(no subject)
Building on my last post, I processed with Quin and we came up with at least partial solutions.
1. Work. Work is insane. Work is booming. I don't have a single opening until the beginning of March, and I'm booked solid -- sometimes ten hour days -- between now and then. (Aside from the 5-day vacation Quin and I are going on. :D) This is actually the least I've been booked in a month... I get about 7 new client calls a week, and usually 5 of them book. This is really more work than I can keep up with, though I know it goes in cycles and will phase off as summer nears.
Anyway, I've been taking and answering calls and texts as late as 9 and 9:30 at night, so I'm stopping that. I've been taking and answering calls and emails on my writing days, which cuts into them significantly, so I end up writing later and being unable to see friends or do fun things.
SO. Some new rules.
Except for new client calls, I'm going to return calls DURING THE DAY, in the afternoon after I've done writing. I'm not going to return calls or texts after 6:30pm (even new client calls). I'm not going to continue with my 'call a client until I'm able to talk to them' philosophy; I'm going to call, leave a message, and if they have an issue they can call me back. Once upon a time talking to them drummed up tons of business; now I don't need that, and they can be adults about it and take responsibility if they need help.
I'm going to start taking Fridays and Sundays off from anything dog-related. Not trying to, but actually doing it. I may even put it on my phone message, so everyone knows what to expect.
I'm going to stand firm on my new rules. This will be the hardest of all, but I'm going to do it.
2. Friends. I'm going to start making a greater effort to reach out and make plans. I tend to freeze up, paranoid that I'll make plans and then it'll mess up something else. But you know what? Other things can be scheduled around my friends, just like they're scheduled around my work. It'll be fine.
3. Writing. I'm going to dip my toes back into fandom. If I start coming up with lengthy plots, I'll see if I can't turn them into books and stick with shorter plots. I keep coming up with ideas for the DC comics I'm reading right now (Reboot has opened all SORTS of possibilities), so maybe I'll write them down and start posting.
Also, I asked Momo if she'd be interested in starting Killing Time again, knowing that I can only write one evening a week. This'll be a trial start for me, if she says yes (or we come up with something else): if I get obsessive, I'll have to quit all RP'ing full stop, but if I can play at something lighthearted, that'd be good.
I don't have any solutions for the Tsume's-unfinished-character-arc-in-FL issues, but I'm still thinking on it. I did give more thought to resolve it in-novel, and may have come up with an option. It would split Tsume's character arc into two characters; part of the arc is being completed in my current novel, and I could likely play out and complete the other part of it through her daughter. I'm not sure that'll fulfill the entire need, but it might. Like I said, I'm still thinking on it.
In general, I know that I've been using this blog primarily for processing issues, but things have actually been really good. Business is booming, I have vacations planned out, I'm saving tons of money, I should even be getting a tax return (in that I set aside more money than I needed to), and though my friends are few, they are awesome people. I wish I had a tribe, but I'm working on that. Things with Quin are great, and things with my family much, much better; I've been making more of an effort, and they have too, so I think the feelings I was having around them are resolving. All in all, all good stuff.
Now I just need to finish my novel... ;)
J
(PS, ashlan, I'm totally using our Scotty plotline for a book, instead. It'll be AWESOME. Also, years in the coming, but at least it's coming!)
1. Work. Work is insane. Work is booming. I don't have a single opening until the beginning of March, and I'm booked solid -- sometimes ten hour days -- between now and then. (Aside from the 5-day vacation Quin and I are going on. :D) This is actually the least I've been booked in a month... I get about 7 new client calls a week, and usually 5 of them book. This is really more work than I can keep up with, though I know it goes in cycles and will phase off as summer nears.
Anyway, I've been taking and answering calls and texts as late as 9 and 9:30 at night, so I'm stopping that. I've been taking and answering calls and emails on my writing days, which cuts into them significantly, so I end up writing later and being unable to see friends or do fun things.
SO. Some new rules.
Except for new client calls, I'm going to return calls DURING THE DAY, in the afternoon after I've done writing. I'm not going to return calls or texts after 6:30pm (even new client calls). I'm not going to continue with my 'call a client until I'm able to talk to them' philosophy; I'm going to call, leave a message, and if they have an issue they can call me back. Once upon a time talking to them drummed up tons of business; now I don't need that, and they can be adults about it and take responsibility if they need help.
I'm going to start taking Fridays and Sundays off from anything dog-related. Not trying to, but actually doing it. I may even put it on my phone message, so everyone knows what to expect.
I'm going to stand firm on my new rules. This will be the hardest of all, but I'm going to do it.
2. Friends. I'm going to start making a greater effort to reach out and make plans. I tend to freeze up, paranoid that I'll make plans and then it'll mess up something else. But you know what? Other things can be scheduled around my friends, just like they're scheduled around my work. It'll be fine.
3. Writing. I'm going to dip my toes back into fandom. If I start coming up with lengthy plots, I'll see if I can't turn them into books and stick with shorter plots. I keep coming up with ideas for the DC comics I'm reading right now (Reboot has opened all SORTS of possibilities), so maybe I'll write them down and start posting.
Also, I asked Momo if she'd be interested in starting Killing Time again, knowing that I can only write one evening a week. This'll be a trial start for me, if she says yes (or we come up with something else): if I get obsessive, I'll have to quit all RP'ing full stop, but if I can play at something lighthearted, that'd be good.
I don't have any solutions for the Tsume's-unfinished-character-arc-in-FL issues, but I'm still thinking on it. I did give more thought to resolve it in-novel, and may have come up with an option. It would split Tsume's character arc into two characters; part of the arc is being completed in my current novel, and I could likely play out and complete the other part of it through her daughter. I'm not sure that'll fulfill the entire need, but it might. Like I said, I'm still thinking on it.
In general, I know that I've been using this blog primarily for processing issues, but things have actually been really good. Business is booming, I have vacations planned out, I'm saving tons of money, I should even be getting a tax return (in that I set aside more money than I needed to), and though my friends are few, they are awesome people. I wish I had a tribe, but I'm working on that. Things with Quin are great, and things with my family much, much better; I've been making more of an effort, and they have too, so I think the feelings I was having around them are resolving. All in all, all good stuff.
Now I just need to finish my novel... ;)
J
(PS, ashlan, I'm totally using our Scotty plotline for a book, instead. It'll be AWESOME. Also, years in the coming, but at least it's coming!)