The Neverending Story!

Of packing and the move! I have very little else to write about!
I threw the end of my June schedule out of the window. I have only missed 1 submission by doing this. It is one I really wanted to attempt because it was for my mum.
There’s always the remaining 6months to find a similar opportunity.
I have realised the play packing I started 12 months ago hasn’t really got me anywhere. Mum came to help and in 2 hours we had done 12 boxes!
I have managed 4 since she left… 6Hours ago! I had a 2hour power-nap and lunch in that time!
I’d not eaten and was very tired. I had a rare day out yesterday! I came home to meet removals guy and then went to a friends house for a BBQ. She moved a few weeks ago (ironically to the town I am about to leave :-/) It was a great housewarming and lovely to see everyone again!
I am still offline.
Still can’t access the online coursera course to find out what has happened there.
And in my mind, preparing my mind for nano. I need to get bedroom packed now. It’s half way there!

Happy Birthday!

Mum, without you I would not be!
Have a lovely day surrounded by love and make lots of wishes so the rest of the year can be as special as today! x

The Importance of Active Writing!

The problem used to be you didn’t have time to write… you changed that and decided to become a writer, a serious one who actually writes and finishes projects. So what’s taking so long?

It can be extremely difficult to focus your mind on WRITING but it is important if you are to get the most out of your squeezed in writing slots.

I feel fairly focussed, considering it is shortly after 5:30 a.m. But then I wrote a list of all the non-writing activity I have catered for in the last 45 minutes.

1) Made coffee (to be fair the laptop was firing up)
2) Drank polar cup of coffee
3) Ate breakfast
4) Looked at photos (finding blog/ camp photos)
5) Cleared my desktop (PC)

I estimate that’s about half an hour, I have done 15 minutes writing and more faffing around. Repeat daily, that’s 3 ½ hrs of writing GONE! 14 hrs a month! That’s several days or for most part-time writers several weeks of writing time.

I don’t feel like I have avoided writing today, and there you have it I did!
What does your list look like?
Go on, write it out – you will surprise yourself and see how you can get that novel written sooner. And how you can lose time even if your laptop is disconnected from the Internet.

Off to check action plan writing schedule now to see what I can do!

NaNoWriMo 2 days to Go!

Are you packed? Did you get in line for bug spray? Have you assigned to a cabin?
Have you sketched out some ideas? Is your memory empty enough to save your next 50,000 words?

NaNo Summer Camp opens in just 2 days!
I have sketched out the list of writing that I will be doing, some of it is developing writing that already has an initial paragraph, although I had planned to plan the rest of the story before camp I am (due to a packing/ moving house schedule) going in as organically as I can and the writing will (hopefully) evolve in camp.

It isn’t quite going in stone cold but it’s pretty close.

I had hoped to start Nano in my summer house… but looks like it is going to involve several destinations.

Now is the time to make your NaNo promises to yourself.
Here are mine;

• I will write daily,
• I will not worry about falling behind word count
• I will schedule some time in the last weekend / days of camp to catch up and achieve my word count goal
• I will have fun and enjoy it
• I will share my experience with others
• I will produce 2-3 pieces ready to polish and publish
• I will cater for NaNo camp in the rest of my July writing schedule
• I will keep my camp promises

Awake Before the Early Worms

Gone are the days where waking up hours before the alarm caused frustration…
4:15 a.m – ‘Oh it’s 4:15 I can get some writing done as well as packing boxes before work!’
The thoughts of a madwoman maybe, but here I am – Polar cup in hand bashing away on the keys, this is what I was doing everyday and what I haven’t managed this month due to a packing schedule. All that is about to change (NaNoWriMo Camp) and the fact that I no longer have a telly (see previous post) is going to help pack quicker so naturally my writing schedule will be realised once again.
We may not have the internet working at home so that will also help me complete the offline writing work!

The problem with writing blog posts this early is my brain is still dozing and I struggle to keep thoughts in place.
It has been really hard not being able to access Blogland and I am enjoying the thought of returning to normal service as much as I am looking forward to moving into the new house!

I have still kept up a daily write (& not just the frantically scribbled list of ‘I need a PA’ errands to be completed alongside packing & working!
Sadly it was the last writing class this week, & I actually drove the right way into the city – saving half an hour of driving & petrol, over the course that;s 3hours of driving I needn’t have done! No wonder my car has needed filling up weekly!
The whole class went to the pub and had a great last parting company, I was okay until 4 people all left at the same time, I got a bit emotional then!
It was 11pm when I got in, pumped with adrenalin and had lots to instantly blog. (Oh for the 24/7 line connection! Whoop, whoop!) May be I should write a book about life in the 21st century and no service for people working in the world of tech. There is a frustrated character somewhere in there…

I am sure I will create some more blog posts about this great group of writers and our next adventures.

Off to check how far behind the June schedule has slipped. My online writing course finishes this week and I can’t access it. They extended the deadline of the last assignment (I submitted on time) here’s hoping!

