It was a pretty dismal month. Sigh. I ended up with just under 17K words instead of my goal, 30K. Worse, I feel stalled and very uncreative.
There’s just too much stress going on in my life right now. At least the month of hotline support for the Evil Day Job is done, although this month won’t be much better (major software upgrade and I’m primary on call after hours). However, I’m taking two days off to make this weekend extra long, so hopefully I can recharge the well and reset my clock. (I really badly need to get my hair colored — I’m looking frightful and it’s not Halloween yet.)
Oh yeah, I also forgot to mention here that I’m my FOURTH boss of the year now. Yes, in the 18 years I’ve been with this company, I’ve had more managers this year alone than the rest of my career. Crazy.
We’re still adjusting to the absolutely crammed full schedule. Marching band contest is in full swing. I’m not used to having a child need to get to school on a Sat. by 7:30 AM (after all of us staying out for the football game until almost 11 PM), who doesn’t get home until 2 AM. How are we supposed to a). get caught up on our rest after getting up at 5:30 all week… and b). make it to church the next day when we’ve been sitting in the parking lot for 40 mins waiting for the buses and semi truck to unload?
(Yes, you read that right. Princess’s band is so large that it takes 5 school buses, a semi-truck emblazoned with their marching band name and two large pull-behind trailers to go on the road. Crazy. In my day, we had 13 people in band!!)
Let’s not even talk about every other Friday night for football games. The constant expense of tickets, concession $$, travel money (they’re spending two nights out in Oct), and of course travel money for us when/if we go with them.
Now add in the other two monster’s volleyball games, basketball games coming up.
AND of course their weekly spelling tests, geography map tests, Princess’s homework in three honors classes, monthly reading goals… I do so much studying with them that I feel like I’m back in school!
AND Coyote Con is just around the corner. So is NaNoWriMo.
AND I have final line edits due on Lord Regret’s Price. Not to mention planning for release in Dec.
Gee, I have no idea why I’m so tired and stressed out.
So, baby steps. That’s all I can manage right now. I’m back to shooting for 250-500 words a day until I get my creative juices flowing again.
{{hugs}} My schedule is crazy…yours is insane! Major kudos to Princess for keeping up with that schedule AND maintaining good grades.
I am exhausted just reading that. 😯 I don’t think I’d be managing to wash my hair if I was living your life right now, never mind write novels.
Remember, too, that you just came off a big creative rush writing TBS. It makes sense for you to have a bit of a dip.