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Posts tagged ‘schedule’

Feb 13

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Miranda: Bloggerly housekeeping

housekeepingThe whip-wielding muse advised me that a Monday Page update is due from Jenny (how is that research coming along? We want to know!). Kudos to Christa, Bethany, Brittany, and Jenn–goals accomplished, and in several cases, surpassed!

I know that when I wrote my own Monday Page update this week, I was glad to note that I’d met my goal, but quickly realized that I’d given NO thought whatsoever to creative work for the coming week. If I hadn’t had to write it down, I probably would have left my writing time to the fates (and it would never had happened). So for me, stating my intentions regularly is a very good thing. (Sounds like Brittany had a similar experience!)

On the other hand, last week, I had to force myself to work on the two chapters I’d intended to revise. I really didn’t want to, but seeing as I’d committed myself via this blog, and wanted to send the chapters to another reviewer, I managed to get the files open. I then had that wonderful experience of being drawn into a project that already has legs, simply by virtue of all the hard work you’ve already put into it. Within minutes, I was fully immersed, chugging along, making important improvements. The point of this vignette is directed toward those of us who procrastinate and make endless excuses about NOT doing our work (I know this applies to Kerry, among others): Remember, there is a point at which your project hits critical mass. Suddenly it has a life–and an urgency–of its own. The more time you spend being creative, the easier is gets. One day you realize you have nothing to fight against after all: you’re doing it.

As it was, this week I felt so connected creatively that I even finished a painting that I’d let sit for months. Sure, I was supposed to be cleaning the basement in preparation for our open house this Sunday, but after ten minutes of grunt work while Toddler played happily on his older brother’s drums, I realized that I knew exactly how to finish the painting. I whipped out the acrylics and painted straight from the tube, using paper towels to clean my brushes rather than go upstairs to fetch water. It all came out organically and I’m pleased with the result. (For the record, I am not a painter, but I enjoy painting during and between writing projects. My expectations for creative brilliance are low, which allows me to really enjoy the process.)

Unrelated Creative Construction updates: we now have 11 authors (not everyone has posted yet), which is wonderful. I’m so happy you’ve all joined our community. In our first month, we had nearly 1,000 page views–all from word of mouth. (We’re now up to an average of about 50 page views a day, which leads me to believe we have many “lurkers”–please do join us!) Note that I’ve just added a section of links to our other personal blogs; I’d intended to do so at the outset but wanted to keep our own links separate from general external links. An e-mail from Lisa D. prompted me to get the new link box up. So if you have other links you’d like to include, please send them to me.

All best wishes for a creativity-filled week!

Feb 8

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Christa: Committed

I did it: committed to one project. I’ll be working on one of my novellas for the next six weeks.

How did this come about? Well, it’s a little convoluted. This year, with Rain Dog and I considering not only the possibility of moving, but also of him partnering with me in an expanded freelance business, I decided that I needed to clear my mind and heart. I wanted to be open to opportunity. I wanted to participate in Lent.

Yes, I’m Catholic. I’m not terribly religious, but I do believe in God, and I do believe he has a purpose for my life. No prayer I have ever prayed has gone unanswered – even if it was not the answer I would have liked at the time – and no matter where I thought my life was headed, it has always ended up better than I could have imagined.

But these past few months, I’ve been stuck in a rut. Stressed out because of money and my job and my kids and where I live, I’d been overeating and unsure of where to focus my energies. I made New Year’s resolutions, but broke them. I was quickly turning into a mess. And when we started to talk about moving, it added just another layer of stress.

Lent is early this year, but I’m grateful for that – I have an opportunity now to clean myself up. And the first few days have been fantastic. I’ve been doing daily devotionals (which I never do), avoiding my trigger foods in favor of good high-protein foods, and seeking better balance between work and kids.

And you know, somehow, it’s been working. I even feel totally calm about the moving process. I need to figure out a business plan for Rain Dog and me, and we need to get the house in order, but I’m confident that I’ll be able to do it. Step by step. I think this really will be the year we move, and I want to be sure I’m getting it right. Not perfect, but right.

As for that novella, I didn’t exactly pick it on my own. It picked me. I suddenly felt like it was the project I should be focusing on, and I’ve been working steadily on it. My hope is to finish it, or be close to finishing, sometime in the next six weeks – before or just after Easter. Then I guess we’ll see what comes of it.

