I am finding myself stressed out and cranky in the business sessions, and happy and engaged in the craft of writing sessions — really enjoyed the one on the Muddled Middle, for example. I have very little patience for business, I think. It’s a bit of a problem if I’m going to keep indie publishing.
But more importantly, I have got to figure out how to get myself writing fiction (or essays) daily again. I think the pandemic threw all my old habits out of whack; I lost a lot of discipline and structure. Need to get them back, because when I don’t write, I’m not happy. Sometimes, I can go weeks or even months without writing.
It’s so easy for me to get caught up in other things, to feel like there are way too many looming deadlines and I can’t possibly find time to write, but there is really NO REASON I can’t find 30 minutes / day to write, at least. I have structured my life such that it is eminently possible to write daily. I have to clear away the clutter that’s getting in my way.
I think I need to start using an app to keep me off FB, etc. in the morning again. I don’t really know why I stopped — those apps were effective. If I can start my morning with just two hours of coffee, exercise, and writing, everything else in the day goes so much better.
MUST DO.
On the plus side, I did write today, cleaning up one scene and drafting two more, and I think this novelette is shaping up pretty nicely, up to 16,300 words now. I’m hoping to finish it tomorrow. But first, I must go and put some food in my belly, or I will fall down. I’m hoping for shrimp & grits. Wish me luck!
*****
“They cleaned up in the café’s restroom; brushing her hair and rebraiding it helped a little. When the food came, Amara forced herself to eat, knowing Narita would fret if she didn’t. It was an oddly divided experience: her tongue told her that the meal was delicious, one of the best she’d ever had, sweetness and salt perfectly paired, with tang and bitter for balance. But the rest of her simply didn’t care; she could have been eating cardboard, for all it mattered. Amara just wanted to finish, so they could move onto the next steps. The baby would be here soon; they really didn’t have time to waste.”
*****
