J. H. Authors

One Woman. Three Names. Many Books.

Musings

Next

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I write on a couple of other blogs, most frequently a group blog. Recently I wrote a post about “great being the enemy of good”. I also wrote about jumping off the cliff, and getting my novel out for some queries. (I am working through a few issues on that other blog).

So I’m querying and getting my work out there. I’m also working on the next book. Some writers hate this part–the imagining, the plotting, the pitfalls of the work when the characters move in a different direction than the one you’ve outlined.

I love it.

I love this part. The thinking part. The walking around a block again because it is perfect for that scene. The quick sketch of the fabulous ladies’ lounge that would be a perfect place to drop a body. (Please remember I write mysteries). The ideas that are inspired by the news.

This is my process. Start to write. Write a lot. Realize I need a plan. Start an outline. Get a little stuck. Think (where I am now). Outline again. And then write. All the way through.

Goal–draft by Labor day. Possible? Only if I think less.

Time

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I went to a great workshop at Grub Street on Saturday. The leader was Hillary Rettig, and the topics were procrastination and time management. Her approach on these topics is very different. And inspiring. Inspiring for new ideas. But requiring some reframing, and some plain old hard work.

Hard work? Harder than writing? Way harder, in so many ways. You see, Hillary explains that in the course of a given week, you have 112 hours to work with (provided you sleep 8 hours a night, which you should). That needs to include working, commuting, shopping, cooking, cleaning, working out, writing (or whatever your passion/avocation is), relationships, entertainment, etc.  How you spend those 112 hours is a choice. Granted, working isn’t a choice for many of us. But decisions around working may be (ie telecommunting, flex time, etc.)

She suggests 15 minute scheduling blocks, outsourcing where possible and some tough, mindful choices. In theory, all possible. In fact? I am finding there are three layers of effort involved.

The first is the list of things that need to be included in the 112 hours. I am trying to be complete in this and doing a complete brain dump. That said, I know some things will need to be modified, or dumped off the list. I am still in this phase, and a little stuck.

The second is the schedule itself. For me, two sub layers are involved here. The actual scheduling, and then tracking it. I was/am a Franklin Covey and Planner Pad girl, but am not loving the paper right now. Need to find a schedule/task softward for androids. Suggestions welcome.

The third is assessing. What happens if I don’t get the five hours of working out I scheduled actually done? What happens if I get on an Angry Bird jag? There are no repercussions, except to myself.

And that is the point. No one is forcing me to do this. I want to do this. And so I have to crack these three layers. And do the work.

I will report back on my success.

 

Balancing Act

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Last week I was chatting with a colleague. We both work in the arts, though she is a generation younger than I am. She was explaining her devotion to her work/life balance, which includes a strict cap on the number of hours she works, and no email nights or weekends. A part of me wanted to laugh out loud. How was that even possible?

Another colleague and I were chatting about the same subject. This woman is a tad bit older than I. Her theory was that you can only handle two big things in your life. For her, her work is one of them.

As a frame of reference let me tell you that I am having a EAT/PRAY/LOVE aka mid life moment right now. Trying to figure out the work/life balance questions for myself. Also trying to reboot my writing life, get back to the gym, lose those unwanted pounds and leave some room for a social life of sorts. I know, madness.

Given all of this, and my past work/life issues, I am not accepting the two things rule. I just can’t. It would mean I only had room for one more thing (I have a job that definitely counts as one) and since I am a writer, that would mean the rest of it would be on another tier. Or that writing would move down, but that seems like an easy choice (given the current writer’s block I am experiencing) and one that would make  me very unhappy in the long run.

But keeping a cap on my work life? Why does that feel subversive to me? Obviously I need to do some work on that, if nothing else. Do I feel as though I am being a traitor to my career? Am I trying to prove something? To whom? Is this a greater challenge for women? Or for women of my generation (or older)? Does the younger generation (how I hate that phrase) have a different POV on these balance issues?

I think there are fewer answers to work/life balance then there are opportunities for conversation.  Hopefully my conscious considerations will yield some ideas. Or inspiration. If so, I’ll let you know.

Why is making good choices so hard?

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I don’t mean the big life choices.

I mean writing instead of three hours of Angry Birds.

I mean fruit instead of cookies.

I mean yoga instead of sitting.

I mean sleep instead of TV.

Why is this so hard?

Changes

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So I went great guns in December, but nothing since. A major job change (thrilling, exciting, exhilarating, scary) has refocused much of my attention, but it occurs to me that isn’t good. The thing is, once one part of your life changes every part changes somewhat–either with the time you can devote to it, or the way you look at it.

My new job is in theater, and I will be spending some blogging time in another capacity on that. This blog will be focussed on other parts of my life–my writing, my attempts at adult onset athleticism, Jane Austen, the Boston Red Sox, television, food, ideas, etc. The other parts that add up to me.

I really want to develop the discipline to do this regularly. I have that discipline for a job, or when I am in a group but when it is just me, not so much.

Hopefully this discipline will spill over to the other neglected areas of my life–working out, training, writing, querying, reading Jane Austen, etc. Anyway, that’s the hope. So short posts about how that is going will be forthcoming.

Cozy Holiday Reading

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Last fall was so nuts that I didn’t read a single book. Or shall I say a single fiction book. But I made up a lot of ground during the holidays, and thought I would catch you up.

I read IF WALLS COULD TALK by Juliet Blackwell, THE DIVA COOKS A GOOSE by Krista Davis, HOLIDAY GRIND by Cleo Coyle and DEATH OF AN AMBITIOUS WOMAN by Barbara Ross. I am fans of the Diva series, and the Coffehouse series and these holiday themed books didn’t disappoint. IF WALLS COULD TALK promised to be a good series as well.

DEATH OF AN AMBITIOUS WOMAN is Barbara Ross’s first published novel. It is not a cozy, but more of a traditional mystery. And it is wonderful. I highly recommend it.

Now that I’ve rejoined the reading world I have started Rachel Brady’s DEAD LIFT. I will report back.

Happy reading!