Deadlines!

Blog No. 264

Every day I put another obligation behind me and try to get ahead with my writing. At the beginning of the year, I was knocking out a pretty respectable word count each month, but everything else loomed its head and put a stop to that. Somehow I seem to forget every time that writing is fun (and work, but also fun) and editing is a tedious mess that seems to put all progress in its place. Layout work is on the fence. I don’t mind doing it, but not at the expense of writing. Also, if you are doing it for yourself or someone else, it’s a lot easier. For yourself, if you like something, you go with it. For someone else, you do whatever they want. For multiple people, it can get a bit messy. And when your work schedule conflicts with theirs, a simple message can be the most frustrating thing in the world.

But now all that is over. For its sake, it better be. I really don’t mind layout work (when the printer is on board) but it can drag on and on if you let it. I have deadlines to get to, dang it. It has been far too long since I did any real writing and there are people waiting for things of mine to finish so other projects can start from that point. That may sound confusing, but I think that’s the best I can do without giving too much away too soon. Maybe I should have a code name for the project, but I’m too tired to think of something. I’ll just try to clarify that the next thing I’m writing, which is the Cyber Punk Novella, is part of another project and the project can’t go forward until I get the novella finished. Also, I want to get it finished so I can have it out in time for my first event of next year.

I’m so out of practice with daily writing that I’m having trouble building momentum. Plus, I’m struggling to find the time and energy to write every day, so that doesn’t help. the day job is still busy, but I hope to have a lighter load between Christmas and New Years. Usually the place is closed so I only have one or two shifts based on rentals, but I seem to be the only one who can work so I’m picking up the slack. Depending of what rentals go through, I may be pretty busy still. Plus, Anchor Coffee House will be closed for the season. Since I do ninety percent of my writing there, I’ll have to rough it somewhere else.

With the New Year comes new obligations too. Work has to start for Season Two of Flags and High Fives. That’s going to include a long weekend in Toronto. The event schedule starts up again. With at least one new book in All These Crooked Streets, it looks a lot more like 2016 instead of the lackluster 2017. More events means more sales, but it also means more expense and more stress. The better things are planned ahead of time, the easier each one will be. I have to start planning for the 2018 Summit too, but that’s something that should be more helpful for writing. I learned this year not to spend too much of that time editing. Well, that’s at least a blog for this week. I’ll chalk it up as done and start planning the more in-depth year end post. Until then, I’ll be at the Ford City Market on the 21st, but you’ll hear more about that next week.