With Labor Day officially behind us, school is in front of us. Yeah, bebe is only 3 but we started her in pre-school during the winter semester last year - 1) as an 'only' she needed the socialization and 2) she's flippin' smart and needed the mental stimulation. So I got into a really good writing place - I would stop at our local Starbucks or MickeyD's and write for the 2.5 hours she was in school. No email interruptions, no social networks - although I should admit I did look for writing sprints on Twitter each morning - and best of all no ringing phone or pinging non-fiction reminders. Just me, my iPad and my words.
Heaven.
Of course, during the summer, that great momentum I had going totally fizzled. Oh, I still met my writing goals, but I didn't feel like I was in the zone. If that makes any sense.
So when school started last Friday I was on Cloud 9. Two hours to write. Two hours to ignore everything else and just focus.
Heaven.
And so far it has been. No I don't have any amazing 10,000 day word counts to share, but my new WIP research is solid and I'm moving forward on the new novel - *and* the novella that hit the wayside during the summer. It's nice to be back in my routine, especially when I didn't realize how out of routine I'd gotten thanks to summer sunshine - and no preschool!
How about you? Do you thrive on routine? Can you write at the drop of a hat?
Heaven.
Of course, during the summer, that great momentum I had going totally fizzled. Oh, I still met my writing goals, but I didn't feel like I was in the zone. If that makes any sense.
So when school started last Friday I was on Cloud 9. Two hours to write. Two hours to ignore everything else and just focus.
Heaven.
And so far it has been. No I don't have any amazing 10,000 day word counts to share, but my new WIP research is solid and I'm moving forward on the new novel - *and* the novella that hit the wayside during the summer. It's nice to be back in my routine, especially when I didn't realize how out of routine I'd gotten thanks to summer sunshine - and no preschool!
How about you? Do you thrive on routine? Can you write at the drop of a hat?
I find I do better when I set a weekly goal and then track my daily progress toward that goal. It keeps me working at a steady pace toward my due dates. I can write in a variety of settings as long as I have music playing to block out distractions.
ReplyDeleteHaving commitments helps me tremendously - I need to be accountable.
ReplyDeleteKristina,
ReplyDeleteGlad I'm not the only one who had my writing schedule go crazy during the summer. For me it was because suddenly my night-owl 4 and 8 year olds stayed up late, which killed my writing time. Now that they have to get up early for school ... they're going to sleep!
Good for you.
Great point, Alexis, when I'm writing 'in public' I find a corner works to keep me focused.
ReplyDeleteMargaret, goals, commitments...it all helps push us forward, doesn't it?
Louisa, this summer was wicked crazy...hoping for a peaceful fall!
I can never seem to stick to a routine. I think it's the rebel in me. The hardest part is getting my butt in the chair. Once it's there, and my fingers are on the keyboard, I'm on a role and have to make myself stop to go to bed.
ReplyDeleteI have a pretty set routine. Blog and keep up on my friends' blogs on Tuesday. Thursdays that I don't work I'm writing and Friday is writing day, too. Sunday is a good day for me to write.
ReplyDeleteShawn, routine means a lot for me ... although I can write at the drop of a hat!
ReplyDeleteD'Ann, your schedule always amazes me!
I love the idea of a schedule. My writing days coincide with my days off and my closing shifts. Five days a week I get a couple of good solid hours depending on life's commitments. But my family and friends have gotten pretty good about respecting my writing time. And fortunately, I'm usually one of those people who can write something once they sit down.
ReplyDelete