Thursday, May 6, 2010

Mish Mash

First off, hi new followers! Holy bacon burger, there's a lot of you this week! (Note to self: Have Elana Johnson link to your blog as much as possible.) Pull up a chair, have some cookies. Also, if you stay for dinner, I make a fabulous lasagna.

Today I'd planned on writing the next installment of The Assistant with the 10 lovely words you offered. But then I had to go get weighed for my insurance (Yes. Weighed.). After that I was already out, so I decided to be a decent mom for once and take my kids out to the mall. Ninja Girl totally picked up her sesame chicken with chopsticks! She's two. And a ninja. *beams*

So I just got home and I'm pretty beat. I have enough creativity to either write about Kitty or work on my WIP, Transparent.

As much as I like to have fun, work comes first, dang it.

Not to say I'm always a good example—I can totally get my lazy on, don't worry—but I really like meeting my goals. I like how it feels when I've accomplished something. It's much easier to relax after I've reached my goals, no guilt attached.

And to be honest, it has been a bit of a battle getting words out these days. I'm doing a solid 1k a day, which is still awesome but far off my old pace of 3-4k a day. Like I've said, things have changed a bit around here. But that's okay. This is a good pace for me if I can just make myself sit down and do it.

So sorry, Kitty and her 10 words will have to be pushed back to Monday. I promise Monday—I'm good at keeping promises.

One good thing: This gives you more time to enter my contest, instead of reading fun stuff. You still have until midnight tonight, and I'll let you know right now there's not half as many entries as usual. It's like the five words I gave you were, well, horrible. (Mwahaha.)

20 comments:

  1. 1k a day is still awesome. Consistency is what gets it done, right? Not necessarily speed. Although the 3-4k days are pretty great, I do have to say. Keep it up. We can wait until Monday. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  2. We so understand! Over at our blog, we've started a tab called "Butts in Chairs" because it seems this is something we're all experiencing in one form or another. We're encouraging everyone to post a personal writing goal and follow up on how it went. Sometimes we meet the goal, and other times... well, you know. What matters is making the effort and doing the best you can! Keep writing and do what you can to get your butt in the chair :)

    Marissa

    ReplyDelete
  3. So how do you do it "all" (since I'm sure you sit in an immaculate house while your children play quietly at your feet as you speed type the perfect manuscript)? I have three happy hobbits (4,2, and 7mo) who like to make messes and have mommy not work on her story. So really, how do you get in 1K per day while still doing the cool mall trips and all that?

    ReplyDelete
  4. What exactly qualifies as "half as many entries as usual?" Still in the bajillions? :D

    ReplyDelete
  5. Daniella, how do I do it all? Well, I don't. No perfect house here—there's laundry strewn all over my living room, a sink full of dishes, and I'm pretty sure a bomb went off upstairs...

    And that was seriously the first time I took them to the mall in months. We're mostly homebodies, since going places is expensive.

    You have to make sacrifices—you have to decide which ones are worth making. I write during nap or in the evening, mostly. I don't watch TV because I just don't have time. I go dark on weekends: no email, twitter, writing, blogging. (Okay, I still watch anime, but like I said I don't have TV.)

    Sometimes I sneak in a few words here and there during the day, but it's gotten harder since my oldest (4 too!) stopped napping.

    Anyway, yeah, I definitely don't do it all. That's just freaking impossible.

    Abby, actually, entries aren't very high on my contests. I think the last one (the weather one) got almost 50 entries—that was the most I've ever had. I'm not even to half that this time:)

    ReplyDelete
  6. One of the things I find most refreshing about you and Kiersten (and writers in general, it seems) is how honest you are. You're right, it is impossible, and it's nice to know it's a struggle for others, too.

    I'll be submitting my entry in a few. I usually have my husband proofread things for me, but since he's playing basketball as I type this, I'm having Molly Brewer (@theknittingnerd) look it over before I send it to you. I have a bad habit of making stupid typos. :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. 1k a day?? That's pretty darn good for a busy mother/wife/ninja, I would say. Heck, I'm only a student, and I still find it difficult to get out that many. Sometimes the words just won't come, you know? What matters is that the words you write move the plot along, even if it is only a few sentences.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I'm impressed. My kids won't let me write during the day. Although I did write 333 words today for your contest. And my son hates me for it.

    ReplyDelete
  9. 1K a day = awesome.

    Love that your two-year-old is a ninja chopstick wielder. Mine told me yesterday that she wants a pet snake.

    The eleven-year-old has been working on a contest entry. We'll see if she gets it done. She loves to write, but is a major procrastinator.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Oh, Natalie, you're not supposed to ADVERTISE that there are fewer contest entries this time around! :)

    And I agree with Myrna - 1K a day is fantastic (and keeps the writer's block away).

    ReplyDelete
  11. Nooo! No more entries! That gives me a better chance of winning! I am dying for a chance for you to critique my manuscript!

    *sigh* Never mind. I should share you Natalie. It's only fair. And I am curious as to what my compatriot followers came up with. ;)

    Great progress!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Wow, from my point of view, 1k is fabulous! Go you!

    ReplyDelete
  13. 1K is amazing, especially when you have little ones.

    I have issues hitting 1K a day and all I have are a cat and dog. Oh and a husband, but he occupies himself with WoW, Guild Wars, or EVE when I'm writing. :)

    And I am super curious to see the amazing entries tomorrow! I am dying to see what wonders of creativity will come from this contest. :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Yay for new followers!!! I'm sure Elana would bring a ton your way, she's fabulous like that!

    good job on the word count! With two little ninjas running around I'm sure it is tough!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I'm impressed by your daily word count but am more impressed that your 2-year-old is better with chopsticks than I am! :)

    ReplyDelete
  16. Sometimes work has to come before pleasure. Lucky you, work is your pleasure. Good luck with the rewrites and all things writing-related.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Okay, I just have to say I just about slopped the milk I brought to have with your cookies when I read...weighed for insurance. Oh dear, that is right. Erm, I will have salad and gaze lovingly at your lasagna.

    Great job on those 1k a day!!

    ReplyDelete
  18. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Oh yeah, and just for the record, my house has never been perfect, even for those years B.C (before children). I think I'm allergic to cleaning. Thanks for letting me know you're a real human! =)

    ReplyDelete