On pretending to be a full-time writer

[paragraphs]

There is one up-side about being unemployed when one is truly a writer at heart--all this extra time to write. I've been making the most of it when not looking for a job, or going to the unemployment resource center, or, as has been the case the last couple of days, totally freaking out I don't have a job yet and it has been 3 months already zomg zomg. Most of the time I can keep my spirits up, but sometimes it smacks me. The optimism sinks, I get blue, and I just want to curl up in my bed and pull my blankie over my head. I wallow for a bit but something clicks again, and I get my good attitude back again. Today I made myself go to Starbucks and sure enough, things seemed much more hopeful again. I do love my Starbucks (especially when my kid is working--freebies for Mom!).

Thanks to helping Nick with the Merlin Big Bang paperpushers timed writings (WORD WARS!) every weekend, I've already hit 23k so far with Splash Page. I love love love word wars! My competitive nature kicks in, though, so I have to chill. I am a fast writer when I actually am ready to write, but I pay the price with my achy arms later, and also with having to go back over everything. Not complaining though--I love rewriting. ;) Also, another bonus comes with doing these--meeting new peoples! I love new peoples. (Hello those new peoples who have joined my flistees!)

I only work on SP on the weekends though. Weekdays, in-between all the other stuff, it's the fantasy. Things are starting to come together there. So far, I've got the Antagonist, two of the Protagonists, the Main Minion figured out, a ton of worldbuilding stuff, all of which has forced me to figure out aspects of the story I hadn't thought I needed to. Or would eventually get to but didn't need to now. This Warrior Writer method is lots of fun and suits me as a plotmeister, but I'm started to get antsy. I want to finish all this preliminary work and just get writing.

Ballet Boy still doesn't have a title I like much. I don't know what the problem is, but settling on something has been super-hard. Last week I turned in a detailed synopsis, logline, etc., and getting through all that stuff about killed me. LOL. Writing a synopsis after finishing the book just was SO much fun (snark). Got it done though (with much whining on twitter). Now it has all gone to The Big Decider, and hopefully hopefully hopefully I'll get word soon that it is a go.

And of course then I will start freaking out that it needs more work, isn't good enough, sucks royally and will get horrid reviews (as compared to the first). Meep. My editor loved it though, so here's hoping...

Going to try to convince myself to get some sleep now. Am TRYING to sleep regular hours, but have found those damn blues mess with my brain and sometimes I can't get to sleep, or stay asleep, and then morning comes and I get smacked with the no-job thing, and I want to just hide under that blankie some more... Now that my tree outside has leaves, I am going to try and sleep with my curtains open a little bit. See if waking up to sunshine instead of a dark room helps. Guess I'll see in the morning, yeah? Tomorrow is writer's group though (aka #writersnightout, Thursday being #writersdatenight, and yeah we are silly) so I'm planning now to have a good day tomorrow, dammit, or else. Pretending to be a full-time writer usually works and at least on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I manage to pull it off pretty darn well.

Oh! And I forgot, Saturday is going to be wonderful--I have a ticket to go see PARKED, staring Colin Morgan, yo, and Colm Meaney, who I also have always adored. A day in Dallas will be fun, and I hope to see lindalee afterward for something delicious and awesome and healthy because like me, she's into that sort of thing. LOL. Need to arrange that. What will be a huge challenge for me will be understanding Colin Morgan, as he makes no effort to change his accent. He definitely won't sound like Merlin for this one! (I could possibly also see it Sunday if I feel the urge). Here's hoping my ears tune quickly to his accent. LOL.

Comments

[paragraphs.livejournal.com]

I am so worried I won't be able to understand! I just watched a clip and my ears were waggling with the effort of understanding him. I usually don't have that much trouble with accents (thanks to watching so much British television? And dealing with Nick's accent changes over the years? LOL). But yes, if I decide I need another go, there is the Sunday viewing. Am thrilled to get to see it here though. Finally! I get to see something! I am constantly jealous of Nick living in the UK, and able before then to fly over so easily. Grrr.

[paragraphs.livejournal.com]

GAH that may be all you get out of me! I will be incoherent. LOL. Sigh, maybe there will be subtitles? I had this wild thought that Colin could fly over for this thing... But oh well, that is silly. LOL.

[topgeargirl2.livejournal.com]

I have no problems with understanding accents usually.

Word Wars are awesome, even though at the moment working on other stuff which are smaller. In April I will go back to my paperlegends.

[paragraphs.livejournal.com]

Awesome! The wars will continue... this weekend, Nick is in London and I am seeing Parked on Saturday but we've got peoples lined up to keep it going in case you decide to pop in. ;) Love you being there! I go a little cross-eyed at times from the rapid-fire discussions, but LOL that's okay, I just roll along.

[sheswatching.livejournal.com]

Yay word wars - ahaha you're definitely one of the people who end up writing like 1000+ each half hour. And I'm like - OKAY DO MY WORK YEAH? XD

And calmmmmm about your book, it'll be fine, and you'll figure out an epic title, or else someone else will, over twitter, on their way to class :P Also: work stuffs will sort itself out, too. :)

AND IM SO INSANELY JEALOUS OVER YOU SEEING PARKED. A LOT. Have fun, and come back with a synopsis/review! :D

[paragraphs.livejournal.com]

the review may be garbled. Incoherent. LOL. I will try! I have no idea what this will be like, and I am going by myself which is really strange to me, but should be fun no matter what.

Titles--I put two of your suggestions,some others and my original one to the editor so we'll see what she thinks. I really like titles starting with A as that means the book is on the first page or so--LOL! It'll be a fun ride no matter what it ends up being called. I just seriously hate titles. My fantasy needs one too. ARGH!

Okay off to bed!

[fiwen1010.livejournal.com]

Word Wars are so awesome. I really need to get back into the saddle and find words, but I should write an essay on cultural and heritage tourism fist. Blah.

You are totally my write-spiration, though.

[used_songs]

You hang in there. When V lost her job it was really scary and as the days stretched to months I know she sometimes started to doubt that she would find something. But she did, and you will!

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

Yay for writing!!!

[blue-fjords.livejournal.com]

Have fun at the movies, sweetheart! I will admit to watching a lot of accented movies w/ the subtitles on for the first watch until the cadence sinks in and I don't need them anymore.

Whenever you are blue, email me! I have faith the the situation will change and you will get a job! Though in the meantime I say, "enjoy living as a full-time writer."

[catsintheattic.livejournal.com]

I've been having sleeping troubles lately, because there is too much going on in my mind. I fall asleep with not much problems, but then I shot straight up after six hours. And in the day, I feel like falling asleep. And I get emotional a lot easier when I haven't had enough sleep. No fun. So, I can relate, and I hope you'll be able to sleep better with the open curtains. Best would be to reduce the worries, though. But you're doing what you can on the job hunting front. Have you tried valerian? It might help with the nervous pondering.

Accents can be hard. When I first heard Dean's voice, I thought I would never understand him. Now it's easy most of the time, but his "th" still surprises me. It's butter-soft, almost like a "d" when he says "I think". Not always, but a lot of times. Why is that so? Why not every "th", but only some of them?