Music I've Been Listening to Lately

...and then Katy makes you look deep in yourself.

Productivity and the Whiney Writer

There are times I'm amused by the excuses people come up with for not writing. Then there are times when I'm less amused.

Today is one of the latter.

I've been back to work for a week now after the flu from hell. I still have a lovely little bronchitis cough that will not go away. It still doesn't take much to fatigue me.

For example, I had my annual gynecological exam this morning. After my visit, I stopped at Starbucks to pick up coffee for DH, tea for me and some breakfast. Everything took me a whole whopping hour. By the time I got home from just those two errands, I was so tired I could barely crawl up the stairs to our apartment.

Despite the lingering health issues, I've written a hair over two thousand words this week, and edited a good chuck of a novel. So when I read yet another article about some writer whining she can't make a living because it takes her ten years to write one novel, I'm like "What da fuck?!"

You get out of writing what you put in. If you don't put in much, you aren't going to get much out.

I've been writing, but not publishing (much) over the last couple years. My income has dropped because my readers aren't getting new stories from me. And it's no one else's fault but my own.

I'm trying to finish the multitude of stories I have started over the last two years. Granted, the month of April has been a total waste thanks to the hell flu, but I'm hoping I can stay healthy and finish a few things.

And if I don't get them finished and published, then I have no fucking reason to whine about not making money. Right?

Restarting the Mind Can Be Tough

I've been back to work for two whole days, and I haven't even written a thousand words. UGH!

This is why a lot of experienced writers counsel writing every day. And by experienced, I mean writers who've been doing this for twenty-five-plus years, and they can count the number of novels they've written in the mid-three figures to low-four figures.

So when I haven't been writing for two and a half weeks, it's going to take a while to get back in the groove.

If some major life event has happened to you, don't beat yourself up over the lack of productivity. That's only going to make you more reluctant to write again.

Just keep plugging away, a little more each day, until you're back to your old speed. Trust me, I've had to do this before, and I'll have to do it again. And I'm definitely NOT giving up!

Back to Work!

I still have a mild, lingering cough from the bronchitis, and I'm still sleeping twelve-thirteen hours a day, but I feel remotely human for the first time in nearly three weeks. Last night, I actually managed to eat a couple of soft tacos for dinner without getting sick.

Believe me, as much as I love Greek yogurt, tapioca pudding and cereal, I was definitely ready for something a little more substantial.

DH has to work late today, covering for a co-worker on Pacific time. This morning, he made a Starbucks run and picked up breakfast sandwiches and coffee. So we hung out, ate, and watched Lost in Space on Cinemax. I love HBO free weekends!

(P.S. I totally forgot the fabulous Lennie James played Major West's wingman Jeb!)

So now, it's back to work--for the first time since April 7th. I have a vague memory of where I left off on writing Zombie Goddess and editing A Question of Balance. I'll need to scroll back through and re-read, and that will take time.

On the other hand, I'm coherent and alive, and thankful I can read. All the rest will sort itself out this week.

Music I've Been Listening to Lately

...and she makes every song special...

When One of Your Idols Passes

Yesterday was a very sucky day. I'm still fighting the lingering effects of the flu, but when I got up the passing of Prince Rogers Nelson was all over the news. I wanted it to be one of those false reports. I mean, look how many times Betty White has supposedly passed.

Already rumors are swirling, but here's the thing: when you get to a certain age, when you have chronic physical problems, the flu can be deadly. Especially if you're a workaholic.

I'm lucky. I have family that has no problem taking the computer away from me, and insisting that I rest. I doubt if Prince had someone like that. Someone willing to say no when he pushes himself too hard.

Next Monday, I'll be working. But it'll be hard to listen to my usual music without crying.

I Haven't Died Yet, Though I Wish I Had at Times

By the time everything was said and done last week, I had a combination of the flu, strep throat and bronchitis on top of my chronic conditions. And add to that, a bad reaction to the antibiotic my doctor proscribed. By Wednesday, I was begging my husband for assisted-suicide.

Needless to say, I wasn't on the computer for over a week. Luckily, things have improved to where I can sit up in my recliner, rather than lay down. My couple of hours upright was needed to fill out our local income tax return.

I don't know how far I'll get this week as far as writing and editing. I've got a ton of laundry to do, though DH tried to keep up on it last week though he had the flu, too. And it was supposed to be the poor guy's vacation.

See? Murphy is the one true god.

Music I've Been Listening to Lately

Because Katy knows how to do it...