Feb 5

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Monday, Monday (sing it out loud)

OK, so it’s actually Tuesday, but just pretend I’m posting this yesterday.

bluemonday.jpgIntroducing Creative Construction’s new blog tool: The Monday Page (also available from the tabs at the top of this page). Post your specific goal(s) every week, as well as where you are going to claim the time to achieve that objective. The next week, post an update and spell out the coming week. No self-flagellation here, just a process that may help you focus on what is realistically possible and then keep that goal alive during the week (rather than buried at the bottom of the list).

The Monday Page is just for goal notes, rather than the accompanying narrative. Save the discussion for the page you’re currently on. The comment structure may not work for us in the long run, but let’s try this format and see how it goes.

Safety in numbers–please add your own goals to mine at The Monday Page!

Jan 27

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Betsy: Success stories

I noticed in the last couple of days I seem to be spewing advice about how to write/finish large works while being a mother. Where do I get off…? Aren’t I struggling just as everyone else is?

I am, but for very different reasons, ones that have more to do with not having time to feed my creative spirit than logistics. Currently, I’m divorced and have every other weekend free. My kids are older. I could conceivably find plenty of time to write. Different problem there, which perhaps I’ll share some other time.

As it turns out, looking back I realize I had success writing creatively when I had young children. I just confirmed that I apparently wrote a whole screenplay when I was still married and my kids were just under 2, 8, and 10. I wrote my first screenplay when I had a 6-year-old and 4-year-old with a chronic illness requiring frequent hospitalizations. How the heck did I do that? I’ve thought back on it, and I wanted to share how I did it in case it is useful to anyone.

I can remember pretty well writing my first screenplay. First, I wasn’t working. That helps a lot and certainly not everyone has that freedom. My mind was clear to focus on my work and I didn’t feel like I was squeezing in my own writing between my “real” work. (When I write for a living, I have a very hard time writing creatively.)

Second, I knew what I was doing. While I don’t tend to work with an outline, I find that when I have a pretty good idea of the beginning, middle, and especially the end of a piece at least vaguely in mind, it is easier to aim for the ending, like galloping toward a finish line. Except it’s more like hiking up a mountain, because I really enjoy the view along the way.

Third, as we’ve discussed in other posts, I had a scheduled writing time. My 6-year-old was in school for most of the day, and my 4-year-old was in preschool for three hours a day, five days a week. With the drive to and from preschool factored in, I could count on 2.5 hours every day for my work. I probably used one day per week for straightening the house or food shopping.

Finally, the minute I sat down at the computer, I worked, making the most possible of the time available. Knowing the time was there–and how much time I had–was very helpful.

The funny thing about the second screenplay is I don’t even remember writing it, but according to e-mails with review comments that I saved, I managed to get the thing done while my youngest was between 1 and 2. Because I did not use any childcare at the time, I can only assume I wrote it during his naps while the others were at school. (My ex was not very helpful, so I’m sure he didn’t watch him while I worked on weekends.) Alex must have been a decent napper (funny how you forget what #3 did). And I imagine that the minute I put him down I went right to the computer to work.

As we’ve talked about in other posts, there were tradeoffs. For sure, the tidiness of my house suffered. The first screenplay is probably around the time that I stopped keeping Lego Systems kits together, which meant that all of those expensive kits became useless. Honestly, I regret that, but I can’t say I regret having a finished screenplay that was at least read seriously at several studios, even if no one ultimately bought it. I guess this is what you need to think about when you let things go. multimedia-message10.jpgRight now, I’m surrounded by mess, the result of years of letting things go in favor of writing. (Oh, and I gained a lot of weight, too, as I let exercise go and healthy meal preparation.) It’s hard to recover from, and cleaning is not what I want to be doing during my spare time. I think my neater friends shudder when they see my mess. What’s ironic is I really, really like things organized and I hate clutter. But I guess I’ve trained myself as much as possible not to see it anymore, or to convince myself that I’ll take care of one small pile of it tomorrow…

As a technical writer, one small tip I recommend to anyone writing large, structured documents–fiction or non–is to keep each chapter or chunk in its own document. While you might title each document by chapter number, you might alternately want to title each document by subject or current contents, at least in the early going. I find that doing so helps me think about which chapter I want to tackle, and also I don’t have to open documents to find out what’s in them (which can waste time and distract you from what you really mean to do).

As a working mom, I find it infinitely more difficult to do my own writing. How some of you manage to juggle it all is beyond me. I’m in awe and admiration of you.

