I’ve been a lazy writer. I admit it. I have not done any book writing since NaNoWriMo, or book editing since December. I keep seeing other authors I follow in blogs and on Facebook talking about their work-in-progress, and the green-eyed monster in me wants to be doing what they’re doing.
But I’m not.
I guess I can chalk it up to catching up on my sleep. When I’m in writing and editing mode, I wake up at 5am and spend the two hours before I need to get ready for work on my book. Do that for several months straight, getting only 6 or less hours of sleep a night, and things get a little crazy. Plus, my hubby was getting the short end of the stick, since I was so tired. Patience tends to wear thin when you’re overtired. And other things tend to be lacking as well.
Second, I’ve been reading a lot. And I mean, a lot. I’ve already read three books this month, and I am currently in the middle of reading three more at the same time. I blame it on my brand new Kindle. And I thank my Kindle for it. This past year I forgot how to make time for reading. And as a writer, reading is soooo important. It serves as inspiration, and it’s pretty cool to see how other authors go about painting a scene and develop their characters. However, I should be reading AND finding time to work on my own books.
(Btw, my favorite book I’ve read so far this year is “The Fault in Our Stars“. O. M. G. That book was amazing….)
Third, I’ve been sort of focused on preparing for the release of “Forever Thirteen.” I say “sort of” because I feel like I’ve done a lot, but there’s still so much to do. Call the local bookstore, plan a launch party, gather blogs who will help host a blog tour (any of YOU bloggers interested?), get the sales pages worded right, finalize the book cover…. Everything I didn’t do with “A Symphony of Cicadas” (because I just didn’t know), I want to do with “Forever Thirteen”. I want to expand this title to even more people who might enjoy this book.
But then, I want to start on the next project. And then the next. And then the one after that….
So there is no one to blame but me for my writer’s envy. This week I start getting serious about my writing and editing. Hello 5am wake-ups. Hello finished manuscript in need of serious editing. Hello and goodbye to wrapping up the final things on my Forever Thirteen to-do list.
(and sorry in advance, hubby. love you!)
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One of my goals for 2014 is to re-learn how to make time for reading – especially when I feel I can’t read and write, because my mind then wants to make my book more like the one I’m reading.
I loved The Fault in Our Stars.
Do you need to get up at 5am to edit, or could you manage with 6am? This would mean less of a burn-out and sleep deprivation.In the end, if you’ve not been doing any, then even a small amount a day is better than none.
Fingers crossed you find a rhythm that works for you =)
Between 5-6 a.m. is when no one is awake in the house. After 6, the house is bustling with people getting ready for school and work. So when I’m in serious crunch mode, 5 a.m. it is. However, I don’t stay in that mode all the time. Usually that’s reserved for when I’m in the middle of novel writing. Editing, I can wake up a little later, since I don’t mind also using evening time. I’ll rarely use evening time for writing since it demands so much of my attention, and my creative juices are usually sapped by then. Plus, I’ll go to bed with my characters, and those guys just won’t sleep! They’ll keep partying in my head no matter what I do to shut them out. 😉
My major goal for right now is catching up on sleep!!! Lately I’ve been getting a bit wrapped up in my writing and I just couldn’t sleep at all. If you can’t sleep you can’t think. If you can’t think you can’t write…or at least you can’t write well. 🙂 Keeping up on your writing is good, but sleep is also key to maintaining sanity!