Writer's Blah

I just noticed that I haven't posted here since the middle of August. My only defense is that I've been busier than a bricklayer on the Great Wall of China.

In case you weren't paying attention, I haven't been writing either. A smidgen here and there but nothing to brag about and a lot to hang my head about. My friend, Loraine, and I have joined together and formed Write Our Way. We're holding one another accountable and checking in with one another regularly. She's doing better than I and she has a baby and a toddler.

Shame is my constant companion.

The positive here is that I feel better than I have in years. Really. The Cymbalta is keeping pain at bay and I am able to do dozens of things I couldn't do before. We cleaned the garage this weekend. Mike, Becca, and I all worked moving things, tossing things, arranging things, and sweeping it out until it looks like someone else's garage. I went out twice that night just to look at my garage.

I have hopes this week to get some writing done. I have been working on something, a personal prayer journal that I'd like to share on my other blog. I'm not quite done yet but with any luck, it will be done in another week. We'll see.

I suppose that counts as writing. I'm having to write, design, and layout. Ok, so I have written something for several weeks now. It just doesn't feel like writing.

NaNoWriMo will be here in about 14 days and I'll have a mad dash for the next 30 days to write a novel. I haven't decided what I'm going to work on yet: a new novel or a work in progress. In theory, I'm supposed to do a new work but I have pulled a rebel a few times. I might this time too.

I'm headed to bed now. I need some extra sleep I think.

I hope you're writing something.

A Pain, A Migraine, and Rain

It has been a truly horrible day. In fact, I've had a horrible week. My RA has beaten me up. Today it stormed and I was assaulted with a migraine and joint pain all over. Moving hurt and when I stood up, my feet would crack. Sarah even heard them and commented.

I've made plans to start a writing schedule but I keep getting these road blocks that circumvent my intentions. I still have to finish my windows in my bedroom and the trim. Until I'm feeling better, that's impossible. I also have a disaster in my den, where I write. All the stuff I've been clearing out since the bedroom project has, once again, landed in the den. Junk is everywhere. I'm getting better at getting rid of stuff, however. I have even decided to get rid of some small nick-nacks. I just want to get rid of all the stuff and fluff. I feel buried.

I've moved things in the living room and nearly killed myself in the process but some things are better. I have to paint this room soon. It is really bad. But what color? And what to do about the drapes? There is nothing that goes with navy blue but yellow. Believe me, I've tried. I could go stark white. It will be a real change for me.

Now, I just want to get the den emptied, get my desk organized and write. I did clean the desk today. Had to. Bills were piling up. They're mostly paid now but I still have statements to do. Aaaaaiiiiieeeee! I hate the financial side of living.

The problem is that I have to work in small spurts. I worked all day Saturday in the living room and I'm still paying the price today. Of course, I got a lot done but it cost me 4 days. I used all my spoons up. And my reserves.

My goal this week is to clear out the den. I've done some small stuff today as I passed through the room. I've printed off a novel no one has heard of in years. I realized I only need about 8 chapters to finish the first draft. Thanks to Alice for bringing it up. The ending was written a long time ago. I can do this and I'll have a hideously horrible +80K word draft. I don't even know if it is possible to make it work but it is a whole story. Alice keeps prodding me about it about once a year. So, I've notified her she has to be ready for feedback and brainstorming and editing.

One thing of note, as I read over some of the "story that shall remain nameless" I realized how much I've grown as a writer since I started it 9 years ago. In four chapters I was able to peg passive voice, incorrect usage, shifts in POV, and spelling errors in a snap. It was quite encouraging. I know what I'm doing now.

Now if I can just do it.

Learning My Lesson

The last two weeks have been a very busy, painful time for me. I started work on repainting my bedroom two weeks ago. Storms rolling in nearly every day have made it almost impossible to do a lot at one time. I worked during that time as well, with a couple of days off each week.

In my old life, before rheumatoid arthritis, I'd have knocked out the room in a couple of days and had the furniture back in. It took me a week to prime the bubble gum pink walls. The windows.... well, the stain bled through each coat and I was concerned I'd have to strip them. I put an experimental topcoat on them and I think they'll be ok. Yesterday, after two weeks, I put the first coat of color on the walls. Afterward, I took a late lunch around 2 p.m. and nearly fell asleep over my Freddie burger. Obviously, I wasn't going to get the second coat on. I came home and sat down in my recliner and was out for about three hours. I woke, still exhausted.

What does that have to do with writing? Nothing. No writing got done. In fact, I'll finish Camp NaNoWriMo with about 1000 words. Pitiful.

Here's the thing. I'm learning, after all these horrible years of trying to do everything, I simply can't do everything. I have to pace myself. If you're familiar with RA, you know that mornings are hideous.

This morning is a great example. I didn't work yesterday. I just painted four walls. I slept a bit in the afternoon. I had a good night's sleep. I woke at 7:30 and could hardly move. It took two hours to unlock my muscles and joints. Once this passed off, I'm not in a lot of pain but my energy is low and I'll need to move around another few hours to boost that. I have to do some more painting. It won't be much. I'll probably just trim out the walls. I have to do baseboards, door trims and finish the windows. I might have to put a second coat on the wall. The room is coming together but it won't be done today.

The process has taught me something. I probably already knew it. I have to treat my writing the same way. I've got to pace myself. I have to schedule what I'm going to do today, write it, and move on to tomorrow's schedule.

I started listening to some podcast this weekend about writing and every author I've listened to seemed to reinforce this in some way. Managing time seems to be their key point. For me, that's pacing myself. I remember when I retired in 2013 I set up a schedule to write 5 days a week. It worked great for several weeks until my son had a motorcycle accident in January and broke both bones in his leg and had to have a rod put in one. He had to move home for 6 months and I had to care for him.