Jan 25

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Miranda: When does giving in mean giving up?

wave.jpgI had another book interview this morning, with a woman who was funny and candid. She works fulltime from home (doing a job she’s good at but loathes) with a 3-year-old, a 2-year-old, and a workday chopped up between taking her kids to and from preschool, feeding them lunch, and putting them down for an afternoon nap, with a bit of help from her mother-in-law around the edges. Oh, and the kids don’t sleep much at night–they go down around 8:00 p.m. (with one parent lying in bed with each child–at which point all four family members generally fall asleep), and, assuming the kids do actually sleep, they wake up at 5:30. How can this woman possibly find time for her creative pursuits–painting, sewing, and knitting among them–which increasingly keep her afloat in the face of a day job she hates?

As we were talking, we hit upon a complicated issue that has surfaced on this blog. I thought about it some more after our conversation, and then talked it through with my dear business partner over lunch.

Here’s where I’m getting stuck. On the one hand, if you don’t push yourself a little, and make creativity a priority rather than leaving it to the bottom of the list, it rarely happens. When you’re in the domestic trenches and in some capacity working for a paycheck, simply getting through the day takes so much effort and mindshare that creativity is not something that just “surfaces,” even though you might be thinking about it. Many of us are sharply aware of the speed at which our years are flying by, and that at some point we must pull our dreams down out of the treetops and fashion them into some kind of reality. Sure, there might not be any gaping holes in the schedule, glistening with creative promise, but there are a few slivers of opportunity in there somewhere. Others have made it happen, within similar circumstances. Why not us, too? Just roll up those sleeves and make it work. As women, if we don’t make our own needs a priority, it’s doubtful that anyone else will do it for us.

So we think, let’s add some structure, let’s add some tangible and achievable goals, let’s schedule some creative time, and let’s stick to it. Let’s add a little bit of pressure, both external and internal. (All of those things are good–and they are things that many creatively productive mothers do do.)

And then there’s the other hand. The friendly voice that says: hey, your kids are young. You have a lot going on. There are “only so many hours in the day.” Be nice to yourself–go with the flow, enjoy the scenery, don’t push too hard. Kids grow at lightning speed, and the quandary of making creativity happen while your kids are still in diapers doesn’t, in fact, last forever. (Though it often feels like it will last forever.) Sure, when your kids head off to school, there are other challenges, but they are different challenges. Your brain and your heart may actually get taxed at a higher rate–and you’ll invariably put a lot more mileage on your car–but parenting older children isn’t usually as bone-numbingly exhausting as parenting infants and toddlers. Slowly, as the years pass, the opportunity for creativity increases. And then, the kids are gone. (Unless, like some of us, you keep having more and more children, assuring a lifetime of offspring in residence.) Just love your children, whatever stage they’re at. Relax, enjoy your family, and live in the moment.

Figuring out where those two hands can meet, and share a high five, is the challenge. For each mother, finding the right blend will be different. For those of us who struggle with this seeming dichotomy, how do we make it work? I know my own fear: letting go, giving in to the domestic tidal wave, means that I get sucked under the breakers and spit out on the beach (if I’m lucky). I know, because it has happened many times. I’ve been a mother for nearly 18 years, and I know that for me, “going with the flow” means being dragged offshore by a voracious riptide. It’s too easy to be fully distracted by the life I’ve established. If I don’t swim hard toward my goals, the creative self will drown. Telling myself to take it easy and not to expect too much feels like a cop out–and tastes like the first gulp of sea foam. I panic.

How then to move closer to the place where I allow myself room to enjoy my “domestic bliss,” while being flexible enough to bend with the challenges–without feeling like I’m just fooling myself? Acknowledge my overflowing days, without giving in? Accept that every now and then, I have to set my creative goals aside–just for a while, not forever–not that I’m simply procrastinating? It may simply be my type-A personality, but giving an inch here feels like giving more than the proverbial mile. I’m not sure how to bend without breaking. The result, when I can’t do what I want to do creatively, is general crankiness, anxiety, and a deep fear that I’ll never get back to the beach.

Fishing line, anyone?

Jan 21

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Jenn: Chapter 4. Check.

I came to my parents’ house for the holiday, in part to go to a postponed holiday party, and in part to finish Chapter 4, which I just finished and sent to my students. I’m having moments of “this is going to be GREAT,” and moments of the-Emporer’s-new-clothes I’m just a stupid little girl who can’t possibly compete with the venerable old male scientists who are my soon-to-be competitors. Right now I’m in an upswing.

