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my day
friday, january 18, 2008

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when i first started editing, i tried to have a "regular" work week: monday through friday. my actual days were (and still are) a little shorter since i had to use that time for house things and i tried to have at least an hour of writing time for my own work. taz gets home at 4:00 and doesn't leave until close to 9:00, so my day is usually short a full 8 by about an hour and a half and whatever time i have to take out during the day to get things done. this is actually a good thing--an editor should take a small break every hour, especially for on screen editing. gives the eyes a break and helps the editor stay sharp.

unfortunately, this didn't always work out. in fact, most days, something comes up that needs my attention that hour, most of it related to the editing job in some way (though not always). and there are a few days when i'm late breaking away from the comp and trying to finish up while keeping an eye on taz at the same time. trust me when i say that this doesn't work out very well.

once i'm off the computer, it's generally pretty hard to get me back on, probably because i've been working on it all day already. i'm trying to get back into the habit of swinging on for an hour or two in the evenings, but, in the meantime, i try to use that time for revising (since i revise on hard copy) and critiques. the habit, which i developed in cali, is proving hard to get back into after 3 years of just being too damn tired after work to do anything but sit, but, yea, working on it.

saturdays are kind of hit and miss. most days i can get to the comp and work on what i need to work on--usually stuff for dii and maybe a little writing. they're also the days for family movie time and any impromptu family activities. and they're the days saxy will work if he's going to work the weekend at all and i need to keep track of the kids all day. with taz, this is actually quite a job, even when he's on the playstation. which leaves me sundays.

thing is, right now, writing is as much my job as editing. i need more than one day and a couple of scattered hours a week to work on it. i know a lot of people don't see writing as a career unless you're stephen king or j. k. rowling, but how do you think you become stephen king or j. k. rowling? you have to work at it. and, even though it's not 9 to 5, doesn't have a regular paycheck, and you don't report to a boss other than yourself, writing is work. you have to write the stories, revise the stories, edit the stories, and submit the stories. it can take an hour or more for me to find a market for a story because it's not just a matter of grabbing the first market you find. and sometimes acceptance of a story is dependent on more revisions. my shorts can take a year or (more likely) longer to be finished enough for me to start submitting them. granted, some of that time comes from the fact that i'm more focused on the novels at the moment, but even so. most go through at least 5 or 6 drafts before i hunt up their first market. and novels take even longer. they take me months just to get the first draft done. so, to get anywhere, i really need more than a day and a few scattered hours.

heck, we ALL could do with a day to call our own, right?

so i now take fridays as my extra day. i often end up working on other things as well, but, other than anything for dii, they tend to be things for me--my websites, my writing, my...whatever. and it's usually the one time that's totally mine--no kids or husband who need attention either. the husband isn't usually a problem, but knowing he's there can be just as distracting. because i need to keep a watchful eye on taz when he's home, when anyone's in the house, i tend to be more aware of it, more alert to what's going on. so the husband tries not to be distracting, but he is anyway. ;)

today is my writing day. and i mean to enjoy it and work on my writing, even with the sick kid in the house. here's some of the most recent fruits of my day:

beyond centauri: issue #18 "dragon dreams" (poem), issue #19 "in the blood" (short)
worlds of wonder: "human" (short)
aoife's kiss: issue #22 "into stone" (short)

i look forward to my day--i think anyone would. it's time i spend on the things i want to spend time on. well, okay, sometimes i really don't want to work on a story or whatever, but i have to. it's part of my job, and if i want more of the above happening, i need to do it. but, for the most part, it's not that big of a struggle to work on what i want or need to work on. there are occasional focus issues since i am adhd and not taking medication for it, but i generally get to the writing eventually. and even if i don't once in awhile, it's still my day, to spend on my stuff, to spent on me. as long as the majority is spent on the things i want to spend it on, it's a success.


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word of the moment: fortitude

strength of mind that enables one to endure adversity with courage.

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