Summer Schedule

My first post of May – and that means my posts are going to start pushing the envelope of “on time” and “on topic.” They will likely also be significantly shorter! LOL! We have to be out of our apartment in three weeks, and there is still quite a bit of packing to do. Then we have have three months of traveling (read: “inconsistent Internet access for posting”) and living out of suitcases until John’s new job starts in August.

What does that mean for my writing? I’ve been reading A Writer’s Time by Kenneth Atchity and boy is it doing wonders for my creativity and my perception of how the next few months could go. I have plans to read several fiction and non-fiction books while on this extended “vacation” (I won’t have a real home with our belongings again until September), and I am doing a lot of writing in my head (also known as “thinking” or “daydreaming” *wink* ). But I have my laptop and, honestly, reading this book I am just getting more excited about my story rather than frustrated that words aren’t going down on paper right now.

I was going to tell you the page number, but now I’ve lost it, but Kenneth talks about how you shouldn’t try to get things down on paper (unless you’re under deadline) until the words are ready in your head. He likens it to “transcription” at that point and suggests that it is at this point that you feel in the flow. Very interesting.

I won’t be able to tell you for a month or two if what I finaly write – or transcribe – is that much better than if I’d just been sitting here typing every day. And until I finish Kenneth’s book, I won’t fully understand the big picture of what he is saying, and figure out how to apply it to my own creative life. But for the next few months I’ll give you my impressions of how I am succeeding or failing when it comes to keeping my writing going during a fairly crazy time. I’ve already decided to succeed in general (perception), and I’m going to take the little failures that will occur in stride (optimism). Perspective, I’m re-finding, is a huge part of optimism. And optimism is a huge part of creativity and productivity.

Mark my words – homeless or not, this is going to be a very exciting time in my writing life! What’s exciting in your writing life right now?