I went to Starbucks this morning in an attempt to be productive. It didn’t work, but I’m glad I tried. I really need to be in a silent room without distraction. Starbucks had this GREAT music playing, a little too loudly. And I couldn’t help but eavesdrop on all of the patrons. People’s cell phones rang and loud conversations ensued. Some huge man at the next table had on eye stinging amounts of cologne. I forgot my flash drive. I couldn’t connect to the internet. But I did manage to do a fair bit of reading.

The more I write, the more I realize I have to write. Little sidebars, glossaries, introductions, etc.. It’s still fun, but it’s a LOT of time. Now I’m thinking of taking my Eating and the Environment class up to Maine to work on an organic farm during spring break. My plan *had* been to put the finishing touches and edit one chapter a day for the 10 days of break, then send the first 9 chapters to the publisher. Far too many fun things to do in this world and far too little time. WHY don’t men seem to have this problem?

I’ve also found Wikipedia to be a GREAT help, and both USGS and NOAA have tons of figures and photos I can filch for free. Yay. And I’m organizing a “movie night” at school for the senior geology students. I’ll lure them with free food, show a film of a natural disaster (Twister, Deep Impact, Volcano, etc.), then we’ll discuss fact from fiction and Brittany will take notes on the computer. Each will be a sidebar in a chapter.

Next up: Volcanoes. There was just an eruption in Colombia that forced the evacuation of 8,000 people. But by the time I go to press, I’m sure it will be a distant memory…

I hope everyone else is being productive and finding time for fun and balance as well.

Jan 21

8 Comments

Miranda: Walking the walk (and stumbling)

stumbed.jpgWell, I was hoping to finish Chapter 3 by Friday. In the end, I didn’t spend more than two hours on Chapter 3 last week. I also spent some time revising my short story, but mainly, I was so distracted by life and work that I forgot about Chapter 3 until Thursday. Then I told myself I could make up the difference over the weekend–but that didn’t happen either.

It is strange to be organizing interviewees, talking to people about my book (on how to manage creativity and motherhood), and tending to this blog daily and yet still manage to “forget about” what I’d intended to accomplish.

Sure, there have been “legitimate” distractions: The new snow blower died in the middle of the last storm, so our driveway is an uneven glacial challenge, which I’m trying to keep navigable with sand and snow-melt. Most household members are recovering from various viral ailments; we’ve been spending time and effort getting the house ready for listing; we sunk half a day in dealing with a heating system problem on Saturday (which at least did NOT turn out to be a frozen pipe, as originally diagnosed). My back is bothering me, so I went to see my chiropractor for an adjustment. Then my mother came over to help with Project Basement on Sunday–followed by the playoff football games (and I actually like watching football). We also learned that my mother-in-law was hospitalized, which is a real worry, although she seems to be OK right now. And of course, being nearly 6 months pregnant, I’m pretty tired at the end of the day. With regular work and domesticity poured on top, driving kids around, there just wasn’t a lot of time on hand for anything else.

The bigger issue though is my mental framework: I want to work on the book; I’m in the middle of Chapter 3 and having fun writing it. But I think I need a hard and fast writing schedule, because without one, there is so much going on that I won’t get to it. I’m too distracted. That isn’t to say that I don’t actually have the time, because I think I do, it’s matter of claiming that time before all the other bonfires take over.

Any suggestions for how I can improve my focus and productivity? I almost feel like I need a live-in coach to continually point out the best way to use my time at any given moment, and keep me on track. But the only coach I can possibly hire is myself–and I don’t seem trustworthy at the moment.

Jan 17

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Christa: Caught up… and discombobulated

The schedule I committed to two weeks ago turned out very interestingly last week. Instead of making excuses as to why I wasn’t writing, I saw my productivity skyrocket (comparatively) and my memory–at least for where I was on which projects–improve. As a result, I can say I’m caught up on work. Not “done,” not by any stretch, but at a point where I don’t feel like I’ll be late on everything (one feature article, one regular feature, numerous edits and PR projects.

Now for the caveats: my husband, Rain Dog, was home for 4 days (among a sick day, the weekend, and a snow day). That freed my time considerably. And I’m still struggling to carve out 20-30 minutes per day for fiction.

