Back to the daily grind.

[temporus]

This was my first week back to work since the birth of the Little Man.  A bit slow getting back into the swing of things.  Thankfully, there is a new Starbucks opened on my way to work, so I've been able to get a coffee on my way to work.  This turned out to be critical on my first day back to work.  I found that during my time off, I had shifted my sleep schedule to match that of the boy's.  Which meant I couldn't fall asleep until 4 AM.   I wake up at 6 AM in order to feed and walk the dog, and all the other necessities in order to make it to work by 8 AM.   By 10:30, I was beat, and dragging doesn't begin to cover it.   That was a rough day.  The rest of the week, I've been feeling it, but I've been able to shift things back so that I'm almost on my old schedule.  Still not nearly enough sleep.  I've been informed that this state will last some 30 years.  

Yesterday, I managed to correct the great wrong that was my lack of jelly beans.  A nice four pound tub of Jelly Belly beans from Costco.  This is critical, as I use them as rewards when writing.  It keeps me motivated.   Mind you, I haven't really been writing for the past few weeks--I've been a touch busy.  But, I'm hoping to get back into the swing shortly.  I've been reading works for my crit group, and getting notes prepared to write up my critiques.  I hope they will be useful. 

I've also been typing up notes on two short story ideas I had set aside while I was working on the novel.  Now that the beast has been stored for distancing, I can maybe bring them out and start working on them again.  I also have the story I didn't complete before the time off for new baby, three stories for which I have feedback and require rewrites, as well as one more first draft that requires editing so I can get it in for the next critique cycle.

Wow, that's more balls up in the air than I realized.   I'm going to have to set some deadlines for myself, or I'm never going to get things on track.  Not to mention the other novel that I had started last NaNoWriMo that really needs to be finished.   I feel like I'm in writing debt.  That's okay for now, but I need to play catchup soon, so I can get working on new ideas.   I've got two more seeds that are planted in the back of my mind, that I can feel just germinating.  

I'm also trying to get in a lot more reading.  Short stories mostly, because they are easier to fit in between feedings and diaper changes.   Besides, it's not a bad idea to do a little more study on the form I'm currently working in.  I'm using a mix of genre magazine's to get a sense of the markets, a few collections of classic short stories, and a few good genre collections to keep me stoked.   Now, I just need to apply butt to chair, and get moving.  Maybe I'll start up with a small manageable daily goal.   250 words sounds reasonable.   Heck, I probably doubled that in this post.

Comments

[l-clausewitz.livejournal.com]

And determine what kind of deadline works best for you. I don't generally know how long my drafts would end up so my long-term deadlines are very loosely defined, and what actually pushes me is the 800-word daily deadline. Otherwise I wouldn't be able to overcome my natural predisposition for laziness.

[temporus.livejournal.com]

Well, part of me wants to take on a short story a week, as per the advice of Steve Barnes. However, I think that might be pushing myself much further than practicality demands. I'm instead considering one story every two weeks. 14 days seems okay. I'm also considering doing: first drafts on week 1, revisions on week 2, but revising the prior story not the new one, so that I alternate things up, and give myself some space between initial draft and re-write.

It's a different type of motivation than the word count per day one. That helped me get through the first draft of the novel. It might help me get through short stories too, or it might just end up being frustrating.

[pamphiliawrites.livejournal.com]

Jelly beans for motivation eh?

[temporus.livejournal.com]

Yup. I needed something. I like jelly beans. Jelly beans are inexpensive. And tasty. And give me something to literally chew on when I hit a snag. :) They also have the added bonus of being made of sugar, to help give a boost of energy while writing.

Blame it on Borders for selling Jelly Bellies right by the check out counter.