Contract With Myself

 

 

2012 pitched me a screw ball, throwing my writing for a loop. After working in an office for most of my adult life, my job changed to an alternative work environment, meaning I work mainly from home.  Fortunately, my writing discipline served me well as I ‘report’ to the office every day at a certain time.

 

However, the reverse wasn’t true; the change didn’t serve my writing.  My writing room became the day job office.  My work as an attorney had never been a nine-to-five job in the first place, but leaving a physical office helped with the switch to the writing brain cells. Turning around in the chair from one desk to another sucked as a transition.

 

 What I didn’t realize until I met a few fellow authors for a holiday lunch was the effect of social deprivation.  After spending hours of solitude, I turned to going out more with friends.  I never knew how important interaction with people was to me.  Time previously spent writing turned to competing on a trivia, scrapbooking, cooking, or simply doing a jigsaw puzzle over a glass of wine with friends. 

 

The benefit has been a priceless deepening bonds of friendship; the downside is -0- writing.  Soo…with the new year, I am going back to basics by making a contract with myself: to get up earlier to write.  Before I go to bed, I will set up my laptop on the dining room table.  In the morning, after I walk my dog, I will hit the keyboard until it’s time to go to ‘work’.

 

This routine will leave evenings and weekends to have fun with my friends.  Obviously, page production will take a hit.  When I became serious about writing, I kept a page count so that when I did sell my first book, I was able to estimate realistic deadlines.  I will go back to tracking.  Together with my agent, I have set a first quarter writing plan of action.

 

New Year, new game plan.  

 

What writing goals have you set for yourself?

 

: ) Carol Stephenson

http://www.carolstephenson.com