The biggest challenge is making sure we eat at 5. I personally prefer to ask Rain Dog what he wants to eat, rather than make dinner at 4 and hope it’s okay. (Yes, I do rely heavily on leftovers!) I also have trouble staying focused. This would be easier if I were in a place with the one novel where I could consider myself “in a groove,” but I’m not. Yet.

So: still tweaking the schedule. The good news is, I’m close to done with a short story that was really bothering me. That should free some time!

Jan 16

5 Comments

Jenn: It’s happening to me too, Miranda!

What a timely post, Miranda. I was going to comment on yours, but I’ll save time and combine what I would comment to you, and what I was about to post myself. I am clueless about blogs and blog etiquitte, so I hope this isn’t bad manners.

I’m also on schedule and cranking like crazy with my book. I’ve just finished Chapter 3, and have written the Foreword (ROUGH), and developed and started listing sidebar/interest box topics for each chapter. I’ve signed the contract, gotten the three students into a good flow, and I anticipate turning in half the book by the end of spring break!

But at what price?

I got up at my usual 4:45 AM, made tea, and started writing. Usually I would be done by the time my daughter wakes up, and we would have a nice breakfast and morning together, then she’d go to daycare and I’d go to school to spend the day in classes or prepping for classes. Not so today. This chapter was LONG and HIGHLY TECHNICAL, and my daughter got up very early. She wanted to watch TV. Okay, I usually let her watch a video while I shower, but I was running to work today, so no need for a shower. She watched one video. Then another. Then she came over to hold my hand and physically pull me from my chair. I realized it was nearly time to go, we were both in our pajamas, I hadn’t packed either of us a lunch, and my bag wasn’t packed, either. And the worst of it was that I’d spent exactly NO time with the poor dear.

So then at school, I couldn’t manage to stifle the urge to keep working on the chapter. I now have 1 1/2 hours left before picking up my daughter. Today I was suppose to write/figure out two long lectures, grade all the hydrogeology labs so the students can have their lab manuals back to prep for the next lab, grade hydro homeworks, map out the logistics of TWO major field trips, one for Eating & the Environment, one for Hydrogeology, write a supplementary lecture for Natural Disasters because the 300-student field trip I planned for Tuesday was thwarted by a foot of snow (it’s kind of hard to go looking at rock gardens and curb cuts under such conditions), write the strategic plan for the program I direct (due yesterday), write an exam for class, and sketch out what I’ll do next week. How many of these tasks have I accomplished? NONE of them.

So like you, I am right on schedule with the book. And like you, the rest of my life has momentarily spun out of control. I guess that’s what this blog is for; to keep us delivering the goods we publicly said we’d deliver, but also to remind us that it is *NOT* okay to let our kids watch 45.5 hours of videos a day, and to come to work an unwashed mess in the name of meeting deadlines. I am thrilled with my progress, but ashamed of my behavior today. I also scowled at anyone who came into my office to distract me, including my Chairman, our secretary (not supposed to be called that these days), and every student. This is my JOB – to serve students. These were technically my OFFICE HOURS.

I don’t think I’ve experienced simultaneous feelings of “I AM AWESOME!” and “I AM THE BIGGEST F-ING LOSER ALIVE” at the same time and so intensely as I do right now.

Off to salvage the last 1 hour of my precious day.

Jan 6

6 Comments

Christa: The week behind, the week ahead

I shouldn’t have worried so much last week. The loose schedule Miranda suggested – kids by day, work at night – worked very well to boost my productivity. What had been happening was that I would get so anxious about all the stuff I had to get done that I would try to do it during the day. Then the kids would need me and I would be short with them. At night, still anxious, I would goof off. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Deciding that daytime would be for the kids, while night would be for work, was surprisingly effective. I still work a little during the day – I’m pathologically introverted, and I just can’t be “on” every moment, so I need little breaks to come on the computer – but I now decide what work I need to accomplish in the evening, and then I do it. I actually completed things pretty much on time!

The one thing I found tricky was that half-hour of fiction time in the evenings. Depending on how the day has gone with the kids, they might settle in nicely with Daddy… or not. One evening when I had more like 45 minutes, I chose to do the dishes with that time. I can’t figure out why, as it was a conscious choice between that and writing. I think part of it was that I wanted to drown the noise out for a little while, plus I didn’t feel like facing dishes the next morning. But really what I should have done was go upstairs and hide in my bedroom.

Still – I can’t help feeling guilty about that. Rain Dog has had a long day at work too, and when he’s not up for wrangling both kids by himself, I feel like I should be helping… even when I’m drained and out of kid ideas, too.

