Daylight Savings Time

This morning I did 🙂

 

Last night we got an extra hour! In Belgium (and I think most of Europe) it was Daylight Savings Time, meaning that in the middle of the night, we turn the clock back for an hour.

And what do you do with an extra hour of nighttime?

You write of course!

I was awake at an ungodly 6am (for my body it was already 7am) and just kept turning and turning, unable to fall back asleep.

Then I started thinking. What am I doing trying to fall back asleep? You should seize the moment and use it to its fullest extent.

So I got up, made coffee (just in case my body decided it was too early after all) and got behind my computer.

And now, two hours and two chapters later, I’m a happy bunny.

It felt so good to write again! It had been more than a month since I got to spend so much (quiet) time on my story. No feeling guilty because I left the dishes on the sink or had laundry or ironing to do. I still have the whole day to tackle those chores!

So maybe this getting up early and writing before the day starts is a solution after all?

Of course, during the week, when I already have to get up at 6.30, it probably won’t work… but this morning inspiration was just flowing out of my fingertips. I hadn’t expected it. Normally when I spend so much time away from my story it takes some time to get back into it. But not this morning.

So should I consider doing this on a daily basis after all?

Time’s up when you’re having fun

Time, such a fickle thing

Time… such a short word, yet it encompasses so many things. Ancient times, future times, happy times, sad times, …

There is just one thing we’ll never have: enough time.

Since I started working full-time again, I can definitely say I don’t have any time anymore at all. My manuscript was progressing really nicely and all of a sudden… nothing… not a word… not even a tiny syllable. Not because I have no inspiration, but simply because I don’t have time.

Yesterday I started wondering. Where did my time go? I only work 8 hours a day. I don’t even sleep the advised 8 hours a night. I should have 8 hours of spare time left!

Are leprechauns stealing my time???

Well, unless buses are the new leprechauns (long story) this is not the case. It’s all me and my many social commitments.

For some reason, they are planned in such a way that I barely have the time to eat dinner, and by the time I get back home, it’s barely worth the trouble of turning on the computer. By the time I’m ready and back into the storyline it’s time for bed again.

Many websites on writing advise you to get up an hour earlier and write during the quiet hours of (pre-)dawn. As much as I would like to, I’m already having trouble getting up at the regular time.

So maybe I’m a night person? That means writing in the (late) evening. Sounds good, but that’s what I tried yesterday and my thoughts were anywhere but on my manuscript.

There must be a golden middle ground in between those options. Something that works for me.

Do you have full-time job that you’re combining with your writing? How do you manage?

A rollercoaster of thoughts

The Psyclone rollercoaster at Six Flags. Maybe its design was based on my mind?

Have you ever had that feeling when you seem to have a dozen great stories in your head, but they are just whirling through your mind and it’s impossible to hold on to just one of them?

Well, that’s exactly how I’m feeling right now. I’m trying to make some progress on my main manuscript since it’s been two weeks already since I made time to write, but it’s just not working tonight.

I’m tired, my eyes are falling shut, and my thoughts are everywhere except on the story I’m trying to write at the moment.

Yet, when I try to concentrate on the (other) story that keeps popping up, my thoughts go whoosh, off in yet another direction!

Like a rollercoaster on speed.

How do experienced writers focus on a day like this? Do they ever even have days like these?

Do you ever feel this way? How do you organise your thoughts when they’ve decided they want to go running about freely?

Every piece of advice (no matter how tiny) is welcome!

Between dreaming and waking

Working hard on the next novel

I love that moment right before you fall asleep. Your body is working more slowly, but your mind seems to be going in overdrive. Thoughts of the previous day pop up, feelings you’ve had, and even the smallest impression of the day can suddenly turn into a great idea.

Last night, right before I fell asleep, I had one of those moments where an idea slowly sinks in and starts forming. In probably a millisecond the story had developed. And I loved it! Suddenly, the background story of two of my characters fell into place. It just clicked.

I already had a background for them, but it was too straightforward. I knew in the back of my mind that this wasn’t what it was supposed to be. I guess my subconscious has just kept mulling over it and last night my subconscious thought it was time to let me in on its own version.

So thank you, sweet subconscious, and thank you time between dreaming and waking. The time when great ideas are formed.

Ideas are like cats?

If my ideas are this lazy, I’m in trouble

I wanted to start this post complaining (again) about how my manuscript is not making any progress.

Truth is, it has made some progress, albeit little progress. But progress is progress, right?

I’ve been playing around with different endings and I think my subconscious is still trying to make up its mind as to which ending is the best. I’m terrible at finishing things so it’s taking me some time to decide.

And in the meantime, the rest of the story is waiting. Waiting for me to decide. Not a word have I put on paper (or computer screen for that matter) since I started working out the ending.

But I’m getting there. Slowly, but surely, one of those ideas is nesting itself in my head, making itself my favorite. Like a cat basking in the sun, it’s going to curl up on itself and never leave as long as it’s nice and warm in my mind.

Here’s to hoping there’s enough sunshine in my head!

For the writers out there, how do you decide your ending?

Dream a little dream

Last night I had a very interesting dream. I was in a different time and place and met a man. A dangerous man, I knew, but at the same time an irresistible man.

I just couldn’t get this dream out of my head and remembering a previous post by Dianne Gray about creating stories out of dreams I thought “why the heck not?” It might be enough for a short story and at the very least it would make for a good writing exercise.

So I did just that. I wrote down the story of my dream.

While writing, more of the background of the characters became clear to me and I knew, while writing down the dream, a mere short story would not do it justice. I’m not sure if it can become a complete novel, but perhaps a novella will do? I’ll see.

