Intentions

There are so many things I want to write! So many things half-done, partly done, started, stopped… and if only I had the time to give to them. I’m having a hard time focusing during my time off—how do other people do it? Yes, yes, I know everyone says “don’t quit your day job,” so [...]

Personal Disclaimer

I wonder if I should walk around during the day wearing a sign that says:
I don’t really feel like talking.
Topics I do not want to talk about include: my writing, your writing, writing in the past, writing in the future, my progress with my outline, the beautiful state of California, lunch and what to eat [...]

Maybe Tomorrow

I keep getting pulled in new directions. I’ll be sitting at my desk doing whatever it is I do all day and I’ll look up and think, Wow, I’ve really got to get rid of all my old clothes and books and papers and rearrange the bedroom and maybe I should get to that tomorrow. [...]

After Revision

I turned in the revision yesterday morning before work. The weekend was spent doing only that; on Sunday I think I worked at it for 11+ hours. There were moments when I felt sure I couldn’t finish, but somehow I did finish, looking back I don’t know how. Then, after it was all over, I [...]

Writers Helping Writers, Assumed Rejections, and Cake!

Good things first: e got me a “Happy Book Deal” cake this weekend and even as I type this I want another slice. (No, really, where is it? I want another slice.) I asked him if I would get a cake for every book deal and he said yes. Isn’t he wonderful? I hope this [...]

Stabs at a Writing Life

I’m not thinking about much else but writing these days. Only, I’ve been exhausted—and here I type this with a headache—probably because I’m trying to push myself so hard.
I am under deadline with a freelance writing project—and I am behind, very behind—and the day job is cutting into my time. I try to write every [...]

A Creative Existence in the Cracks and Corners of Real Life

I have the day job blues. A coworker and I were talking about that fantasy of one day being able to write full-time—maybe you’ll be able to do it soon, I told him. Maybe you’ll be able to do it soon, he told me. But I know I won’t be able to do any such [...]

Drizzles

Oh I had a tough morning. The morning before the morning—when it matters, when it counts—I did get a decent start on the novel due in March, so that was good. Then I got to work and, I don’t know, the world shifted. No stormclouds, just drizzle I guess. My mood turned all drizzly. I [...]

Distract Me

Truth be told, I’ve been depressed. Just a smidge. I’ve got that dull film over my eyes that makes everything seem soggier and uglier than usual—nothing to cause alarm, nothing to write home about. Still, I’m not in the mood to skip down the street or anything.
I remember I’m maybe-depressed when I have nothing much [...]

Plans of Outstanding Proportions

I just turned in that manuscript. I am DONE.
And, soon, it will be October, and what I’m hoping to be a new outlook on life.
It will take effort to:

Be positive.
Be focused.
Not be a workaholic at work.
Write for myself and only myself with only my own self-imposed deadlines.
Pick a novel and stick with it.
(Get healthy on [...]

Saturday Struggles

I have a proofreading job that I left till the very last minute. I have the first draft of a short story I want to finish. I have a new book I want to read. Who will win this tug-o-war?
JOB: I realize I bore you silly, but I am due Monday morning and you [...]

Unforgettable

All this talk of stories and wishing on workshops (perhaps it’s just chatter in my head?) has got me lamenting the cold shoulder I’ve given one of my stories-in-progress. It really wants to be finished, and yet I had to put it aside for these recent deadlines.
I spent all weekend on a freelance copyediting project—I [...]

Catching Up

That crash writing project left me reeling—I am very, very behind in posting here and reading all my favorite blogs. But what happened, you may wonder. Did I finish? I did. I did! So, yes, I would now like a lollipop.
In the past week, a scattering of things happened.
* A story of mine in a [...]

Crash Writing (*Now in Real Time!)

A few days ago I agreed to write a crash freelance project. It is due next week, ideally Monday, but I asked for Wednesday to give myself a cushion in case I completely fall apart and start writing in tongues. The book will be 48 pages, but it will have photos, and it is an [...]

A Good Day?

I had a decent day yesterday—some might even call it a fine day. A good day? I’ll even say that.
But first there was panic. It was early, still dark out, and I was leaving to go write at Starbucks before work when, as usual, I went to reach into the little blue ceramic holder on [...]

2007 Denial

I am having a hard time facing the fact that it is 2007. I keep having these moments. Like I was crossing the street just before and I remembered how old I am and I stopped on the corner and I felt inexplicably sad. This is not where I expected to be in 2007. I [...]

A Day off from Work: Like Chocolate Ice Cream*

One day just isn’t enough, like one spoonful of chocolate ice cream isn’t enough (especially when it is chocolate-chocolate-chip). And this is why I am not allowed to buy pints of Haagen-Dazs. I shouldn’t have taken today off, because now I really, really don’t want to go in tomorrow. To make matters worse—because I am [...]

Not Saturday

Today feels like Saturday. I could’ve sworn it was, when I awoke this morning, when I heard our upstairs neighbor stomping in her heels in her early-morning relay race to find a suitable outfit to wear (the girl wears her heels even to brush her teeth at night; I imagine them to be fuzzy-toed and [...]

Open Letter to People at Work

Dear Coworkers:
I’m not sure if anyone from work reads this blog. I mean I hope not, but you never know. So if you do happen upon this post, please note that I WOULD PREFER IT IF YOU DID NOT TELL ME YOUR SALARY and/or how much your raise was. I really don’t want to know. [...]

Lost Weekend

The weekend spun out of control. No—no blackouts; I didn’t steal a car. More like I just lost the weekend to work: a freelance project due Monday, and not of the writing flavor, either. Let’s just say my red pencils are worn down to dull nubs and I have pink eraser dust all over my [...]