Things happen for a reason and I should have learned my lesson then. I didn't. The first two weeks I almost collapsed from exhaustion. He was in horrible pain and needed almost constant attention. I actually had to call in help so I could rest. As a result, my writing schedule fell apart. Once he was able to go home and care for himself, I didn't go back to my schedule. The holidays were on me and so was NanNoWriMo. A Municipal Liasion's life is busy from October through November.

After my podcast binge this weekend, I realized that I have to manage my time better. I have to go back to the schedule. I have one week left to finish the painting and work on my job. The last week of the month I'll be out of town and I want to return with a schedule in hand to structure my time, particularly my writing time. I think that is what works best for me.

I want to start today but the physical act of painting a room is going to wipe me out every time. I have to get it done and all the furniture in the room before next Saturday. I'll be out of town for a week. Writing won't happen but I'm going to keep listening to the podcasts. They've given me a lot of food for thought.



Podcasts I'm Following:
10 Minute Writer's Workshop
Michael Hyatt's This is Your Life
Writing Excuses

Summertime and Camp NaNoWriMo 2016

Summer is upon us, or so the calendar says. I just got back from a week's vacation to find I'm ready for the next one. That's a month away, at the end of July. However, before that, there is Camp NaNoWriMo 2016.

Think cabins, campfires, and marshmallows. Think dark nights in the woods, biting flies, and creepy sounds beyond your window. Not feeling it? Well, not to worry. This camp is much more relaxing... in some ways.

There are no real cabins, campfires, or biting flies. No woods with creepy sounds, or creepy crawlies, or bears. Marshmallows are, of course, up to you.

No, instead of the above you will be in an imaginary cabin - cooped up with 11 other people or isolated if you go solo. You can even go naked if you like, just keep the camera off, please. It is more fun with a group. You'll have someone to talk to in the middle of the night. Keep the lights off and use a flashlight to write by to make the experience more real. Sit on your back deck, patio, or porch at midnight and sing campfire songs around the fire pit while chatting with your cabin mates.

Or stream a YouTube campfire on the smart t.v. while you snuggle in your cozy writing space and write. After all, that's what all versions of Nano are about - writing.

So, I just finished setting up my profile, novel, and cabin. I'm notifying all my friends that I have 11 slots open in my cabin. If I don't hear in 10 days, I'll make it public and let CampNaNo give me a cabin or I'll go solo. Either way, I might get some actual writing done. Commitment is important to me and maybe committing to myself will be a catalyst.

I'll leave you now with this....

It's a Comma Problem

Courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

They're such cute little things. Someone put a little tail on a period and it helps you organize your sentences. You could put a little face on them and they'd look back at you, so innocent, so sweet, so helpful.

The truth is, they're horrid little beasts that gnaw at you and taunt you. They snap that little tail at you and well, let's just say I have a hostile relationship with them. You might almost say toxic.

Yet, I sprinkle them liberally throughout my writing without rancor. I accept the generous help they offer, only to find they don't belong in half the places they appear. It is very frustrating. I mean, I know how to write. Yet the common comma defeats me time and again.

I have several grammar books, some great ones, in fact. I keep them all in the room with me. They're my only defense against the comma attack. I don't even trust Grammarly! I suspect they're in cahoots sometimes. Seriously, in the second paragraph of this post, Grammarly said I needed to use "their" instead of "they're". Seriously. It was quite insistent. However, I know enough to grasp the use of pronouns and to be verbs.

This morning, I pulled my Strunk and White, 3rd Edition, from my shelf and brushed up on my comma mistakes. It isn't the first time. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't improving but it is embarrassing to admit that after all these years, and one semester with the evil Von Furhman in 1989, that I still have problems with it.

There are so many rules of grammar it can be overwhelming. In fact, the first chapter in my Strunk and White is Essential Rules of Usage. There are ten rules in this chapter. At the end of Rule 6 is a statement that says, "Rules 3, 4, 5, and 6 cover the most important principles that govern punctuation. They should be so thoroughly mastered that their application becomes second nature."

Do you know what those rules cover? Yes, commas. The most important principles of punctuation. When I break a rule, I go big.

What I find amusing about this is that the most important rules are not 1-4. No, they come after 1. Forming singular possessives, and 2. The serial (Oxford comma). Truthfully, I'd put that Oxford comma first and make those possessives last.

Considering my review of Strunk and White's rules, I think the gist of it is that comma mastery is paramount in writing.

I'm screwed.

So, I strongly advise you buy a copy of Strunk & White... whatever edition it is in now. You can also find free editions online. Here is one copy: Strunk and White, There are many other grammar books out there. As I mentioned, I have several rather large ones. But really, Strunk and White is only 80 pages and the above copy is free.

Incidentally, Grammarly didn't find any major issues with this post. Of course, I use the free Chrome plug-in and the fact that it wanted to make an erroneous substitution of a pronoun means it isn't wise to rely on it too much.

March 14, 2018:

As an interesting addendum, today I ran this post through ProWritingAid and it found NO comma errors. However, it found things it suggested I change to improve readability. How amusing that one of those changes occurs in the Strunk & White quote. I've highlighted those for you to review.

I purchased ProWritingAid for Christmas and got a sale on the lifetime offer. You can let me know what you think in the comments if you're so inclined. I'm still learning ProWritingAid but so far, I'm happier than I was using Grammarly. ProWritingAid also has a Chrome plugin that is free to use and is better than Grammarly.