Maybe it’s the weather, or the 9 to 5 demands, or yesterday afternoon’s dental appointment, but something set a migraine pounding in my head. I know it is August by the heat, humidity, and my unruly hair. My weather app registered 95 degrees with a real feel of 104, and the thick air presented difficulties when I tried walking to my car. Did I mention the AC in my car isn’t working? I don’t consider it an issue, but I try to schedule my errands in early in the morning hours when it is cooler. Besides, it is way more fun to drive fast with both windows down. Wait, is that the reason my hair is a mess?

Anyway, the dental appointment amounted to my regularly scheduled cleaning, and I survived with no surprises. Still, when I returned home, the migraine hit me like a sledgehammer. Focusing on the computer screen long enough to read a paragraph was impossible. I tried reading a book—no dice. I took Tylenol. Nothing. I tried eating some Italian leftovers.

Why do some dishes taste so much better the next day? I purposely prepare certain soups, my stew, chili, and any curried dish, late at night so they can chill in the refrigerator until the next evening’s dinner. I think I’m adding tomato sauce to that list. Food—not matter how tasty—didn’t drive my migraine away. In the end, I opted for a 2-hour nap.

I always remember my number one writing priority. My core habits are strong, and writing a little every day is my secret weapon. Yesterday I wrote 252 words.

Did you write yesterday?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Mondays tend to be brutal tests of your stamina, your conviction to survive, and your ability to complete the mission-critical 9 to 5 requirements so you can have dinner at a reasonable hour. Yesterday was Italian night. Fresh tomato sauce, topped with garden-grown basil, and the best hand-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, accompanied by grilled sausage and the obligatory pasta. Another Italian necessity—a glass of chianti, before I headed to my desk to begin my real work for the day.

My first task—digging into the next plotting course assignment. I reviewed the paperwork, my notes, and six videos. Thank goodness for the ability to run videos at 2X speed. The good news is, I think the timeline I started last week to help with a plot problem will help me complete my homework. The second item on my task list entailed finishing the exercises for a module I started last week.

Somehow, I got distracted and sucked into an internet rabbit hole. I watched an older episode of “The Creative Penn Podcast,” which led me to track down the guest author’s book. I dragged myself back to reality, only to discover it was past my bedtime. I discarded the book I started reading Sunday night, and opted to crack open a book I picked up from my library earlier yesterday.

I always remember my number one writing priority. My core habits are strong, and writing a little every day is my secret weapon. Yesterday I wrote 221 countable words.

Did you write yesterday?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Yesterday I indulged the needs of my poor sleep-deprived body, turned off my alarm, and slept for as long as I was able. I logged an astounding six hours and twenty-three minutes, which is double the amount of my best night’s rest for any night in the last week. Then I developed a theme for the day—indulging my desire to do nothing.

I ran a few errands, picked the first ripened tomatoes from the garden, washed and quartered them, plopped them in a pot, and set them on the stove to simmer. When they cooled, I took them for a spin through the food mill, and now I have the makings of the season first batch of tomato sauce. Yummy.

I sorted through two book boxes and earmarked over half of them to be re-homed. Next, I handled a backlog of household chores and ran a couple of loads of laundry. I cooked my dinner on the grill before  I settled onto the couch to watch a recently released tv show episode. I can not confirm or deny the possibility that I may have napped while watching tv.

I always remember my number one writing priority. My core habits are strong, and writing a little every day is my secret weapon. Yesterday I wrote 222 words.

Did you write yesterday?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

How exquisite the feeling is when you, at long last, reach the weekend. Yesterday’s 9 to 5 passed in a blur of emails, meetings, and final deadlines before I logged off and signed in for my weekly class. Once my lesson wrapped up, I decided the best way to celebrate this week was a toast with a glass of wine. A grueling work schedule, lack of sleep, and a small dose of alcohol had a surprising result—a nap. I believe it is the exact prescription the doctor ordered.

Yesterday I also embarked on my “fix-the-issue” strategy of writing out a detailed timeline hoping to discover the solution for my annoying plot problem. I thought this would be easy. It sounded like it would only take an hour of my time. But my OCD tendencies commandeered the leadership position. I found myself with eleven paragraphs of details, and I haven’t yet gotten to the heart of the issue. It’s ok since the words came easy, and I think I can also use the timeline to help me plan the scene structure before I actually start writing the first draft.

I always remember my number one writing priority. My core habits are strong, and writing a little every day is my secret weapon. Yesterday I wrote 196 countable words.

Did you write yesterday?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

This week, each day seems indistinguishable from the next. Sleepless nights spent reading book after book in a restless pursuit to defy desperation and forego losing my mind while staring at the ceiling. I endure groggy days slogging through the 9 to 5 madness and wrack my befuddled mind during my scheduled writing time for insightful words and fascinating topics. Then there is the quagmire of my plotting project.

