I was struggling a bit to get up a whole hour earlier, but while I had the dog with me, I had to get up earlier. So I compromised and changed the time to half an hour earlier instead, giving myself an extra half an hour in the morning rather than an extra hour. I decided to leave this half-hour blank, for just-in-case and other bitty stuff. Last week it seemed to work. I’m hoping it works this week too, especially as it’s a busy week.
On Friday morning, I fed the birds, fed the dog and fed me, but I didn’t turn the computer on as soon as I started work. Instead, I sat in my reading chair and did 2 full Pomodoros of client editing. Spending 4 full Pomodoros on this job on Thursday and Friday gave me a good idea of how long it was going to take.
I’d already pretty much decided that I can only work on 2 full-length books at a time, writing and/or editing, with perhaps a story in between. This means that one of the books had to be postponed. I’m really, really keen to get THE HAUNTED HOUSE HOTEL written, so PROJECT MANAGEMENT FOR WRITERS GATE 3 is the one that has been sacrificed for now.
For now.
I have this client edit to do and another at first pdf stage (I’m still waiting on the proofreader’s report). Once both of those are out of the way, or at least the next stage is done, then I can bring PROJECT MANAGEMENT back. By then, in only a few weeks (due to holiday and trip to Ireland), HAUNTED HOUSE might also be done and I can work on another while that one cools.
This coming week in particular, I’d like to spend at least 3 hours per day on each book. I want to get the client edit back to the author by Friday midday. But I don’t mind taking HAUNTED HOUSE with us on holiday or to Ireland. I’ll also take the other book, whichever one it is, to Ireland as well. It is, after all, still a working week for me, even if I will be doing some sightseeing while I’m there.
This week, we have my car due in for its MOT and the campervan due in for its MOT. We also have the poet’s company car due in for MOT failure work. We’re finishing at midday on Friday too, which only gives me half a day. So the week is already heavily compromised.
With the client edit slot out of the way (I rejigged the day around), I turned the computer on and started today’s blog post. Then I turned to this week’s schedule and diary and moved PROJECT MANAGEMENT along. Friday was Week 6 of the applied depth workshop, of 6 weeks. So that also seemed like a good place to take a break from that until we go to Ireland.
When I was happy with how everything looked, I transferred it to my diary while I ran my weekly backup. And then it was dinner time.
After dinner, I watched Week 6 of the applied depth workshop, and then I struggled to write Scene 3 of HAUNTED HOUSE. I went in and added another hundred words to Scene 2 and I did some battle with Scrivener and Compile. But I had to stop before I’d finished 1,000 words as I had to go to the hairdresser.
Fortunately, the poet was home by then and he could take a shift with the dog. We’d planned to go out the next day, but found out we were having the dog until Monday, due to flight times and partially, I think, due to the delays caused by the massive outage on Friday. So as the weather was forecast cooler for Sunday, we decided to go out then.
Ugh, difficult time to travel. I hope it’s sorted out soon. But always fun to have the dog a little longer!
I should have booked half of this week off as well, but we didn’t know Ian’s car was going to fail its MOT and that has to go to a different garage that’s not as easy, or quick, to get to.
The dog has been lovely company.
I find your posts so therapeutic. I aspire to be as productive as you once the kiddos are a wee bit older!
Thank you – that’s a kind thing to say. 🙂 Have a look at Devon’s posts too. She keeps me motivated and I think we make each other feel as though we’re not the only ones trying to juggle stuff.