31 December 2008
Out with the old, in with the new
So the last four months have just blown by. In those four months, I've had a new baby. Which, in and of itself, really explains why I've been so busy. But on top of that I've gotten some new responsibilities at work and our company launched a major new project that took up an inordinate amount of my time. The "busy-ness" due to that project ebbed and flowed but during the ebb times I had to cram in all my other responsibilities so I stayed busy all the time.
I still managed to participate in NaNoWriMo (what was I thinking?) and almost drove myself into the ground, but "won" anyway. So there!
The new year is going to bring even more responsibility at work which is both good and bad. More responsibility = recognition (yay) but it also = more work/stress (meh). Yet I'd rather have it than not, all things considered.
I will also be having fun watching my kids go through another year and trying - trying - to get more writing in. I was able to do NaNo because it was a fixed amount in a fixed time but the stress of doing that on top of a major project at work with a month old baby at home when I hadn't been doing much writing before that was unfun. It just emphasized to me - again - that it's better to do some every day to stay in the habit and if I do some extra that day, yay!
With all that said, Happy New Year's Eve. See you on the flip side.
I still managed to participate in NaNoWriMo (what was I thinking?) and almost drove myself into the ground, but "won" anyway. So there!
The new year is going to bring even more responsibility at work which is both good and bad. More responsibility = recognition (yay) but it also = more work/stress (meh). Yet I'd rather have it than not, all things considered.
I will also be having fun watching my kids go through another year and trying - trying - to get more writing in. I was able to do NaNo because it was a fixed amount in a fixed time but the stress of doing that on top of a major project at work with a month old baby at home when I hadn't been doing much writing before that was unfun. It just emphasized to me - again - that it's better to do some every day to stay in the habit and if I do some extra that day, yay!
With all that said, Happy New Year's Eve. See you on the flip side.
11 September 2008
Quarter, shmquarter
I really should stop saying things like "next quarter should be easier" and just accept that it won't. We're becoming the go-to team around here and while that's a nice compliment, it means that we're ALWAYS busy with new projects. And probably will be for the foreseen future. At least the overtime has gone down a bit.
Still not getting much writing done, but am experimenting a bit with Google Docs to see if writing for a few minutes here and there at work (during lunch, breaks and whatnot) will keep the pump primed and motivate me to write when I get home.
Still not getting much writing done, but am experimenting a bit with Google Docs to see if writing for a few minutes here and there at work (during lunch, breaks and whatnot) will keep the pump primed and motivate me to write when I get home.
30 June 2008
Another Quarter, Another Post
Yes, I know I haven't posted in awhile.
This past quarter has been somewhat easier than the last three. Somewhat. Talk about damning with faint praise. The stress level was way down, but the need to write hasn't come all the way back yet and what there was, was allocated towards actual writing and not blogging. Blogging has always been a "leftover" thing for me. In other words, whatever energy I had leftover when I was done writing for the day went to blogging.
In a lot of ways I'm only doing this post because I feel somewhat obligated to report on another quarter after my last post, and at least acknowledge that it was much easier.
I've been doing some writing. Not much, but it comes under the category of "plugging away". A couple hundred words here, a thousand there, etc. And not even everyday either which is what I'm more disappointed in than any word counts. I'd be happy with 50 if I was writing everyday. Need to get back to that.
This past quarter has been somewhat easier than the last three. Somewhat. Talk about damning with faint praise. The stress level was way down, but the need to write hasn't come all the way back yet and what there was, was allocated towards actual writing and not blogging. Blogging has always been a "leftover" thing for me. In other words, whatever energy I had leftover when I was done writing for the day went to blogging.
In a lot of ways I'm only doing this post because I feel somewhat obligated to report on another quarter after my last post, and at least acknowledge that it was much easier.
I've been doing some writing. Not much, but it comes under the category of "plugging away". A couple hundred words here, a thousand there, etc. And not even everyday either which is what I'm more disappointed in than any word counts. I'd be happy with 50 if I was writing everyday. Need to get back to that.