Yesterday I stumbled upon a potential twist that might solve my problems and patch together the storyline. The issue is, it feels like a patch. It doesn’t feel integrated, a cohesive and plausible event that is integral to the overall story. The events do not flow seamlessly from one scene to the next. For me, it is the kiss of death for this potential solution. I decided the next step in my “fix-the-issue” strategy is to write out a detailed timeline. Maybe that will shake something loose and deliver me from my plotting nightmare.

I always remember my number one writing priority. My core habits are strong, and writing a little every day is my secret weapon. Yesterday I wrote 241 countable words.

Did you write yesterday?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The constant round of sleepless nights is wearing thin. It is poor planning to fall asleep at 3 am, especially when your alarm is scheduled for six. I finished reading the book I began the night before and can therefore delude myself into believing I am not wasting my time. After surviving the grueling demands of the 9 to 5 workday, I listened to my sleep-deprived body and took a nap.

Then, I made a tremendous mistake and fell into an internet rabbit hole when I searched for “how-to” videos on my latest obsession—Zettelkasten. Like I needed another project. Part of me is hoping the distraction will allow my unconscious mind to devise a fabulous and unexpected solution for the plot issue I encountered. A long session of brainstorming ideas resulted in ideas that weren’t bad, but they weren’t great either. I feel like the ideal scenario is sitting right in front of me and laughing at my inability to grasp the genius of the simple twist. The words sit at the tip of my tongue where I can’t access them. I need them to be flowing out of my pen and onto the page. Maybe when I find the answer, I will also reclaim the ability to sleep.

I always remember my number one writing priority. My core habits are strong, and writing a little every day is my secret weapon. Yesterday I wrote 207 words.

Did you write yesterday?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Another sleepless night, followed by a never-ending 9 to 5 workday, left me with blurry eyes and no energy to perform even simple tasks. The upside is I am over halfway through my current book. If nothing else, I am taking plenty of research notes, getting ideas for new stories, and amassing an odd assortment of half-thought-out concepts logged into my arsenal. I started a new document titled “Random Thoughts” to collect these bits of insight, reflections, quotes, and general observations that seem significant enough that I don’t want to lose track of them.

Recently I have been revisiting a topic I discovered years ago. I am considering the advantages of developing a Zettelkasten for my notes. I am toying with transforming my “Random Thoughts” file entries into this format. While I am still in the research stage, this is sounding more and more attractive to me. I hope I can figure out a way to use it in a way that suits me best. Great. All I needed was another work in progress.

I always remember my number one writing priority. My core habits are strong, and writing a little every day is my secret weapon. Yesterday I wrote 162 countable words.

Did you write yesterday?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Who else, besides me, is happiest when Monday finally slides into your rearview mirror? The 9 to 5 offers the expected insanity to distract us from wishing we could relive a too-short weekend. In the spirit of taking care of business, I devoted myself to working on my online course and completed another four modules.

I took plenty of notes and filled in 13 of 24 sheets of character development questions before my hand cried “uncle” threw a fit and started cramping on me. The process keeps me moving ahead in the story and discovering where things are headed. It also shows me where my pitfalls lie, and my goal is to fix as many as I can before I start the daunting task of composing the first draft.

I always remember my number one writing priority. My core habits are strong, and writing a little every day is my secret weapon. Yesterday I wrote 216 countable words.

Did you write yesterday?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Yesterday, the prior evening’s lack of sleep sidetracked my good intentions. When I can’t sleep, I refuse to lie in bed and stare at the ceiling. In the past, I have used insomnia as an excuse to rearrange furniture, bake cookies, catch up on laundry, work on neglected projects, or watch the mindless flickering on the television screen. Any activity I select, I chose, hoping I will soon grow tired enough to return to bed and sleep.

This time, the activity I pursued, reading, had the opposite result. At two in the morning, I picked up a book and kept turning pages until I finally felt sleepy. The clock said it was seven, and I didn’t have the energy to get up, make a pot of coffee, and start the day despite being up all night. The tactic often works. Sticking to my usual schedule ensures I fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow. Yesterday, I logged four hours of sleep and spent the rest of my day dragging myself around. Regardless of my energy level, some tasks require my attention.

I always remember my number one writing priority. My core habits are strong, and writing a little every day is my secret weapon. Yesterday I wrote 192 words.

Did you write yesterday?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

I am way behind on the coursework for my online class, so yesterday, I spent most of my “writing time” finishing one massive module. I filled ten handwritten pages with notes, responses to questions, plot ideas, sequences, and a few of my own questions that need answers. Then I completed another four pages of “what if” scenarios. It’s a tremendous amount of work, but my characters are coming to life, developing personalities, and the storyline is growing.

I also indulged myself by taking advantage of the pleasant weather and escaped outside with a glass of wine and my current book. I finished that one, and rather than reading one of two other books currently in progress, I opted to begin a different novel. The library emailed to advise me another book I had placed on hold was now available for pickup. So many books, so much homework, and a slew of enticing distractions wave at me from the sidelines.

I always remember my number one writing priority. My core habits are strong, and writing a little every day is my secret weapon. Yesterday I wrote 175 countable words.

Did you write yesterday?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer