come hell or high water...
I realized after my lazy, procrastinating weekend that my book wasn’t going to write itself. If it's really going to get it done, I must get serious. So Sunday night after devouring six frozen raw chocolate chip cookie dough balls (the ones from Trader Joes that are highly addictive), I came up with a schedule. It goes something like this. 5:00am – 7:00am write (the book) – no checking email or blog
7:00am – 7:45am get Goom and self ready for work/school
7:45am – 8:30am drop Goom off at school and drive to work
8:30am – 4:30pm work at day job (no lunch break, no time)
4:30pm – 5:15pm drive home and pick-up Goom from school
5:30pm – 6:45pm make and eat dinner, check homework, wash dishes
6:45pm – 8:30pm bathe Goom, read stories, play, Goom to bed
8:30pm – 9:00pm write and post blog if not already done (at day job), read, relax
9:00pm – 5:00am hopefully sleep (I must have eight hours of sleep a night)
When I was done, it was obvious why I hadn’t jumped on the write-a-book-train earlier. The only time I have available to commit to writing is from 5am to 7am.(I’m not sure my muse gets up that early.) I didn’t even mention, dinners with friends, soccer practice, working out, PTO meetings, etc but none the less, I’m a writer so 5am it is, come hell or high water (and it might just come to that).
Not to shock myself or my muse, I decided to gradually introduce my new writing schedule. So for the past two mornings I’ve been getting up at 5:45am, making a cup of tea, lighting a candle (to invoke my muse) and writing.
After two mornings of a blurry-eyed haze, I’ve successfully started my book and as a tease (hopefully it titillates) I will share with you the opening paragraph,
“That was the cutest moment I’ve ever seen in LA or anywhere.” Jackie squealed as we stood on the corner of Melrose, mouths agape as his van pulled away. “I feel like I was just in a romantic comedy,” I giggled forgetting my thirty-seven year old sensibilities. I couldn’t believe what had just happened to me.
But wait, I’m getting ahead of myself.”
Next week, I'll be up at 5am!
Comments
I am sending you good vibes to keep to your schedule and to keep the faith!
I cant wait to read more..
peace and happy writing my friend
Steven, yes cookie dough is the best! Thanks for the peace and happy writing!
4evenite, Glad you like the teaser, oh my!
LW, I shudder at the thought but I was always the one who couldn't pull the all nighter, I prefer the morning! Fingers crosses!
Thank you all! I feel I have my own private cheering section and when I think I just can't get out of bed, I'll think of you and I'll be up!
much love!
thanks for the drive by's..
come back soon .:)
hollywood? AWWW YAH.. i'll be back!
I started thinking of writing a novel in the early 90s. I finally put pen to paper in the mid 90s. I really got going in the early noughties and it's still there, almost twenty years after, forty-seven pages that need revising. The only advice I can give you is: don't think of writing, do it. In the kitchen, in the toilet, in the car park, everywhere.
Good post.
Greetings from London.
12pm-12am every day - do whatever my delightful 5-month-old wants, and grab bits of sleep when i can.
Keep us posted on the novel, already sounding good!
see you soon!
Cuban in London, Hello dear London! Yes, write everywhere, luckily I have two full length screenplays under my bealt so I "know" I can do it...its just doing it...LOL!
Gabriel, you have the toughest job of all...boy that first year of a child's life is TOUGH. I was all about sleep training...it worked but now Cole will only sleep when he's in bed, LOL!
Deborah