My New "Job"

I've worked most of the day on the revision with lots of new writing done. I've reached an interesting conclusion about my current methods. When I made the decision to do this, I decided that I needed to focus on it as if it were my "job". No, I'm not getting paid but I've always worked better with a routine and a schedule. So, from the start I set up a schedule for how I wanted the week structured..

Monday - Friday

7:30 a.m.-- Get up:
7:45 a.m. -- Sarah on the bus
8:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m. -- Dress, brush teeth, devotional time
9:00-9:30 am. -- Start work (writing or  revising)
11:30 - 12:30 -- lunch somewhere in this hour (doesn't take an hour)
3:00 p.m. -3:45 p.m. Stop- Sarah home.

A few times I've worked in the evening but I'm so tired by then and there are so many other things I have to do that I just don't get very far. I also try to take short breaks every hour or so to do some stretching and moving around to prevent back and neck problems later. Potty breaks are usually ideal for this because I have to get up anyway. A couple of times, when I stopped for the day, I lay down and took a half hour nap before Sarah gets home because I was really very tired.

Last night I really wanted to get back to work on the book after supper but I did not sleep well Sunday night and Monday was rough. So, I decided to leave the novel for the night because I felt I needed to give me time to relax. So, I read and watched t.v. until I went to bed around 10:30. I slept better last night but not much. I really think the weather is a factor at the moment. I've had a lot more neck and shoulder pain at night. My right hand really doesn't want to work properly either.

Weekends are open. I don't write unless I want to and have the time. Most of it is spent cleaning and doing laundry and I go to church.

After a couple of weeks of working this way I notice it is easier to sit down between 9 and 10, after Sarah is off to school and I've done what I need to get myself motivated. I can focus for the rest of the day. I'm anxious to get the first draft done but things are moving very slow at the moment. However, I can see being done by my deadline of April 22, 2015. Thank you, Autumn Baker for making this  possible.

I've broken my routine to write this blog and I am feeling the effects of that. Still, I have to give myself some credit. When I began the revision on January 15 my word count was at 59,187. As of right today, January 27, the word count is 62, 210.