Thinking about my upcoming summer, getting writing done. I think I’m going to try to start each week by planning out what I’ll write when. I’m going to aim for spending two hours every morning writing, whatever else is going on, and if I accomplish that, great. If I want to keep writing, that’s bonus. I will try to take an actual hour-long lunch break, even if the writing is going well, to stretch and clear my head. Afternoons for domestic / cooking / reading / relaxing. Evenings for the kids, and then check in to see if I want to write more after they’ve gone to sleep, because that’s another 2-3 hour stretch, and often, that’s a good writing time for me. But if I want to hang out with Kev instead, or knit and watch tv, that’s fine too. And I’m going to plan out what I’m actually working on in advance, rather than feeling paralyzed by choice.
I looked at this week just now, and it looks like this:
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Monday: Go to airport @ 9:30, settled into a cafe by 10:30. Revise “Moon Maid” for George, and send to him by 4. Yes, I’m already breaking my pattern, but it’s a travel day, and travel is weird. Flight home @ 5, rest and relax with family in evening. (I’m going to the airport that early to save the con staff an hour-long extra trip to take me; I can work in an airport cafe just as easily as a hotel cafe.)
Tuesday: No writing in morning — doctor appointment which takes priority. Health trumps everything. Then drop off two baskets’ worth of supplies to the Garden Club, spend an hour helping them make baskets for the raffle. Go into campus, lunch with a colleague, pick up student portfolios, finish grading by end of day. Summer doesn’t really start until grading is in, and I’m going to try not to procrastinate it this year.
Wednesday: Real start to summer schedule. 7:30 – 9:30: Work on revising “Flight” to novella-length (I’m cutting down 80,000 words to 40,000; it’s going to be an adventure). 9:30 – 10:30: Decorate hat with fresh flowers from the garden for the ‘parade of hats.’ 11 – 2: Garden Club spring luncheon. Evening: go into city for book launch of Good Company at The Book Cellar.
Thursday: 7:30 – 9:30: Work on revising “Flight” to novella-length. 10:00 – 11:00: Therapist appointment. Afternoon: Make strawberry-soursop marshmallows, and tamarind-ginger-chili marshmallows. Think about intergalactic chef / florist story, maybe sketch some of it out.
Friday: 8:30 – 9:30 coffee with Capuder (kids’ principal). 9:30 – 11:30: Work on revising “Flight” to novella-length. Clean house, get set up for evening. 7 – 10: Host OPALGA potluck.
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So that’s only hosting one event (good), going to four things (more than optimal, need to watch that), and lots of moving things around to make it work, which is not ideal; better to get into a routine. But it takes time to settle into things — hopefully the following week I can do a better job of protecting that 7:30 – 9:30 time slot for writing.