Juggling Illness and Projects

So how do you juggle being sick and taking care of multiple projects (with multiple deadlines). The answer? Keep the amazing clients, of course!

Don't be too quick to get rid of clients who understand that life is hard and things can change quickly, especially in spring, when allergies and colds are flying around. I usually don't get sick working by myself at home, but this time, a visit to the dentist and the clinic just exacerbated the situation.

But I try to work a week ahead at all times, so today, only two projects are imperative. And not a big deal. I have an author waiting to review his chapters and I need to clean up another few chapters for comp. I can do that! But know that this gal is spending the weekend on my couch. If I don't get better this weekend, then life won't look so good next week. :)

Thanks to Katharine O'Moore-Klopf of Editor Mom for her really good article on EFA members who blog (not a blog post, Katharine wrote an article for the print edition of the March-April issue of the EFA newsletter). She mentioned this blog along with several other worthy blogs in a great round-up of the multitalented people of EFA.

Welcome to all the EFA members who are surfing blogs as a result of that article. If you have a blog and want to trade links, just leave a comment. I'd be happy to link to you. If you're interested in joining EFA, visit here.

Hope everyone has a nice weekend.

And . . . yes.

Keep moving forward!

Bye-bya Sanjaya.

I don't even watch American Idol, but you could feel a palpable sense this morning that he got the boot last night (okay, so CNN told me). Talk about outrageous. When it's only your hair keeping you on in a singing competition, methinks the singing competition might be on its last legs, hm?

In other news, the writing is coming along nicely. In between planning a new book club (starts in May and our first pick is Allison Winn Scotch's The Department of Lost and Found; ff you want a really good read that's uplifting and fun, check it out!) and juggling clients, I'm able to sit down for at least a few hours each day and tap out ideas and other thoughts about my WIP.

Jodi Picoult said that she doesn't ride a word on her books until she hears the first line in her head. Then she starts and she's quite serious about writing. She researches her next two books while she's still writing her current WIP!

And Jenny Crusie juggles multiple WIPs and even has a fun book that she works on each Sunday.

I have multiple WIPs, but I'm the process queen and until I figure out a quantifiable process to this fiction writing, I'll stick with one WIP at a time.

But I'm writing each day. And that's how I keep moving forward.

Writing Is a Journey

Not a sprint race.

I'm reminding myself of that as I have another crazy week that just keeps handing out interruptions and non-planned events. I am so grateful for good things happening, but know that I have to stay focused on the work today, or I will melt down.

How come we think that writers just sit down at their computers and unstop a vein and voila, they get a book? I don't think even writers realize how hard writing is. Sure, anyone can sit down and put words to paper. But how about when you're creating something new and you don't know exactly how it should look, sound, or feel?

That's hard. Inspiration and creativity are blessings and when they strike, I often take them for granted and get upset when they don't give me a book . . . complete, incredible, brilliant.

So, this week, I'm pacing myself. Every day I spend time on the WIP and every day I let myself disappear into that world, if only to catch a small glimpse so that I can take a few more steps forward.

Writing is hard, but if you inch along, you ultimately will make it to where you're going.

Keep Moving Forward.

Keeping a Schedule

Lest you think I've moved on too quickly from the tragedy at Virginia Tech yesterday, please continue to send good thoughts that way. So many people are afraid today and that is not good.

I was afraid last week. Overwhelmed is more like it. I didn't feel well, my work was piling up, and things got a bit dark.

I know the reason for it now, after the fact. It's all a scheduling mishap.

I work really hard to make sure everyone gets everything on time, on deadline, exactly how they want it. But life gets crazy and I have to push back somewhere. The first thing to go is usually my well-oiled and streamlined schedule, which is such a bad idea.

How many of you have a schedule for your writing and your publishing each year?

If you do, do you stick to it? If you stick to it, how many times do you go back and review it to make sure your schedule really works for you?

I needed to reconfigure after last week. Spent the weekend resting and listening to my baby niece cooing over the telephone (she's so cute!). And I reconfigured.

I can't produce top-quality writing and editing continually. I need rest time and a lot of refueling time. (How come the rest and refueling always get pushed to the back of the priority list?)

So I came up with a plan. A series of ten ebb and flow cycles that will take me into 2009, but will ensure that I rest and refuel regularly.

I was raised pursuing goals and I love making lists, but nothing felt so good as this reconfiguration over the weekend.

Cycle 1 Feb/March
April Rest/Refuel
Cycle 2 May/June
July Rest/Refuel
Cycle 3 August/Sept
October Rest/Refuel
Cycle 4 Nov/Dec
January 2008 Rest/Refuel

and on it goes.

I encourage you to take stock of your writing and goals and to make sure you keep the "threshold low" so that accomplishment is ensured.

Keep Moving Forward!

Shock.

I am having a day of quiet prayer and sorrow for those affected by the Virginia Tech shooting, so this will be brief.

I did hear from a colleague that her son, a student there, is okay, although he was outside the building where the shooter was and heard multiple shots being fired.

Please practice gratefulness today wherever you are for life, for love, for blessing.

And please keep the people who now face uncertain futures because of today's events in your prayers and good thoughts.