tell you that you’ve reached your goal? Now reverse engineer the milestones leading up to the concrete event. Work backwards from the goal and try to make each step as small as possible.
• What is the first step you can take toward your goal right now now at this moment? Do it today.

These, for me are hard questions. Because “being a writer” and “writing a book” are goals, but what does that mean? I have written at least nine novels. So does publishing become a goal? I have an acquaintance whose goal was never to work for someone else again. That is a good goal, but for me, 5-7 years from a fairly nice retirement pension, not the best idea. This question needs thought, more than the ten minutes I am spending (on my lunch hour) to write this post.

And if I can’t answer the question about the big goal, then the next two questions are moot. Great, I have failed my diyMFA on day 2. Nice.

What I will do.

Think about it. I mean, why do I even want to work through this book? (and the companion book I have for it, The Portable MFA in Writing.) I don’t want a real MFA, because I don’t need more debt, but I do want the skills and knowledge. And a reason to read a poem, essay, and short story every day, and write a story once a week, I guess. Still trying to prove that yes, someone can write 52 bad stories, right?

So while I think about my goal, I will start also thinking about my week’s prompt:

• A dog walker
• Is mistaken for someone else
• a silver quill
• an ancient ruin.

This should be fun.