But since I’m also still working on my other story, and I want to use it for a writing contest, I’ll have to prioritize.

As much as I’d like to dream further about that handsome, yet dangerous man, that story has been saved under my “ideas for future stories” folder for now. But it’s not lost! It’s not floating around in my subconscious somewhere, hidden from me during my waking hours and I’m really happy about that.

And hopefully in the near future, I’ll find out what makes my dream guy so dangerous.

Mr. Procrastination

You would think that having a prolonged holiday of more than 2 months would help me finish my manuscript?

Think again. I’m halfway through the holiday and if I’ve added 2 chapters it’s a lot! *sigh*

I’ve done almost everything you can imagine in order to not start writing: cleaning (even cleaning things I NEVER clean!), tidying up, ironing, dishes, cooking, … And no, the list is not limited to obligatory household chores. Add dying my hair, looking up recipes I know I’ll never try, sitting outside watching the rabbits, playing games, watching dvd’s, … to the equation and you know the outcome is 0,0 addition to the manuscript. *deep sigh*

What’s keeping me from writing? I wish I knew. Every day I wake up thinking “today I’m going to write” and every night I go to sleep thinking “tomorrow I’m going to write” with no writing being done in between those 2 thoughts, let alone at night when I’m asleep (or not so much asleep, because I have a minor case of insomnia lately) *deeper sigh*

It sucks, really, because each wasted day is a day closer to a writing competition I had been hoping to enter. The deadline is December 12 this year. But now I’m not so sure I’ll make it. I’m in the rewriting phase, sort of. (I wasn’t too happy with my first draft so I’ve just started writing the story again from scratch, keeping some parts that I do like here and there. Does that count as rewriting? Or should I say I’m working on the first draft… again?) All semantics aside, the manuscript clearly isn’t finished and at this pace it won’t be finished by 12/12 either! *very deep sigh*

So with this new post I hope for August to be the start of a better writing month, even if the only writing I’ll be doing is on this blog, at least it’s writing *smiles a bit*

Ok, Mr Procrastination, you and I are going to have a little talk. And then… it’s writing time! *big smile*

Stick to the plan!

Last weekend, I went to another book convention, called “Book Festival“. It had been a few years, mostly because last time I couldn’t carry all the books I had bought. No, I’m not that rich, the books there are just that cheap!

So this year I expected a similar scenario.

I couldn’t have been further from the truth! Even though the festival had gotten bigger I found absolutely nothing worth buying. How frustrating is that?

There was only one conclusion: I urgently have to start writing the book I would want to read myself!

A new planning (and lots of promising to the brain, as you may recall from a previous post) had been made in my head. Now I just need to stick to the plan!

So many books and nothing worth reading 😦

Bare legs!

June is the official “skirt month” in Belgium and that means… bare legs!

Putting on a skirt or dress always takes a special kind of courage for me. I’m not sure why. I look pretty good in them, if I may say so myself. 😉

But today, being the first day of the official skirt month, I gathered all my courage and changed out of my comfy jeans into a not so comfy but so much sexier vintage skirt! Yay me! ^.^

And I’m not the only one! Hundreds of other (Flemish) women are participating in the official bare legs campaign. The good thing is, if you really really really hate skirts, you can also wear a dress or a pair of shorts. As long as you show off your legs.

If anyone out there wants to participate, this is the link to the blog that started it all. If you’re not from Belgium, but still want to participate, I see no reason why you shouldn’t! No one said it should be limited to our little region *grin* Wouldn’t it be cool if suddenly women from all over the world are proud to show their legs in June?

What are you waiting for?!

A deal with my brain

Have you ever had a discussion with your own brain? Well, I’m having one right now, and it seems we’re in a stalemate.

Let me give you the background of it. Today is the first day of me not having to go to class in more than 5 weeks.  Ten years ago, my brain and I would have agreed on “Woohoo! Party time!” But today, my brain is more like “ok, so now what do we do?”

Good question, brain, but if you would stop giving me so many ideas, I can start choosing. See, for almost a week now, my brain has been so “kind” to stuff my head full of “things to do during the 5 weeks off” that it’s almost impossible for me to get them all done! As much as I would like to finish the rabbitry and go for a bike ride and for a run and rearrange the house, buy paintings for that empty wall that’s been bugging me, find out what type of wallpaper would fit our living room, see about wood for the roof’s isolation, actually isolate the roof, write shortstories (not one storY, but storIES!), buy new clothes, see if I can find a part-time job for the summer, look for curtains, write to schools for my internship next year, write a daily blog post, visit friends, visit family, get the back yard cleaned out, … something’s telling me, I won’t be getting ALL of that done in 5 weeks’s time 😀

And then my brain says: “Why not?”

*shock*

How can my brain say that?! It is MY brain, isn’t it? Isn’t it supposed to listen to me when I say too much is too much? It’s not that I don’t WANT to do any of those things, it’s just that wanting to get all that done in “only” 5 weeks is never going to work!

So I’m angry with my brain. I actually really WANT to start writing (1 story is enough for me btw, I hope my brain will agree soon) but if my brain keeps putting other ideas in my head, it’s never going to happen >.<

Ok, brain, here’s a deal for you: let me write 1 hour per day. For just 1 measly hour per day you focus on the world and characters I want to write about and the rest of the day I’ll do some of that other stuff you’ve been putting in my head. BUT… don’t be mad if I don’t do all of it! We’ll have to make choices… together.

*brain is quiet, it seems to be thinking about my offer*

I’m waiting, brain.

*my brain slowly agrees*

Woohoo! Party time! 🙂