Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Let Me Check My Schedule...


So it is time for desperate measures.

My writing has floundered far too long. I figure HERE with two weeks until our next insecure writer's group meeting...

Hi. I'm Hart.
Hi Hart.
And I am floundering.

*fish slap*

I am going to try a desperate tactic. I've fallen into a series of bad habits... some shows I like, some YouTube channels I follow, so discussion groups I participate in which fall into the “Squee fan girl” category rather than the writer one... I am reading a ton and that is good, but I am NOT exercising the discipline I need otherwise.

Weekdays

WRITE (or edit) 6:30-7:30 (I can shift by half an hour but that is all the flexibility there is)
PLOT: In the bathtub for half an hour before I switch over to reading (this can be edit plotting or original plotting, but a half hour devoted to plot)

I will DO this thing!!!


In Other News

The Boy Project

I think starting in August I am going to begin a “lasts” feature... My son—my baby, otherwise known as Thing 2—and I started our steps for college application this weekend—sent his ACT scores, put deadlines on a spread sheet, signed up for Parchment.com which is how his school submits transcripts... And I realized this is my last year with him really at home. I mean he may come back, but I know him. He is not my kid who will live at home as an adult. (I can see my daughter living with me if her dad weren't there, and she is still finding footing, so mostly lives with us anyway). But my baby will be leaving in just over a year.

But in perfect timing mode I saw a recommendation about documenting “lasts”. So I am going to. It won't probably be weekly, but I think I will be glad later I've done it.


Love This Blog!

And there is something I've been bad about. I share stuff on Facebook, but why NOT share with all of you when I see stuff I really love (which I do all the time), so I am just going to make a point on Fridays or Saturdays of sharing the week's gems, craft, philosophy, humor... possibly occasional politics, but I will try to limit that to the truly “make you think” stuff.

Part of all of this is trying to rejuvenate myself a bit. I used to love blogging because... honestly, I used to be interesting. I'm not sure what the heck has happened. Maybe a person just only gets so much of that. But I feel like most of the last three years I've just complained or tried to get back on track. So I am trying to settle back in and find what works again.

11 comments:

Jan Morrison said...

Love the plan. I'm floundering too as I perch on the edge of finishing. But cod moves in mysterious ways. If I knew how to execute a solitaire-ectomy on this tablet that'd be good. My photo show opens tonight.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

You are still interesting!
A schedule is the only way I get any writing done. Make it happen, Hart.
And your boy is about to become a man. Get ready, Mom.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

I think the joy of blogging comes and goes. I've wavered both directions several times in my 10+ years of blogging.

I hope your plan gets you writing again. I'm finally on a roll with my current work and loving it.

Madeline Mora-Summonte said...

You're new system/schedule sounds good. I've been feeling sluggish and out of sorts for awhile now, trying to figure things out, too, etc. I think these are phases we need to go through now and then in order to come out even better. At least I hope so. :)

mshatch said...

"honestly, I used to be interesting." Haha - I often feel the same way, like I used up all my interesting and there's not much left. Been good about writing about tho, lots of revising lately. Love the idea for Friday gems :)

Carol Kilgore said...

Handsome son! I think perhaps you're just growing and changing. What was interesting then is not interesting for you now. And you're plowing through one thing after another looking for the next interesting thing. You'll find it. You're just not ready yet. I think blogging is changing, too, so that's another factor. I have a hard time keeping myself in check, too. For me it required setting priorities and revisiting those every day so I get the important things done.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

Those lasts are bittersweet. Our last child will be starting her last year of college this fall. We'll be so glad to be out from under that financial load but it means they really are all grown up. Get writing!
Susan Says

Yolanda Renée said...

My boys keep coming back, usually after a breakup, but we have a big house, so it's no problem, especially if they cut the grass too!

Good plans, put them in writing and a better chance you'll follow through, but honestly, I don't see you as a flounderer, at all!

Helena said...

I love that Monty Python skit!

Seriously, your son is one handsome guy and it looks like he has your coloring. May your last pre-college year with him goes splendidly. As for writing (sigh!)--you'll do just fine. But I understand your frustration. I feel like my own writing is mostly in my head and it's crowding out reality. Who has time to for something as amorphous and creative and rather strange as fiction writing, which really can't be kept for long within a schedule? Still we plug away at it.

Ted Cross said...

I'm in the last year with my eldest son, too, and it is scary. College is crazy these days, especially when we haven't lived in the US in nearly twenty years. Costs are insane and I have no idea if any school will give decent merit-based scholarships to my son, who is doing well in school but not 'Harvard well'.

Anonymous said...

I'm also trying to figure out a solid writing schedule, since I fell off the wagon this week. Can't figure out when I'm most productive. I hope this works for you!