A writer must write every day. That’s a rule.
Well … Oops.
Over the past several months, my focus has been divided three ways:
1) Sending out query letters for A Reasonable Price. That’s going well—eleven agents have asked for the manuscript! But, I’m still waiting for The Call, so this is an ongoing project.
2) Writing the first draft of my next novel, which I am calling Attitude Girl for my blogging purposes. (It has a real title, but I can’t tell you that yet.) I’m about eighty pages into it, but I haven’t been writing much lately because of:
3) Being a human. Yep, for me this is mutually exclusive of 1 & 2. In my attempt to be a human (read: wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend), I have not been a dutiful writer. In fact, I’ve been a pathetic excuse for a writer.
So much for the balance of writing every day. And so much for my mental well being. Falling short of my goals made me feel bad about myself.
However, I have a new motto. Can you guess it? That’s right, Screw balance!
I used to strive to write several hours each day, then be a human in the leftover hours. However, I spent almost everyday of August working on a project that will become a memorable Christmas present for my four sons. (That’s not a bad excuse.) And I spent most of September traveling to see family. (That’s not bad either, right?) Well, there wasn’t much writing happening in those two months, so I am hereby dedicating October to writing. I have just begun a “private writing retreat” for next 16 days. My writing goal, which is normally 500 – 1,000 words per day, is to write 20,000+ words by October 16th.
<gulp>
Will this put me back in balance? I hope so … unless of course that nullifies my new motto. The question is, How do we define balance? Must there be a daily tally? Or can we add it up on a weekly or monthly basis. I tend to be an all or nothing person. I run hot and cold.
For the next 2 1/2 weeks, I plan to be HOT on writing.
Sorry, friends and family. I will speak to you again when I return to being human.