I have of late been playing at writing more than working at it.
And play is fine, and it might be what I need in my busy life right now. But, it gets me no closer to being a serious writer. And come January when my part/full time job might become writer, this cannot be just play. I must make it work first, play when I get work done.
Of course, January is a long ways off. More and more our fall is getting packed. There's so much we'd like to do, or people we'd like to visit, and all before Jedi should be leaving for school and new job in January.
September has a friend visiting, a relay run in NC for Jedi, and beer festival at the ballpark one last time. Also possibly literally crammed between the first two things I may have to drive to DC for silly NASA grant from hell stuff. And yep, I might be pissy during it, but I should be getting more than 2 weeks damn notice my presence is required.
October my parents visit, and we're trying to get to the Renaissance festival in NC. Plus, there's beer to make for an Oktoberfest party.
November there's nanowrimo and meetings/write-ins with the great group here in town, and the Thanksgiving horrible road trip to see BIL, SIL and the rest of the Jedi clan.
December we have to get to CA for xmas with my family, then back home to drive to BIL & SIL's for late xmas/new year's with the Jedi clan. I'd told my MIL I wasn't doing that, but if I'm off work starting January and we might well be leaving the country, we sorta have to go.
And that's the big things I already know about. Tons of smaller stuff I'm sure will come up. And there's work and possibly selling the house to deal with. I think perhaps I might let myself play at writing until New Year's. I still plan on writing another SF novel for nano (novel #5). And I'd still like to get my on paper fixes for the Novel #3 revision done. But right now my head just isn't in the world or characters of Novel #3. Either it would like SF not present day fantasy. Or it just doesn't want to be doing real work.
Then Jan/Feb perhaps I can get novel queries galore out the door to agents, perhaps for Novel #1 and #2. I think they'd hit different enough agents to allow that. And revise my stock of short stories for improvement then get back into submitting them. Jedi did pass along interesting info that mailing from the base in Japan shouldn't cost me any more than here (thank you tax payers), which means I don't have to ask my MIL nicely to help mail novel queries.
Of course, January is a long ways off. More and more our fall is getting packed. There's so much we'd like to do, or people we'd like to visit, and all before Jedi should be leaving for school and new job in January.
September has a friend visiting, a relay run in NC for Jedi, and beer festival at the ballpark one last time. Also possibly literally crammed between the first two things I may have to drive to DC for silly NASA grant from hell stuff. And yep, I might be pissy during it, but I should be getting more than 2 weeks damn notice my presence is required.
October my parents visit, and we're trying to get to the Renaissance festival in NC. Plus, there's beer to make for an Oktoberfest party.
November there's nanowrimo and meetings/write-ins with the great group here in town, and the Thanksgiving horrible road trip to see BIL, SIL and the rest of the Jedi clan.
December we have to get to CA for xmas with my family, then back home to drive to BIL & SIL's for late xmas/new year's with the Jedi clan. I'd told my MIL I wasn't doing that, but if I'm off work starting January and we might well be leaving the country, we sorta have to go.
And that's the big things I already know about. Tons of smaller stuff I'm sure will come up. And there's work and possibly selling the house to deal with. I think perhaps I might let myself play at writing until New Year's. I still plan on writing another SF novel for nano (novel #5). And I'd still like to get my on paper fixes for the Novel #3 revision done. But right now my head just isn't in the world or characters of Novel #3. Either it would like SF not present day fantasy. Or it just doesn't want to be doing real work.
Then Jan/Feb perhaps I can get novel queries galore out the door to agents, perhaps for Novel #1 and #2. I think they'd hit different enough agents to allow that. And revise my stock of short stories for improvement then get back into submitting them. Jedi did pass along interesting info that mailing from the base in Japan shouldn't cost me any more than here (thank you tax payers), which means I don't have to ask my MIL nicely to help mail novel queries.