Happy Writing

A World Away from Technology

The packing is going well. Originally I was due to move yesterday, then today, then next Wednesday, which is now Friday possibly Thursday!
The nightmare has been partly fuelled by work commitments and expecting at a short notice have a removal firm fit in with me.
Poor Mr G will be in a week before me…
And the market will be kept from knowing my lovely apartment is up for sale.
Still… On the upside I will have time to pack (& write) now the telly has gone.
I was supposed to have moved by now so we organised the man to come switch tv services over tomorrow… Also as the internet may take 2weeks to go live there we didn’t want to leave it too long. We both figured it would be better setting up the actual replies tomorrow rather than hoping the multi room works. It also means 1 less breakable thing to load onto removal van.
There are 3 neighbours also moving and attempting to sell right now.
I am the only one yet to advertise!

SO I HAVE NO TV AND NO INTERNET. MY PHONE ONLY SHOWS HALF THE FUNCTIONS AND I CANNOT UPDATE BROWSER.AND THE LIBRARY IS SHUT THURSDAYS!

My plan is to pack.
Keep you updated on the phone.
Write some posts and attempt to post them using public access pc
Keep my fingers crossed that we get broadband connection before the 2weeks.
I need to check the online writing course as it finishes this week.
Sort and file emails
And finish submissions for June.

Battery low.

Happy writing x

Too Exhausted to Write!

It’s a good job that the recommended course of action after you have finished writing is to put it in a drawer somewhere and leave it for a week or two.

My manuscript languishes in the folder from last weeks crit class. (As I have emptied and packed contents of my drawers!)

It’s our last class tomorrow but I can’t think that far ahead!

I am still negotiating removals. Nothing’s easy!

Still packing. Or more accurately throwing things into boxes!
I have already rescheduled the move, so at least I can be packed in time!

Yesterday’s schedule was mental.
Half hour drive
Packing
Paperwork
Banking
Packing up car (2 flights stairs)
Work
Salsa
Work
Left @ 6pm with bag full of work for the evening!
Emptied car into new house with Mr G’s help!
Visited nephew… Happy 8th Birthday (24th),
Went food shopping
Got in at 9pm
Prepped food -much needed
Packed
Was still on laptop at 2a.m with paperwork.

Today woke on alarm at 7 & have spent 1st 2hrs on paperwork… Nearly done job 1 of 2… Need to get on and pack now…

Oh, to be an octopus … Or even a natural Multi-Tasker… More than 3 spinning plates is a challenge!

Happy writing … Do some for me 😉 !

The Lost Week

As you know I am moving house this week and most spare hours in between work will be spent packing!  I am hoping to be ready in time.
This means that I won’t be online as much as normal. AND Mr G has given me even more bad news. We have arranged for the television company to come and swap everything over to the new place, they have told us the Broadband may take up to 2 weeks. I hope it will be sooner and that is something that they have to say to cover themselves. There is always public access PC’s at the library and my trusty phone.
 I will miss out on the writing challenges this week and next weekend. The upside is I will have time to prep and start my NaNo writes.

Wednesday sees the last week of my writing class, which is always a little sad. The group was fab and hopefully we will keep in touch!

I am also preparing for NaNoWriMo and 2 submissions for the end of the month.

 It is also my eldest nephew’s birthday and my mum’s birthday this week! So the majority of my writing will take place next weekend.

Other than that I am going to get valuations on my flat and hopefully get it on the market.

Can You Drown in a Sea of Bubblewrap?

Day 2 of full on speed packing.
The packing isn’t a problem, my concern over the deadline is.
I fear this more than a writing deadline.

I miss writing. Up until this last week I had spent 2013 writing everyday!
My house has got to take priority for a while, there are only so many hours in a day. And I really do have a lot to pack!
I have managed to read at least, I finished the novel I started in April! It was a long book and my second historical novel. I found it a challenge. Plus May was very busy with houses, work and managing lots of spinning plates with little time for reading.

I have also managed to catch up with articles about writing, as yesterday I packed the bookshelves into 12 boxes…
I am a bibliophile – I see that now. Last year I had a break through and learnt how to give books away without a broken heart. Now my rule is it has to fit on the bookshelf… 1 in 1 out… My mother’s system that she has relentlessly attempted to get me to follow over the past few years!

Off to spend the day packing boxes. Drudge!

Wish I was writing x

Queen of Packaging

I don’t know exactly when I became too old to be a Princess!

I will mostly be offline this weekend as I have 48hrs to pack as much of my pad up as I can before the working week starts again.
I hope to move next week.
I have a removal company giving me a quote this morning. And so far I have spent 80% of my monthly wages on an empty house!

Bigger picture, bigger picture, bigger picture …

We have wanted to do this for years and now we finally can!

Have a great weekend & if you’re not, think of me packing & you will then enjoy!