Write Way Up

How do you feel after a month of writing?

As January ticks to a close

I am typing this on the laptop in the hope of managing internet access later; I will need to be quick as I have another appointment straight after work. I don’t know if it is because we have a week left in this month and it is all drawing to a close, ‘that was January!’ or if it is because I have been super busy or it is other causes, recently I have been waking in the early hours of the morning, unable to sleep I have activated my brain (and believe me I am not over stimulating it) I did extensive research on Sleepy Hygiene/ Sleep Therapy last year, I then manage to fall asleep for a bit and have been setting an alarm just before 9. Waking up dog tired.
I lie in bed reading, blinds open, light in, day in the room begging myself to roll out of bed. I just can’t. I’m far from lazy, I am currently unwell- it is a mixture of that and the medication, that is how I ended up working part-time & being able to consider re-launching my writing career. Every cloud has a silver lining and all that.
Okay readers this is a writing blog, where was I heading with that woeful autobiographical snippet, well they say* that readers like to get to know the person behind the blog, so there was a little bit of me.

I managed some writing when I got home from the Library last night. With the help of this blog (I have also read WebPages on whether we should consider blogging as writing) I have nearly achieved writing on a daily basis – if we ignore the slow start to the year, where I didn’t have the strength to pick up a pen or use my brain following NYE celebrations.

I only know this because one of my new-start-keep-going tactics was to have a writing diary and like I told you all yesterday I have a family calendar just for me… well we all strive for ultimate balance right?
I feel like this next week is the final push for January, part of me is disappointed in myself that I will only have made 2 submissions this month, even though lots of new writing has splintered off from that, I am 6 chapters into my main manuscript maybe 1/10th of the way there! I feel reawakened corny though that may sound) I do believe when you are finally brave enough (or crazy enough) to take the plunge and plug into what you should do, your true desire, life unfolds before you in a way you never imagined it would. The impossible loses two letters, the bit that held you back, I’m… (YOU!) and all becomes possible.

I have started prepping my February lists and undertaken a furious search to make sure I haven’t missed any appropriate opportunities. I was in the midst of a flurry of statistics and checking on my own progress last night. I am quite happy; there is room for improvement (as always) good stats for my initial jump into the fountain.
If this writing life was a diet I may have lost 9lbs by now! (My actual target this month was 8, but the Wii Fit disappeared under a pile of paperwork and packing!) Must try harder beyond the writing too – it would be awful to go through all this, find success and have the largest pile of books sitting in front of my pretty face and double chin on the jacket head shot!

I really want a Tablet, last night I struck a deal with myself (better the Devil you know!) For every lb I lose I gain £1.00, for every successful publication I will throw £5.00 in, for every book I read £1.00, I have read 6 this month so far. YES! I will have my tablet before the year is out.

Does the end of the month fill you with dread or delight?
Are you thinking ahead to February writes or fighting against January deadlines?

* I have spent some time this month surfing the net finding out about blogs and marketing and the rights and wrongs of community blogging and like I said yesterday – I hope to be online over the weekend with time to surf my list of blogs.

I write therefore I am

I spent the early hours the morning with a fictional scene that completely ran away with me – the characters are now almost completely flipped and there is an extra person in the scene. Based on the 2nd draft of the story, still in my notebook, I started typing it up and it just evolved and changed – which would be fine and perfect, except now I am worried that the piece is far too dark for publication. And it is also 158 words too long!

I did this last time – needed 1200 words and wrote closer to 2500, followed by chunky editing 1st!

When you’re commissioned you get a steadfast brief – I find it extremely frustrating that I don’t understand where the focus of this scene needs to be and exactly what they want.

I have been very picky about which writing projects I attempt this month, I needed to immerse myself back in the waters of the fountain I abandoned so many years ago.

I don’t know if I am allowed to play in it or if I should be sitting on a bench, bone dry, drawing a picture of it!

My main focus should be on my main manuscript, all these satellite writings have suddenly taken over.
I think I feel overwhelmed due to many other transitions happening this month; it’s hard for me to find my writing space (inside my head).

This submission has to go in the post – so there is no writing close to the bone on this one. The deadline isn’t until next month, but the way it has taken on a life of its own it may take a while to edit and proof!