Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Shipwrecked On Dry Land

78 pages.

I can't believe I got through so many pages yesterday, even with my two snowbound kids who needed nothing UNTIL I started working on things writing related.

I only have 15 pages to read through now before I can get back to writing this story again- and 160 before the story needs to find closure. That's not really that much when I stop and think it over.

This morning has been rather busy, considering how most of my days go anymore. After two cheerful days of being snowbound, I put two very unhappy campers on the school bus this morning. I remember the dread of going back after a few days off because of snow, but they've missed SO many here in our county that the kids are going to be going to school into the middle of June—unless they come up with an alternative to making up the hours...like 1/2 day Saturdays or giving up Spring Break- but even that won't be enough to make up for all the days they've missed...I've honestly lost track of how many it's been so far.

This morning I had every intention of getting on the Gazelle and I might still, but for the moment, that's off to a back burner. While the kids were eating breakfast, I made tea and put up laundry and started a new load of clothes and started the dishes. I finished up the dishes shortly after the kids left and made strawberry jell-o for them for dessert tonight and fixed a new jug of kool-aid, too.

It was while I was doing dishes and rockin' out to some tunes that I got to thinking about how non-routine my daily life has become. I just sort of take it as it happens and have nothing that's set in stone to do, besides checking email and games, etc.

That's when the bulb lit up. I need a schedule.

Right now I feel shipwrecked on dry land. I'm getting no where fast and its because my boat's stuck. I need to get back to sailing the high seas- of writing and life, that is.

So- instead of lolly-gagging around like tend to I do, I need routine. I always work best under a schedule and perhaps its time I make one for myself for my "work week." I don't like being stuck or perpetually drifting along stuff in the least. I want to see I have things that actually need to get done and know at the end of each day that I was productive.

So, I think this morning, which is getting away from me fast~ I will make a schedule sheet for myself. Today will be off kilter, since I'm going to be figuring out what will work best for me, but hopefully tomorrow morning I'll have things laid out to do and accomplish and I'll start feeling like I'm on the road to recovering from this rut I've gotten myself into.

Have a Happy Day!

4 comments:

Kelly's Mom said...

Great idea, Taryn. I'll be interested to see how it works for you. I mentioned something similar in my blog today, about being more productive when I'm on a schedule, even if it means I have "less" time to write. Perhaps it's because I think to myself, "THIS is my writing time, and it gets my full attention." Even if it's just 20 minutes!

I reading your blog. So positive and upbeat. Keep writing!

Devon Matthews said...

Good luck, Taryn. I lost my schedule when my son finished high school. I no longer had any pressing reason to get up in the morning. After two years of this, I'm all out of kilter, too, and don't accomplish much.

Taryn Raye said...

LOL- I just read your blog and was logging in to go post a comment when I found yours on mine. I think the snow days have made my days all wonky, but carving out that time is really important! :D For me, I guess I write better on schedule. It's almost like having a "deadline."

My excursions into NaNoWriMo have taught me that a self-imposed deadline works for me, otherwise I get nothing done that I need to, so its probably a good time to start incorporating it back into my routine.

I already find I write better and more productively when I know there is a time frame I have to set aside for writing and getting it done. I would imagine that's a good sign since writers have contracts and deadlines- it will be my ally, not my foe in the future. ;o)

Thanks for stopping by.

Taryn Raye said...

Devon, sounds like you could use a good boost to freshen up your routine, too. Hope you find something that helps get you back on track. {{hugs}}