Yes, I’ve been quiet here. Too quiet. I know it, and I feel guilty.
On the other hand, it’s summer time. The kids are out of school, and that means they’re home. Or they’re at camps. When they’re home, I’m tuned in to them. When they’re at camp, I’m playing Taxi Van and running around like a crazy chicken. I expected that.
What I didn’t expect was the amount of work involved in having contractors finish off a room in our basement. Yes, they’re doing the finishing – but I’ve been doing the moving and rearranging and sorting and painting (cheaper for me to paint than to pay them). And chasing down craigslist leads and visiting numerous furniture stores. Blah blah blah. My mind is on the Man Cave, not on my manuscript.
All that to say, well, I haven’t written. Anything. I also haven’t finished editing my story. And I can tell it’s impacting me and my drive to write – the flame that scorched me last winter is on low now. My job is to make sure the pilot light doesn’t go out.
I’m looking forward to fall and the kids going back to school. It’s unlikely I’ll get much done before that. I admit it. I don’t work well when on Mom Duty because I feel my brain is constantly pulled in a zillion different directions – and even if the kids don’t need me right at that moment, knowing that they COULD makes it hard for me to sit down and write, for I work best without interruption. I can’t stand starting a project and being interrupted over and over and over again. So I haven’t tried. And by evening my Morning Person brain is so tired the best it can do is consume art in the form of reading or a good TV show, not produce it.
But I’ll be back. I’m visiting family next week, but am taking my manuscript on the plane to proof and edit. My writing group is scheduled to meet in early August. My kids return to the classroom in less than a month. September, I hear your siren song. My characters can’t wait.
August is my least favorite year of the month, anyway. Too darn hot.