After two weeks of vacation from school, many mothers are so
happy that today has finally arrived. Considering the weather we had yesterday—snow
and sleet—it’s a wonder school is actually in session.
Although the new year started last Thursday, I consider it
beginning today. After all, we had to
recover from the rush-rush-rush of
getting ready for the holidays, grabbing after-Christmas sales, returning those
gifts that didn’t fit/weren’t right/didn’t work, and celebrating New Year’s Eve—which
for those of us of a certain age meant staying up way past our bedtime. LOL 
Now it's time to buckle down and return to work. For those of
us lucky enough to write full time, “work” means getting back to that
manuscript we stepped away from a couple of weeks ago. To avoid extra stress, I
stepped away more than a couple of weeks. I love the holidays—putting up the
tree, decorating the house (sort of), celebrating with family and friends. What
I don’t like is cleaning the house for company. What I really wanted for Christmas
was a housekeeper. How did the Brady Bunch afford a live-in housekeeper like
Alice (Ann B. Davis)? Well, Santa didn’t deliver.
I have three stories in progress and it’s difficult to
decide which one to return to. Do I choose the one I “write” in my head each
night as I fall asleep? Rissa’s story in the Outer Rim series. Or the novella I
should have finished in time for the holidays? Christmas in Space, an expanded
short story. Or do I tweak the second Alex O’Hara novel? The one I wrote first
before deciding that I needed to write about what came before.
Decisions, decisions. When faced with a dilemma such as
this, I procrastinate. I have too many things on the home front that I didn’t
finish in 2014. The tree and decorations need to be put away. Filing papers
that have stacked up while I was busy doing something else. Organizing
everything for taxes. A movie sounds good.
When faced with so many choices, how do you decide what to
do first?
Draw from a hat? Actually, I usually end up reading a fun book instead of writing one. Happy New Year and may your creativity flourish!
ReplyDeleteLOL, Susan. A fun book sounds great. Best wishes to you, too.
DeleteI'm facing the same decision this morning Diane, which MS to tackle...I think I've made my choice, but this one has been 'in the drawer' for awhile and I'm afraid of what I might find. Good luck deciding!
ReplyDeleteI have so many manuscripts in the "drawer" that I don't even want to think about. LOL Good luck with yours.
DeleteLove your list of ought to's ending with - A movie sounds good. For me, now that the house is quiet again, it's wrestling with rewrites. What movie did you have in mind? ;-)
ReplyDeleteKnight & Day. Tom Cruise & Cameron Diaz. Goofy, fun, lots of action, romantic comedy.
DeleteOh, man. Faced with a bunch of choices, my procedure usually goes:
ReplyDelete1. Freeze. Indecision! (This stage can last for days if I'm not careful.)
2. Jump into something. Anything.
3. Change my mind and work on something different. (Repeat this step up to ten times.)
4. Get smart, make a prioritized list complete with sub-steps and a table of contents.
5. Tackle list from beginning and start getting things done.
I'm hoping to alter my approach into something more practical and productive this year, and take out steps 1 through 3. Best wishes to you in your decision making process! :)
OMG, Kristen. That's my list--esp. #1. I've actually started #4 for promo, which I didn't list but absolutely must tackle. Happy New Year!
DeleteI think I'm at the procrastinating stage, that or go in circles. Glad to hear I'm not alone in trying to decide what to do first (or next).
ReplyDeleteDefinitely not alone, Maris.
DeleteI am fortunate that while I was off during the holidays from my regular job, I spent most of the time off either writing or working on edits from the publisher. Now it's back to the real world of working at the office. I wish I didn't have to spend so much time promoting and have more time to write. Great post Diane. I'd tackle the one that's been bugging you in your head each night. lol
ReplyDeleteConnie, I agree about the promoting. It does take time away from writing. I admire you for all the books you've published this year along with working a full time job. Best wishes.
DeleteThat's a tricky question. I would normally say to focus on the one that you think about at night, but stories with deadlines do take priority. Hmm...
ReplyDeleteI just put away all of my Christmas decorations yesterday. I miss them already. Haha!
You're a lot farther ahead than I am, Chrys. Tree & decorations are still up.
DeleteSince I put up my Christmas tree and decorations a little late, I'm leaving them up for a few days yet. Also trying to figure out whether to work on one of two novels in progress, work on another ebook of shorts, or do some proofreading. I had set a goal of 700 new words a day for this month, so guess I better try to accomplish that. Good luck with whatever you decide. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lucy. I know what you mean about wanting to enjoy the decorations a little longer. Good luck with your goal.
DeleteMy first writing chore today is to begin a review of details in my just released cozy mystery in order to refresh the story in my mind before I write more in Book 2. I've found by the time one book is released I've usually forgotten some of the little details i need to include in following book. Besides, if I re-read Book 1, I can use an afternoon as research and not feel guilty. :)
ReplyDeleteLOL, Loralee. ;Reading as research--great idea!!! I'm eagerly awaiting Book 2 of your Joyful Noise series!
DeleteI'm a blended family and wish Alice was a part of the deal! I'm not ready to go back to work, by that I mean the full time job. I was happy to have the time for sleeping, reading and enjoying some fun family time!
ReplyDeleteI think we all need an Alice! Good luck with the full time job plus the writing plus family plus . . . I'm tired just thinking about all you do. :)
DeleteWhenever I have that dilemma, I choose the one that calls to my heart, the one I can't seem to get out of my head no matter what I try. And that's the story I return to once the holiday is over.
ReplyDeleteAnd it was a grand and wonderful holiday. We had family visiting here in Vienna and enjoyed the added hustle and bustle if only for three weeks.
What a marvelous holiday you had. How great you had family to celebrate with!
DeleteI think you're right about working on the story that's calling me. Thanks.