I had another disturbed night on Wednesday, but this time it was just me waking myself up, coughing. For the most part, everyone ignored me, but I did have to get up twice, with one or the other one of the dogs wanting out. When they both started nagging for their breakfast, at the same time, the poet took over.
By the time I got up, the poet was on his way out. I had my dirty cuppa and quiet hour combined before doing a few chores. I put some washing through and I emptied the dishwasher. When I was dressed, I cleaned up after the dogs in the garden and had some play time with them.
Once at my desk, first job of the day was yesterday’s blog post. I should have done it the day before but I never got around to it.
With that done, I dipped my toe back into Medium to have a look around. They’re apparently changing how people are getting paid, but I’m still not sure it’s worth the time and effort. I’d left 3 articles on there, just to keep the account alive, but I didn’t get excited about what I saw. So I wandered away again.
The paywall on Medium doesn’t work when the Zon bots are looking to see if something you’re publishing has already been published for free online. The bots think it’s ‘freely available online’, even though it’s behind a paywall. So it’s not worth me posting anything there that I might want to publish in the future.
I *can*, however, post chapters of a book already published, or a short story already published. I just don’t know how that will affect any collections or omnibus editions.
I don’t know, either, if the Patreon paywall keeps the bots out too. No doubt I’ll find out one day. But I don’t know how some folk manage to bundle all their Medium articles together into a book, unless they completely bypass KDP. The bots do ask us to confirm it’s our own work and that we own the copyright, but the aggregators might still put a block on from their end.
So I forced myself away from that particular rabbit hole and got back to work, starting by continuing the revision I’d begun the day before. I put some washing in the tumble dryer and hung some up, put another washload through, and fed the birds. Then I made my brunch (midday breakfast) and watched the next week of videos while I ate that, bringing to an end this particular workshop revision.
When I was all caught up on the revision, I turned to this month’s 12 stories in 12 months, which is the story I was supposed to outline the day before. Fortunately, it’s a storyline I already know quite well, having already written several instalments, including one for the great novella challenge that didn’t see the light of day because it was abandoned and then I couldn’t muster up the energy to finish it.
I had a play with the contest entry due in on 1 February, but couldn’t settle on anything. Folded the tumble-dried washing and put it away. Hung the next washload up. And put another washload through. Then I had my ‘afternoon tea’ while the dogs entertained themselves, both inside and outside.
Communication continued with the former Upwork client, and it looks like that one’s a goer. How grand is it not to have to go in search of work and instead have the work come and find you. I think it will give me a steady income for 6 weeks, which is great. I asked if he’d raise the job or if he needed me to do that and I awaited his reply.
I had another look at that 1 Feb story but couldn’t settle on anything, so I pushed it away and turned instead to the client edit. And before I knew it, the day was done again.
I forgot to finalise this and schedule it and then went out early on Friday. So it’s late again…
Have a great weekend, whatever you’re up to. We’re taking the mother in law out for dinner for her birthday one day and seeing Son #2 for a walk with the dogs on the other.
This post appears on Words Worth Writing and Patreon.
Have a good weekend!
I’m so tired of bots.