This week will see me continue to tweak that particular part of the daily routine. I got some great time on Saturday to finish one chapter in the new novel and start another. Those characters are coming together and I really want to spend more time with them. Additionally, I have a couple of short stories I want to finish and start submitting. We’ll see how that all goes.

As for freelance work, I have to finish page proofs for Shroud (they’re done; I just have to type them in). I need to get cracking on an article I’m writing that’s due February 1, along with an editing job and another project due the same day (all for the same magazine). So it will be a busy week, but I’m confident now that I can accomplish plenty.

Jan 4

3 Comments

Miranda: Results for week #1

Chapter 2, first draft completeWell, I’m amazed, but I finished Chapter 2. Finished to the point of sending it to one of my readers. I’d told myself I’d need two weeks for each chapter, but since there is already a good amount of draft in Chapter 3, I’m going to set next Friday as my deadline for its completion.

Meanwhile I’ve been doing a lot of surfing, reading the blogs of other creative women and writers. So many people are doing such cool things! It always inspires. I especially enjoyed the two blogs MartaWrites and On-My-Desk. Got me thinking about keeping a visual journal, and taking more pictures of my kids with my new (good) camera.

I also managed to spend at least an hour poring through Google images for the perfect picture for my laptop’s desktop. I really don’t know how I am able to waste so much precious time doing nearly nothing.

My dilemma for the week: keeping up my momentum. The weekend looks full of errands, and I’m worried that I’ll fritter away naptime on Saturday and Sunday (doing dumb things like searching for the ultimate photo of Edith Wharton). I’d like to do a bit of cross-pollinating this weekend–finish a painting I started last spring, or do some graphic journaling–and of course, get busy on Chapter 3. But I need to write thank-you notes and work on cleaning out the basement, on top of the usual domestic tidal wave. My best defense is usually trying to create a schedule for the weekend, so that I have time for myself before it all gets swallowed up. Then, even though the schedule is likely to get thrown off at some point, at least I have a lighthouse to swim toward.

Any other suggestions?

Jan 2

7 Comments

Christa: Goals, with anxiety to taste

I have a lot going on as the new year begins. I recently agreed to sign on as assistant editor of a brand-new horror magazine. I’ll be blogging at least twice a week for a startup regional parenting site… and perhaps contributing articles to its companion print magazine. I have existing clients with ongoing work. I have a personal blog that I try to write for at least once a week.

All this would probably be manageable if I didn’t also have a fledgling fiction career. At any given moment, I cannot figure out whether to work on my next novel, any one of half a dozen short stories (one of which is shaping up to be a long ‘un, maybe even a novella).

And then there are the boys.

I complained to my husband that I haven’t done any real writing since the baby started to walk. And now I have all this stuff going on. How to manage it all?

I’m open to suggestion. In the past, I’ve done freelance work by day and fiction by night, but that was when I had regular childcare and no baby. (Even at that, I could see childcare a.k.a. Grandma overwhelmed by both boys at once!) I’m thinking a different, more structured schedule is in order.

Hamlet has preschool three mornings a week. This should be my alone time with Puck, but without both boys competing for attention… it’s so tempting to work at least part of the time, perhaps a blog entry. Late afternoons, when the kids are bored and tired and need downtime, may work: I could pop in a video. But what of the never-easy-to-predict high-maintenance days, when both boys demand almost constant interaction? That I’ll just have to play by ear, like always.

And where does that leave fiction? Well, there’s the tricky part. Ideally I would devote 30 minutes per day to fiction, plus several hours on Saturday morning. This is easy when I’m in a groove, in the middle of a scene or story where I know what’s going to happen next. It’s not so easy, though, when I’m stalled–with more questions and doubts than ideas, and too many distractions to focus in such a short span of time. Not to mention competing freelance work.

So that one, again, I’ll have to play by ear. Most of all, I hope for balance. I’m never happy when I’m doing too much of either writing or mothering, but my sons are extroverts – they need interaction, and the “companionable silences” I treasure, working on something while they play nearby, may not be enough for them.

So, my challenge for the week: a schedule of some kind. Maybe even a week-to-week one. As for work, I need to complete one article edit and page proofs for the new magazine going out, and I need to catch up with some projects I’m managing for a client. Over the longer term (this month), I have another article edit and two articles to write. I’ll be busy… will I manage? Stay tuned!

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