Right now I am sitting on the floor next to a table under which my dog is hiding from the fireworks, poor lad. He will settle and go to sleep if I’m here but if not he gets really anxious and goes on patrol. In fact, he far prefers it if OH and I are in the same room (collie herding instincts kicking in, we think) but he’ll settle for me sitting on the floor next to him, and I don’t mind, as he’s a love. I am, however, going to have to keep this short, as otherwise my legs will go to sleep and I’ll fall over when i do have to get up. Besides which, jerk chicken for tea (ALL THE NOMS!).
Anyhow. This year, as usual, I am hoping to take part in NaNoWriMo. My page, if you’re doing it, is here.The past three years being what they are, it didn’t go specially well, but so far this year I did manage to get far enough ahead to spend a weekend dog-wrangling without falling too far behind.
Every year there is a great discussion over whether it’s worth doing Wrimo or not, and I think it’s very much dependent on how you work. Last three years I’ve been too burnt out to relish the challenge, but mostly it appeals to my geekly side – I want to see that barchart advancing in a steady manner, dammit! And as always, even though what you get down is not going to be top quality, what first draft ever is? For me, it’s a good way to have a specific goal, and get down a chunk of words that I otherwise would not have done.
The other side of it, of course, is that everyone in my family knows that in November you’ll get no sense out of me at all because I’m doing Wrimo, so I can get away with prioritising my writing then in a way that doesn’t happen the rest of the year, because it’s a specific, measured challenge in a specific, limited amount of time. So though I try to set aside a chunk of time every day for writing that I can, the only time other considerations don’t really present themselves to impinge on that is during Wrimo. Very useful.
The novel I’m NaNoing is the third in the new series and as you see, it’s currently about 15k words. Stuff is getting sticky for the heroine, and back at the ranch (so to speak) it’s all going to kick off for the hero too, so exciting times…!
Meanwhile back IRL, I am working through edits on the sequel to Sprig of Holly, which will be called The Holly and the Ivy. I hope to have a cover done for it by Wesley Souza, the incredibly talented guy who did the cover for Sprig, which I totally love! So watch out for that, hopefully before Christmas (fingers crossed the edits are not too involved!)
And in the meantime, we are working on this year’s Christmas Lites — the anthology a pile of us do every year to raise funds for victims of domestic violence. All monies go straight into the coffers of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and if possible I might try to get some of the other authors to come and guest in the run up to that. So, y’know, busy busy.
But for now, enough! the fireworks have quietened, the dog has relaxed, I have severe pins and needles in my legs, and it’s time to put the oven on for my current favourite food ever. Then tea, a last circuit with the Luxury Lurcher, and an early night with the laptop to try and do a bit of catch-up on the NaNo count!
It’s all good…
Have an excellent week, peeps, and will catch you the other side…
JAC.
Wandering On Dark Shores.... 
I thought I could do it this year but it turns out I’m a bit more burned out than I thought. I have written things but I have two projects going at once so it’s getting a bit tricky and it’s only been about 700 words because had the week from hell last week… (cf massive winge on my blog) but that was 700 minutes written in about half an hour so I’m feeling half down about it only being 700 words an half chipper about how many words I wrote in the time I had! Phnark.
Good luck, hope you make it to the magic 50!
Cheers
MTM
Yeah sounded to be just the most horrible week. 700 words in half an hour is pretty good going though! Don’t push it if you’re frazzled though, burn out is not kind. Fwiw, last year my total was about 3k and the year before, about 1.5k so another 45mins and you’ll have aced that!! I’m trying not to burn out before I get to the end of the story arc though as there’s cliffhangers and I know full well what readers think of those!! 😉
It’s a long story but it’s about watching people you love suffer and that process being natural and what happens but sad. Both my parents are ill. Not merciful, will carry you off eventually ill, just Dementia ill. I do as much as I can for them, which is not as much as I’d like but as much as I’m physically and mentally able to cope with. They are incredibly appreciative, it means a huge amount to them, I know, and frankly, there is no way I could not do it and like myself. But with a microdot to look after it is physically and mentally exhausting. Sometimes the capacity is not there to write. Sometimes, I sit down, and I can. What I am doing is re-evaluating how I write and what I write. I’ve always written the kinds of books that I wanted to read but didn’t exist. It maybe that I don’t have the capacity to do those any more, or that I need to write some shorter books so I am achieving something more often and can reduce the pressure. I might need to look at my pricing strategy. I’ll have to have a think. 😉 The reason I can’t always write is not really because I’m burned out, but because I’m sad and that isn’t going to be alleviated any time soon. I’m thinking you may well know about that. 😉 I feel the pressure because I am pushing 50. I have an 8 year old and will probably be a carer (for different sets of people) for the rest of my life.
Cheers
MTM
There comes a point where you hit what I think of as ‘survival running’ – where you know it will be ongoing and you have to plan in such a way that what you’re doing is sustainable mid- to long-term. Often what that means is you need to schedule in the necessary recharge time, and you can’t just think ‘i’ll do that when i have a moment’ because there never is a free moment. It has to be as important a priority as everything else, because it is the factor that enables all the rest to continue to happen.
When you do that sort of thing, you can end up feeling really selfish and bad, but someone once told me that that is a good sign that you are doing what you need to do to keep sane, despite the clamourings of your mind which is pressuring you to get everything right and put everyone else first and all that stuff. That pressure will burn you out though. It’s just not possible to keep that many balls in the air for so long and not drop some sometimes. We’re not made that way, esp when exhaustion and sadness and grief are involved.
The important thing is to be kind to yourself. You’re doing the best for them that you can, and they know and value that. Moreover, you’re teaching McMini some really valuable lessons about how love isn’t only when it’s fun and easy, but also when it’s hard, horrid, heart-breaking stuff. He’ll be a better person for having seen it.
Anyhow. I’m preaching at you and I didn’t mean to do so, but I’ve been meaning to email you for yonks, and just can’t find the email. I should imagine it’s on your website somewhere- will go look.
Take care,m’dear, and we shall chat when you have the time (and inclination!). J.
Very, very true. All of it. Preaching or not. And yes, that’s pretty much how I look at it. There has to be writing if the rest is going to happen. 😉 And thanks for the e!
Cheers
MTM