What all that has meant for me is that I had to come up with a schedule and hard weekly writing count goals that I couldn't miss.
So I just missed one :-( With having to re-write a couple of scenes in book 3 in a series for my publisher, I ended up spending several days longer on those revisions than I'd anticipated. Now that I'm 4,000 words behind goal, I have to really shift into high gear.
What's a writer to do?
1. I've learned that caffeine is my friend. As someone with a touch of ADD, I need the added sharpness coffee gives me.
2. Write with a friend. One of my BFFs, Jax Cassidy, comes over for periodic write-ins. Those days used to be mostly chatting, cooking, catching up, etc. But now we both have urgent deadlines and there's no time for long gabfests.
3. Eliminate distraction. As much as I enjoy socializing, I've had to all but cut out most lunches with my girlfriends, shopping excursions, and the like.
4. Cut days off. When you're self-employed, it's easy to justify taking a whole day off with your hubby or a friend. No more of those for me. I now work 6 or 7 days a week.
Hopefully all of this hard work will pay off. Time will tell. One bright spot so far has been some really nice reviews pre-release for my first Nocturne Falls book, THE FORTUNETELLER'S FOLLY. Release day is May 23. Wish me luck!
