Ignoring the skin,
The freezing wind strikes the heart
And spreads to the soul.
Monthly Archives: January 2017
A Desk Has Fallen from the Sky!
Really! A desk has fallen from the sky and alighted in my “office”! (Now, to fix the roof!)
Ok. Technically, that may be a slight hyperbole (probably a good thing). The desk was already in my office. It didn’t fall – it emerged (Nope. Still scary imagery.). Let’s say that it was discovered/found/unburied. Think of my office as an archaeological dig of boxes packed with the intention of moving which never happened.
*sigh*
The point is that I have a desk. Well, part of a desk. Enough for a laptop and drink. What more does writer need?
Time. And money. And sleep. Lots of sleep.
Just kidding. Kind of. (*sobs*) That said, since my brain is obviously running on fumes (and where does one get a refill at these prices?), I am going to tentatively promise a novel update for tomorrow. I will even be rearranging my work schedule to try to guarantee it. And by posting this, I will be leashed to the collar of duty and unable to give in to laziness, procrastination, or exhaustion!
*cough* Right.
So… novel update tomorrow maybe probably kind of….zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…
-Em
Office Update: What I Should Do vs. What I Want to Do
“That’s the trouble. I can’t make up my mind.” — Scarecrow from The Wizard of Oz
So… apparently I really stink at estimating how long something will take me to do. Either that, or I’m horrible at recognizing my own limitations as far as energy and time (maybe both… probably both). Whatever the reason, I’m finding that my New Year’s resolutions are taking more time than I expected, which means I’m torn between what I should do and what I want to do.
That said, I’m very close to having a working office.
Now, before you get excited, let me clarify: my office is not close to being done. There’s a ton of moving, building, painting, sanding, staining, and cleaning before I get to that point. That said, however, I am close to having enough of it done that I can have a dedicated writing space.
In other words, I’m almost where I can clear off space on the desk for my laptop and have room to sit in front of it.
It sounds so much less impressive put that way. It’s true (how depressing is that?), but it really doesn’t reflect all the work that has gone into getting it that far. Moving furniture from room to room, juggling things around to get them out of the way until the furniture is in place, finding places for it afterwards – it’s not rocket science, but it does take a good amount of time.
Which leads me to the question: will I do what I should do or what I want to do?
What I Should Do
What I should do if I’m serious about completing my New Year’s resolutions is to continue to put off writing updates for Deathwalker and Wind Town until I get the office completely finished. I mean, if you look at it logically, that’s what makes the most sense, right? From a time management perspective?
If I focus on the office with what spare time I have, the office will be finished sooner. That’s pretty clear. Which should help me get back to a regular posting schedule (Oh, if only the world worked like it does in theory!)
What I Want to Do
What I want to do is try to update at least one of the novels this weekend. I think that’s why a lot of people read, and I don’t want to leave people hanging for any longer than necessary. (I’m assuming you don’t like being left hanging because I don’t. So if I’m wrong, let me know. I’ll stop worrying about it.)
On the other hand, I don’t want to start up again too soon and have to start skipping updates again. I feel like an extra week or two of the same break is better than constantly interrupting. Then, again, I don’t know. What do you think?
What I Will Do (Probably)
EM: [Wailing] I don’t know!
Sorry. (I’m such a drama queen!) Seriously, though, I’m going to try to do both. (Because I’m crazy. Duh!)
I’m going to work on the office, and if I feel like I make enough headway, I’m going to work on an update for the novels. That seems fair to me. Unless someone wants to suggest a better plan… anyone? Anyone at all?
-Em
A Call to Pens
No capitalized letters,
A missing comma or two,
Some missing periods or
(Let’s be real)
A few,
Homophone errors
(Their “there” is “they’re.”),
Run-ons, fragments, and splices
Everywhere –
A call to the red pen:
Let the writer beware.
A Gift
Even one person
Liking your work,
Asking for more, or even
Talking about it
Is such a gift, a surprise,
Of surpassing sweetness that
Never quite fades away
Legal Questions: A Poem
Actually knowing versus
Thinking you know:
Have you seen proof,
Or did someone say so?
Will it hold up in court?
Will it hold up in life?
Can you afford to fight it
Even knowing you’re right?
And if you are right,
Will all lawyers agree?
Does “right” even matter?
What’s legality’s fee?
If Only
What we call those lucky
Individuals who seem
To know who they are, what they want, and
How to get it.
If only they could
Tell us what “it” is.
His Message
Perhaps, it seems ineffective,
Even slow, yet he knew the
Apparent strength of violence was deceptive,
Carrying with it the repercussions of fear:
Easing you backwards while promising progress.
My New Year’s Resolutions Have a Catch 22
Remember my 3 goals for the year, “3 New Year’s Resolutions That Aren’t Going to Be Easy“? Well, it turns out I may have understated the case. So far, my New Year’s resolutions have a catch 22 that’s got me in a kind of loop – when I start doing better at one, I start doing worse at another.
For example, making progress on 1 and/or 2 (setting up a writing space and writing ahead, respectively) usually makes me fail at 3 (getting enough sleep). Succeeding at 3, requires skipping work on 1 and 2 (for the most part), and that’s mainly what’s been happening (not good).
So what’s the plan?
Well, it occurred to me that setting up an office is more finite than the other two goals. Once it’s set up, it’s there, and keeping it is easier and less time-consuming (Obvious, maybe, but not when you’ve been losing sleep…). So if I push and get the office done, A. I’ll finish that goal for the most part (reducing my workload – yay!), and B. having a dedicated writing space will make the second goal (you know, the writing part) easier.
Win-win, right?
Eh…mostly. The one downside is that dedicating my energy to making that writing space is taking energy away from my writing. That means that Deathwalker and Wind Town posts will resume once the office is set up. But don’t panic! I’m hoping to have it done by the end of next week at the latest.
Then, I’m going to catch up on a sleep for a day or two (believe me, the writing will be better if I do), and then, I will start working on novel posts again.
Thanks in advance for your patience!
Em
twytte 