Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Filling the Well or Slacking

I turned in my copyedits on Vanished in the Night last week. Then I switched immediately into booksigning mode. Book cover cookies (very cute, but not so tasty) ordered. Witch hat cookies (tasty and cute, but time-consuming) made. Beverages picked up from Costco. Then we had the booksigning and I switched immediately into sloth mode.

Friday I had lunch with a friend, checked on my mother and then started digging out the rubbish in my house. Thing One has been home on spring break and while I miss the kid incredibly, he leaves a trail of dirty dishes and clothes behind him wherever he goes that I’m not all that nostalgic about. I also crocheted myself right out of size 3 crochet thread. Saturday there was an RWA chapter meeting. I checked on my mother again (she has a bad cold), stopped by a school fundraiser, spent some time on the Stairmaster and . . .

I’m thinking you get the point. I haven’t done anything. I had most of Sunday to myself and instead of opening up my WIP, I reorganized the linen closet and cleaned the refrigerator. I didn’t even do a good job of it although I did combine the six open jars of sun-dried tomatoes into three.

Part of me argues that I needed the time. Part of me thinks I’m just being lazy. I thought I was all fired up to get back to work on this proposal, but when I had the chance, I went right to the linen closet.

So whatever it was, slacking or taking some needed time to recharge, this week I’m getting back on the horse. How about you? Do you take time at the end of a project? Or just jump into the next one?

7 comments:

Unknown said...

I think we can't work all the time. I have a full time job so writing has to happen at lunchtimes, in the evenings and at weekends. Some of the time I'm really disciplined and some of the time I'm not. The house needs cleaning occasionally and the longer I leave the more down I get about it - even if I'm writing. And sometimes I just need to do something physical rather than mental. It's hard to balance all the things we have to do and want to do and the temptation is to be doing all the time. But sometimes we need to take a break to restore our energy.

Besides, it doesn't sound like you were doing *nothing*.

Molly O'Keefe said...

I totally know this feeling - and the only way around it - not that I do it - is for the day after the project is done I have to PLAN to be off work. I have make it known to myself that I'm going to clean the linen dresser (in my case) and the fridge (6 sundried tomato jars? that's commitment) otherwise I just feel like I'm torn between two things. Again _ i don't do this all that well, but I try.

HOW WAS THE BOOKSIGNING!!!!

Karen Whiddon said...

Yes, we all need to take a break or a mini-vacation. I'm itching to turn in this book so I can clean out my bedroom closet and my office closet .

I also have several books I want to read.

Then two proposals to get out to my agent (I have to write them first)

Stephanie Doyle said...

I have been in slacking mode for 3 MONTHS!!!! You took a day... give yourself a break.

I think part of my problem was not giving myself a little downtime after my last book. I tried to dive right into something else before I was prepared and then I stalled.

But I got in 10 pages this Sunday and that was the first time in a long time I've gotten that much accomplished.

Sometimes it sucks about writing. As hard as I work at my day job - I'm always feeling guilty about something. If it's not exercising enough or dieting enough it's always... not writing enough.

I need a kick in the ass. And I'm not sure where it's going to come from.

Eileen said...

It never feels like enough, does it, Steph?

I think part of my problem is that I feel like I wasted a Sunday. The next month, every weekend has a soccer tournament or a trip or an event. I had the house to myself and no one needed me to do anything, an I feel like I let it slip through my fingers.

Maureen McGowan said...

I've been in major house cleaning mode for nearly a month now. (You'd think my house would be cleaner as a result.) But I have caught up on a lot of that stuff. My house is still a mess, but it was a start.

And e-mail account clean up and various electronic house cleaning, too

I feel like I need to start writing again, soon... but I have enjoyed this time off. Once I start something new, we'll see if it helped or hurt...

Anonymous said...

I'm on the side of Filling the well, you need time off between projects, and time to slack without feeling guilty.

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