24 January 2008
Yeah, yeah, yeah
I know I haven't posted in awhile. That's due to this, that, and the other. Mostly laziness if the truth be known.
Been writing pretty well, though, for the most part. Finally won Nano last November after 4 years of trying. The bad thing is, I had the post-Nano hangover. That, plus work being hell in December, contributed to me writing a grand total of 0 words in December. Bad, me.
Doing better in January so far.
Been writing pretty well, though, for the most part. Finally won Nano last November after 4 years of trying. The bad thing is, I had the post-Nano hangover. That, plus work being hell in December, contributed to me writing a grand total of 0 words in December. Bad, me.
Doing better in January so far.
Labels: writing
15 May 2007
Back-ish
I wasn't really gone, just didn't really have anything to blog about. And I still don't, not really. I'm still getting my words, yelling at said words, deleting about half of them in a fit of pique.
Ah! A topic!
I know I really shouldn't engage in fits of pique until the manuscript is done in which case I can then edit the story with an eye towards the overall story arc. Pique isn't really well-targeted when you don't know how the story's going to end, after all.
So. I guess my spring-cleaning will have to consist of taking my pique out to the curb and leaving it for the trash man.
Ah! A topic!
I know I really shouldn't engage in fits of pique until the manuscript is done in which case I can then edit the story with an eye towards the overall story arc. Pique isn't really well-targeted when you don't know how the story's going to end, after all.
So. I guess my spring-cleaning will have to consist of taking my pique out to the curb and leaving it for the trash man.
Labels: writing
23 March 2007
Week One, Finished
After the first week of full-time work, I am happy to report that my sleep schedule is adjusting. I am no longer waking up confused when the alarm beeps at 6:15 am. I just wake up. (Under the old schedule I was going to bed at 12:30 or so and waking up at 8 am.)
I'm really enjoying the new job and new duties. I am much less stressed than I was before and it's showing in my writing. The words are coming easier now. Not easy, you understand. Just easier than before. I'm still getting used to the new evening ritual though, so I haven't established a firm time where I can say "I'm writing now. Please leave me alone."
It'll happen, though.
I'm really enjoying the new job and new duties. I am much less stressed than I was before and it's showing in my writing. The words are coming easier now. Not easy, you understand. Just easier than before. I'm still getting used to the new evening ritual though, so I haven't established a firm time where I can say "I'm writing now. Please leave me alone."
It'll happen, though.
02 March 2007
Target destroyed, Captain
Ok, so maybe that wasn't the best metaphor after all, but it turns out I got the job. I just got the offer sheet via email. Wheeeeee.
And just for the record, it's easier to impress a technical writer with a 32 page employment contract when said technical writer doesn't find at least 10 typos in it without even looking that hard. I mean, if you're going to pay a battery of lawyers to come up with something that has that much legalese, is it too much to expect them to invest a little of that money in editing? I didn't think so.
Not that it matters since I'll sign it anyway. Just thought it was funny.
As I said, the start date is March 16th. So at that time I can start switching my schedule over to something resembling sanity. Once sanity has been acquired, I can start writing regularly again. Along with all the other things I want to do regularly again. We'll see how much time I am actually able to schedule for writing.
I'm thinking I might be able to do some during my lunch hour at work, but we'll see how that goes.
And just for the record, it's easier to impress a technical writer with a 32 page employment contract when said technical writer doesn't find at least 10 typos in it without even looking that hard. I mean, if you're going to pay a battery of lawyers to come up with something that has that much legalese, is it too much to expect them to invest a little of that money in editing? I didn't think so.
Not that it matters since I'll sign it anyway. Just thought it was funny.
As I said, the start date is March 16th. So at that time I can start switching my schedule over to something resembling sanity. Once sanity has been acquired, I can start writing regularly again. Along with all the other things I want to do regularly again. We'll see how much time I am actually able to schedule for writing.
I'm thinking I might be able to do some during my lunch hour at work, but we'll see how that goes.