Music I've Been Listening to Lately

A little reminder from Katy that bad times (like the hated face bow) don't last forever.

When Your Kid Brings Unwanted Pets Home

As I said earlier this week, I've been splitting my time between writing Zombie Goddess and editing A Question of Balance. It's working well. I get up and write new words until lunch. I pick up Genius Kid from school and edit until supper, then work for a bit after dinner, depending on the night and what's on TV.

Hey, there's many ways to study story.

All this went well until we got a call from the school nurse at nine a.m. on Wednesday. GK was complaining about nausea and a splitting headache. By the time, DH got him home, he was running a temperature of 102F. Since acetaminophen wasn't doing the job, DH ran out to the store to pick up some chicken soup and ibuprofen.

Five minutes after DH left was when the puking started. The real problem there is that I'm a sympathy puker. So I handed a roll of paper towels to GK and hid in my office with the music cranked up. Otherwise, DH would have had two messes to clean up.

GK's fever still hadn't broken yesterday, so I wrote while GK tried to sleep off the bugs he'd brought home from school. On a good note, I was on a roll with ZG and didn't notice the time until five p.m. came around. It explained why I was really hungry.

But a little bit later, DH came into the living room, and I was coughing a little. We were supposed to go to the in-laws to pack up some stuff. I figured it was allergies since the trees are budding in Ohio. I didn't want things to get worse (my in-laws haven't been cleaning their house for some time), so I said, "Let's go over tomorrow."

An hour later, I was showing all of GK's symptoms.

Well, crap on a cracker.

As you're reading this, I might be working past the fever to get words in. More likely, I'm lying on the couch watching Supernatural. I don't feel like ruining my laptop if I can't keep food down.

Next week's a new slate, right?

Riding the Priority Train

That priority list I wrote up two weeks ago? I'm still chipping those grains away.

After a week of edits and relearning how to format e-books, the Alter Ego novella turned short novel was uploaded to retailers Friday. Ironically, the one place I had problems was Smashwords. After two tries with the Epub version, I gave up and loaded the Word document. Obviously, I need more practice, or I need to turn things over to my formatter. In the second case, I need to ask her if she's willing to do erotica.

It's amazing what folks will and won't do in this business. If she isn't comfortable, which is totally fine, I'll put feelers out for an additional formatter through AE's network. However, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that she will because she does such a fabulous job.

Of course, DH's opinion is the formatting is worth the money so I'm not pulling out my hair in frustration at all the changes in all the retailers TaC's since 2013. He also suggested we save up for a Mac so I don't have to go through a distributor anymore.

On the other hand, I'm enjoying creating my own covers again!

So Monday, I hid at Panera's with my bacon and spinach soufflé and tea while I started through my beta's notes concerning A Question of Balance. Ideally, I'll have the corrected manuscript to my formatter by Friday.

My writing restart is all going a little slower than I expected. Life is intruding again. I'm trying not to let it get to me. But I failed to follow my own advice last week. Big time. Specifically, don't compare myself with other writers.

One writer, who started about the same time as me and whose work I greatly admire, finished her third novel for the year. DH reminded me that this writer doesn't have kids or elderly in-laws to deal with. Then I followed Dean Wesley Smith's efforts as he wrote a novel in seven days. DH pointed out that Dean has thirty more years of experience than me.

So Sunday afternoon, DH insisted we go out, just the two of us, which is why you had the review about My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 on Monday.

I obviously needed the day off because I was ready to tackle my priority list again when I woke up on Monday. And I continue chipping...

Monday Movie Mania - My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2

DH made me take a break from working Sunday afternoon and took me to see My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2. It's hard to believe it's been fourteen years since the original movie was in theaters.

Toula's story picks up during her daughter Paris's senior year in high school. She tried so hard to make something of her life only to find herself stuck, not only in a middle-aged mom rut, but she realizes she's turned into her own mother.

I'm not going to even put in a SPOILERS warning because, well, there's nothing to spoil. The movie tries to recapture the sweetness and charm of the original.

And it does, sort of. However, like the 2003 sitcom based on Nia Vardalos's screenplay, the movie relies too much on stereotypical comedy tropes.

The one plus is that the entire cast is back from the original, except Elena Kampouris has replaced Arielle Sugarman as Paris Miller.

I had a lot of hope for this movie because both DH and I loved the original. Unfortunately, I have to give the movie only five out of ten stars.

Music I've Been Listening to Lately

Katy can write such positive, upbeat songs.