I tinkered with the lyrics, you know the tune.
Everybody sing along!
On the 12th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:
12 months of a patient husband
11 wandering characters
10 journals overflowing
9 thousand emails blinking
8 parties tempting
7 overdue library books
6 social networks friending
5 miles on the treadmill!!!
4 kids doing laundry
3 long to-do lists
2 pots of coffee
AND
1 killer novel deadline
What is your version of the song?
This is the shortest day of the year – a very, very good day to reflect and write.
Looking back on my 2007 goals, here is what I accomplished:
1. No melanoma, no cancer. Yes!!
2. Finish CHAINS. YES!!
3. Blog regularly, don’t let it take over. Check.
4. Finish first draft of YA due in early 2008. (Working on 2nd draft today!)
5. Do more fun things. (Canning! Knitting!)
6. Don’t waste time on stupid websites. (I got rid of a lot of bookmarks and keep a real book next to my computer when I feel the need for distraction.)
Here is what I almost accomplished:
1. Run consistent 9 minute miles by December (I am running consistent 9:15 minute miles.)
2. Exercise at least four times a week. (This was ruined during book tour and spring travel, but I am back on track now.)
3. Complete plot outlines for next two historicals. (Still doing the research.)
And this still needs work:
1. Website overhaul.
2. Deal with fanmail more efficiently
3. Run half-marathon and 10Ks (I did a couple of 5Ks, but didn’t get in enough mileage for longer races)
4. Read more for fun.
5. Ski. (didn’t make time or room in the budget for it)
Unexpected challenge: my brain was so tired in August I could not write. Don’t want to get that tired again.
Unexpected joy: The trip to Poland was incredible. Still thinking about it.
(There are a couple of more personal items, too, but I don’t have to tell you guys everything.)
From now until New Year’s I will ponder next year’s energy and where I want to spend it. The rest of the day for me will be writingwritingwritingwritingwritingwritingwritingwritingwritingwritingwriting.
I leave you with this. Solstice always makes me think of Stonehenge and this is lovely.
Choose one:
A) You can stay up very, very late with the college students who are home on vacation and do silly things and talk too loudly and have a blast.
OR
B) You can go to bed at a reasonable hour and wake up before dawn to write.
Doing both is not recommended. Doing both for three nights in a row is just plain stupid.
So how much sleep did you get last night?
Writing going well.
First draft done. (That’s the one where I just write all the voices in my head.)
Second draft started. (This is the one in which I have to make sense of Draft One. Much harder.)
I will keep working on this until the Hordes of College Students descend upon us this weekend. Then I’ll shift back to the few scenes that need a final polish in my historical novel, because it’s easier to work on a book that is mostly finished when your house has so many people in it. In a week or so, things will calm down and I will return to Draft Two of the YA.
Happy Birthday, Tamora Pierce, Goddess Writer Who Lives In Syracuse!!!! Stop by her LJ here, tammypierce or go there the old-fashioned way and wish her a hearty “Huzzah!”
Number One Son has a swim meet this afternoon, so I have to dive back into the story now. THANK YOU SNOW GODS for canceling everyfreaking thing in Central New York this afternoon!!! New goal – work on creepy chapter 7 and creepier chapter 8!
And still, thank you, Thea Gilmore, for getting me through this one.
Question – since I am on a Thea Gilmore kick, can you recommend some other singers in the same vein?
I am writingwritingwriting.
Love you, World. Go away for a few days.