Thursday, June 28, 2012

Jumping back in: Ready, Set...Write?

Turning your life upside down is one of the last things a writer wants to do. Our flow is chaotic enough already. Trying to get back into it has been a challenge. Figuring out how to work the time into my new (and still changing) schedule is far from easy.

For nearly two months I wrote essentially: nothing. Oh, sure, I had some ideas, I wrote down some snippets, but serious writing on the focus story? Didn’t happen. I’m turning it around, but it is slow and difficult.

Random thoughts to help:
1. Write whenever and wherever.
2. Focus on what excites you. Skip that boring scene and go for the juicy stuff.
3. Don’t move cross-country... (did you see that one coming?)

I try to adhere to the above, but it’s not always enough for the results I want. My aging (not gracefully) laptop is not helping the issue with slow performance and a dying battery. One issue rectified, and I’m hoping I can deal with the other, because when the time to write strikes I want to pounce like a starving panther at a petting zoo.

Bon appétit.

So, what challenges do you run into how do you keep writing?

Monday, June 25, 2012

Lonely in the Lonestar

“How was your weekend?” Someone asked me today at work.

“It was great,” I reply, except...for saying goodbye to my family.

That’s a BIG caveat. Family is important. My wife and kids are everything.

And this weekend they had to fly back to California. It’s not for long. But then, a couple weeks can be a lifetime sometimes. There are a variety of reasons for the trip. (Me working two jobs is a major one.) But trying to keep all the positives of the trip in mind is hard when all you want them to do is turn around and stay right here (or jump on the plane with them!)

One of the benefits of the move to Texas is turning our finances around. Things have been rough for us for a while, like many others across the country. And it does feel good to see some positive change. I just wish it didn’t have to come at the expense of time with my wife and kids.

All I can say is that I’m trying to keep focused, looking to my HoneyDo list, and hoping the time flies by, until I can see them again.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Disappearing Cross-Country

Been a while, believe me, I know. I’ve never moved cross-country before and don’t mean to make it a habit. It’s like taking your world, turning it upside down, shaking the hell out of it, then tossing gasoline on it and lighting it on fire.

Perhaps a little extreme...

But, my wife and I have young children and moved somewhere with no family and friends, so perhaps some of you can relate.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m enjoying Texas and the Dallas area. (I could probably do without the heat and might pass on the tornadoes.) But moving...

*shudder*

Care to share your moving horror story?

Misery loves company. Go ahead, make me happy to be in my shoes and not in yours.

An Unnecessary Aside:
Oh, and I’m sure you already guessed, my clever and intuitive reader (readers?), but my timeframe for Veil of a Warrior (and pretty much everything else writing-related) has been pushed back.