Midnight Oil

Tuesday Night

It’s nearly 11:30pm way too late to START writing… what choice do I have? I spent the morning sorting the real life stuff and researching for the proposal (due Thurs), then work, appointments and home. I made it in for 5:30pm and then carried on working – I have JUST finished (mainly additional prep for tomorrow) – I have had less than an HOUR off all evening for cooking – eating etc in 10 minute spats here and there. Constricted. Suffocating and oppressed by my things to do list!

—- End of moan —-

11:30pm I will spend an hour on the proposal before bed. I know in the morning the main focus will once again be work and it will continue that way until tomorrow teatime, when like a bad dream it will all be over!

The full time writing can’t come soon enough, if ever there was an incentive!

I know I will be spending tomorrow night and Thursday morning desperately finalising my proposal. (That’s roughly 7hrs writing/ editing time, hope I get it finished this time!)

 

Any tips on how not to be a last minute writing wonder would be greatly received!

Monday, Monday

I am going to invent a much needed gadget for all writers…. Dragon’s Den lookout!

Time just slips, slips away. I have spent half an hour at the computer – I checked writing schedule, researched the publishers I am writing a proposal for, tried to forward an important life related email to Mr. G (who is already working) it’s 8:20 a.m., technically I’m full of cold and half asleep! I have 4 word docs open that I should be addressing and here I am in window no.5 preparing a blog post to post later!

Show me the way to the coffee… my brain has worked out it’s MONDAY & it seems I may have broken the internet!

 My memory stick is in the other room and despite a large amount of hoping and wishing it isn’t going to find me on its own. My telekinetic powers fail once more!

Oh well, I will just have to pass the kettle in the kitchen on my way.

Part of the AWF blog is keeping myself on track, so as I need training barriers this morning I am leaving myself a things to do before work list;

•  Finish book proposal
• Complete application paperwork
• Write 2 cover letters
• Research 3 websites – writing schedule
• Attempt to add more poetry to the current m/s

That’s just the ‘writing’ points, I have more to do on life and prep for work!

 

THE EDIT – 2 hours later

• Finish book proposal – Nearly, I have a page of notes and references to work on tonight. I find writing the introduction to a book you have not yet written to be an almost impossible task in a Dr. Seuss type way.
• Complete application paperwork
• Write 2 cover letters…emails sent
• Research 3 websites – writing schedule
• Attempt to add more poetry to the current m/s

^ ^ ^ The remaining items are ‘timed out’ as I need to start on other missions now away from the world of writing!

If I manage to complete the list by bedtime I will be happy. (I hope!)

Sudden Realisation

My first dip, not bad three months into the year. I have started re-reading books on the craft of writing that I haven’t read for over a decade. I went to bed last night and fell asleep just before I became depressed at the sudden realisation that I cannot do it all.

Last month I realised the importance of having a writing schedule. My March table is already looking very full. I had hoped with a little organisation and a determined attitude I would be able to meet all deadlines without the stress of the final week of February. I am half way through writing a short story which was due for submission today, I just don’t have a full enough idea for the twist, I don’t know the characters well enough and I realised that I had to make a choice.

Do I carry on writing the story and send it anyway on a wing and a prayer?

Or

Do I work on the characters, discover the twist, see the full picture, write it over time and use it for a submission later in the year?

I have woken up and decided on the latter. It is frustrating especially as I have known about this competition for years, have journals filled with other entries from previous years that I didn’t submit and 2013 is not any different. Next year I WILL ENTER IT! I WILL DO IT! I need to build up my skills as a story writer again, have time to edit and proof. I need to breathe life into my characters.

I have decided to make a proposal for a book commision and have a lot of work and research to do this week to enable me to produce the best proposal that I can. I need to focus on that and let other opportunities slip past, that’s hard for a writer, right?

My sudden realisation is I cannot do it all, we (Mr G. and I) are currently very busy moving forward, (disclosing details later) with work and everything else I feel like one of those stretchy toys and I am pulled to full capacity.

Have you experienced this? Is anybody able to submit everything they want to?

I guess, like all things in life, choices need to made… I just hope I make the right ones!