photo by Sean Tan via Unsplash
Dark deep waters.
Deep dark thoughts.
Follow me into the abyss.
From Sonya’s 3LineTales at Only100Words. You can find the original prompt here . Thanks Sonya.
Keep on writing.
Jo Hawk The Writer
Fathom
January
Discouraged
Things are not going as planned.
Part of the issue might be that I needed to figure out the next progression of the story. That took some time and the solution demanded that I do some additional research. Research is often a rabbit hole that sucks you in and only releases you after hours of trekking through the labyrinth. It is done now and the information that I found fits well in the story.
Then I had a computer Snafu and I lost some words. I do save and back up often, but sometimes these things happen. It wasn’t many words and I was able to go in and recreate what I had written, but it was a little discouraging all the same.
I have also been dealing with a lingering cough. A cough that from time to time insists that one of my lungs can be dislodged from my body. The struggle to prove the cough wrong leaves me lightheaded and weak. Prime condition for getting more words written, wouldn’t you agree?
The result is that I have only added about 3,000 words to my total. That too is discouraging, since I had wanted to finish this by the end of the month. With numbers like that it is easy to feel like a failure.
But failure is not an option, I will get this draft finished.
Today I begin again.
Keep on writing.
Jo Hawk The Writer
In the Proper Manner
photo by Annie Spratt via Unsplash
A look of horror flashed across Lady Carnarvon’s face as she surveyed the dining room which had been prepared by the newly employed butler and the banqueting manager.
“Luis, you will see that the table is set in the proper manner before our guests arrive and our ancestors begin climbing out of their frames to rectify the situation,” she stated as she recovered her composure and turned to leave the room.
“You would be wise to realize that here at Highclere, we do things exactly as they have been done for the past one hundred years,” Luis whispered to the ashen faced butler before he launched himself at the daunting task of setting the table properly in the little time that remained.
I took a little break to take part in Sonya’s 3LineTales at Only100Words. You can find the original prompt here . Thanks Sonya.
Now it is time to get back to work.
Keep on writing.
Jo Hawk The Writer
In Defense of Procrastination
Photo credit: RussellReno via Visualhunt / CC BY-NC
Procrastination is not all bad. Especially when it is done well.
Today nothing I attempted could get me to sit down and write. A problem with how to proceed with the story resulted in a mega case of consternation and I didn’t have the answer. Nothing I had come up with felt authentic to the story.
I could have continued banging my head on the keyboard or wasted time surfing the net during my “writing” time. Instead I embraced my desire to procrastinate. Yep, turn on the music and completely ignore the writing full blown procrastination. I was determined to do anything and everything other than write.
Boy, did I get a lot done!
Every week I have a list of things to accomplish during the week. As of right now, more than half of them have been marked off the list. D-O-N-E, done. I also managed to get a few things done that were not even on the list. How cool is that? I have found that there is nothing like a little indulgence in avoidance to get me moving and shaking. I don’t want to write so I will go clean the kitchen. Darn that’s done, should I go write? No way Jose. How can you write when there is laundry to do? Laundry done, well then let’s go make a tasty desert. You get the picture.
The funny thing was that even as I pointedly avoided my story and the real issue, the little do-gooder in my brain was having none of it. Behind the scenes where I couldn’t see, someone was going over the list of possibilities while I sang to the music and scrubbed dishes.
Suddenly, little miss goody two-shoes slapped me in the face with the solution.
Viva Procrastination! I really do need to read that book someday.
Keep on writing.
Jo Hawk The Writer
Tug of War
Photo credit: aftab. via VisualHunt / CC BY-NC
Friday’s review of the semi-coherent attempt at writing on Thursday reveled that it wasn’t that bad. It also wasn’t that good. After some minor surgery, the nasty bits were cut away and I managed to add about 600 words onto the word count pile.
That progress was hard won however. The section that I was working on involves the antagonist. To be honest, he is a bit of a twit. I had given in to his demands that we needed a scene with him and then he gave me the silent treatment.
Fine. I am more than capable of writing the passage on my own and so I started putting it all down. Let me tell you that got his attention. Of course, I was doing it all wrong, and what ensued was less than pleasant. Some say that I wrote the book on stubborn (oops where did I put that manuscript?), so I dug in my heels and we hashed it out. Can you say excruciating? I needed to get this written and he was not going to stop me. In the end, he actually helped.
Yesterday, it was determined that no matter what, I needed to do something different. A Watson Adventures Scavenger Hunt at the Art Institute was the ticket. It was exactly what I needed, great art, great friends and a little “friendly” competition. Our team, true to form, won. Sweet!
I must be feeling better, because I am getting back in touch with the competitor in me. You know the one? The one that expects that the only place to finish is anything better than second.
Keep on Writing
Jo Hawk The Writer
A Great Disturbance in the Force
Photo credit: Frank.Li via Visual hunt / CC BY-NC-SA
This year is off on an interesting trajectory.
Monday greeted me with a terrible sore throat which I decided to treat aggressively with a tea made of apple cider vinegar and honey followed by lots of fluids. That normally does the trick and by the end of the day my throat felt much better.
Alas, the full onslaught arrived on Tuesday with a full-blown head cold, complete with screaming headache to accompany the nasal congestion and hacking cough. I have been here before and know that the best defense is to retreat to the safety of my bed with a heavy dose of medicine and sleep. The next 48 hours were a blur of Kleenex, cough drops, medication, forcing fluids and blissful sleep.
Yesterday I almost felt human. Sick and tired of being sick and tired, I determined that I was done with this head cold and forced myself to resume what I hoped would resemble my normal schedule. Although a carnage of tissues and the empty shells of cough drop wrappers marked the day’s path, I still somehow managed to eke out 500 words on my novel.
What remains to be seen is if those 500 words are worth the storage space they are occupying. Today’s goal is to carry on and see if I can start to make up the dent that this onslaught has made in my projected word count goal.
Keep on writing.
Jo Hawk The Writer
Happy New Year
Photo credit: Alan O’Rourke via Visualhunt / CC BY
I hope you all enjoyed your New Year’s Eve celebrations. I know I did. Good friends and a couple of champagne toasts are the only way to say goodbye to the old year.
I am very excited about starting 2017 and plan to spend some time with family, football and food. Tomorrow will begin a new schedule and new possibilities. In thirty days, I am anticipating having my fist draft completed. The prospect is sending chills down my spine. Or many I just need to turn the heat up. Regardless, I will be soaking up everything that today offers, because tomorrow I get down to business.
Welcome 2017!
Keep on writing.
Jo Hawk The Writer
Jo Hawk 