Well, I was going to have a real post for today, but that didn't happen. I thought my head was going to explode, yesterday, with all the interruptions. Seriously. It was one of those days. Mostly my daughter. She's good at them. "When can we..." "Why can't we..." "Can we go..." "Why can't we go..."
My brain shut down. My frustration bled into the post I was working on, and, when I finally looked back over it, I realized it was much more harsh than I wanted it to be. Like I was beating people over the heads. Not really what I was looking for, so I have to re-draft that one. It's an important one (to me), so I figure I need to get it right.
Then, I realized that I probably shouldn't post it today, anyway. I mean, everyone's going to be sleeping all day because they stayed out all night watching Harry Potter, right? Except me. I didn't do that. And I know this is blasphemous to many of you, but I'm not really feeling all that eager to go see it. Not that I don't want to see it. I do. My wife and are planning to make a date of it, but I've been less and less excited about the movies as they've gone along. They probably should have split all of them into two movies, especially Goblet of Fire, the weakest of the movies. Maybe I'm just upset that the movies don't feature enough of the twins.
Anyway...
I'm thinking I may like the feeling of being more relaxed on Fridays. Of not writing a "real" post. Just kind of talking. I don't know. I seem to be getting into a pattern with it, though. I guess we'll see what happens. Just as a teaser: hopefully, the post for Monday will be the next segment of my "Danger, Will Robinson" series. It's a big one. Big topic, that is. And, of course, my opinion (which is the correct opinion :) goes against the main stream.
I've kind of been having issues with the blog, lately, too. I need a new look. I hate the generic background I have. I also don't want to spend the time trying to figure out how to design something different. I did try. Blogger kept telling me that the file was to big, which doesn't make any sense to me, since I can post that file as an image in a post. I'd have to take time out of writing to figure all of that out, which I don't want to do. Of course, that's impossible, at the moment, anyway, since the majority of my novel writing is happening at the pool while my kids have their swimming lessons. In a notebook. A paper one. And the writing is with a pen. Can't really figure out any computer stuff with that kind of notebook.
Also, my blog traffic is way down this month. That really concerns me. And concerns me in a way that I don't know what to do about it. My traffic spiked pretty high in June (almost doubled from May) for reasons I'm not quite clear on. However, it looks like July is going to be lower than April. Part of it's my fault. I'm not out looking at new blogs, at the moment. Not looking for new blogs means not commenting on new blogs, which means people don't come over and look at my blog. But I'm kind of at the limit on the number of blogs I can follow without devoting writing time to blog following. I knew this was going to end up being a problem, and I haven't figured out what to do about it. Comments are down, too. There are a few people that always comment, and you people are great. :) You're some of my favorite people. And not just favorite blog people, favorite people people. I feel bad that I want more comments when I have such great people I can depend on, but, well, I do want more comments. Failing of being a human, I suppose. The constant desire for more. Of course, I know I have to have more followers to get more comments, but, then, I'm back to the not enough time to put into that.
Oh, well, I'm sure I'll figure all of that out at some point.
Speaking of writing with pen and paper, I was looking forward to getting started on the transcribing of my progress on Brother's Keeper to the computer next week. Looking forward to it with dread. But it needs to happen. I need to know my word count and things like that. However, I hate the whole transcribing process. I make more typing mistakes when I'm doing that than when I'm composing at the keyboard. And I can't read my handwriting. Yes, I know that's bad. But, hey, it's why I prefer to work at the computer. However, my kids opted for another two weeks of swimming lessons, so that's going to have to wait. I'm both relieved and annoyed. Relieved that I don't have to start that process on Monday. Annoyed that the amount I'll have to transcribe will be even greater by the time I start doing it.
Speaking of writing with pen and paper, again, it's interesting. The process is different for me than working at the computer. It's harder to look back over stuff, to catch up with where I am, so I tend to be much more about just getting to it (the writing) as opposed to figuring out what I was doing and all that. Also, I have a much smaller writing window, so I can't spend a lot of time looking back. If I do that, I won't have any time left to add new material. I'm not sure, yet, how this will affect the end product, but I'm interested to find out. It has meant a lot more notes about stuff to add in, because I can't just go back and insert things on the paper, so I just make a note that I need to write something in when I get around to typing it up.
I feel like I'm making good progress with the book, but it's just a feeling, because I don't have a word count. Yes, I'm itching for my word count! Is that bad?
At this point, I'm sure you're wondering about the title of this post. The end of what? Here's a list:
The end of the week.
The end of Harry Potter (at least, for the moment).
The end of swimming lessons. Except not.
Not the end of StrangePegs.
Not the end of the world, although they say Carmageddon is coming.
I only write like two or three times a year (when I do so...it's only a 1000 words a day for like two months and then done). I keep my novels short...like 65k that I can edit up to 85k words afterward. My last book that I wrote and am sending out queries for (have sent out 8 at this point) I finished a month ago or so...took me roughly 8 weeks to write. Since then I haven't drafted a word.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking that maybe you need to simplify things. Perhaps set aside an hour in the morning when you write and then the rest of the day you do other things like blog or whatever.
Of course, you have a much fuller plate than I. I'm a single man who for the most part despises most people that I meet. This gives me a lot of "me" time. Essentially...I go sometimes a whole month without seeing a friend drop by and this doesn't bother me one bit.
Swim lessons are fun, huh? lol Know that feeling. And don't worry about blog traffic--it's the summer. Everyone is sporadic. Things may pick up next month or in September when everyone gets back on a schedule :-)
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend
Blog traffic is a funny thing, I think blogger related issues (or attempted hacking) artificially spiked the number of page views a month or two ago for a lot of people.
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain regarding doing justice to the blogs you follow. I'm really, really bad at checking out other folks posts on a regular basis. I always swear I'll do better but I just can't visit all the blogs I should. I usually visit about 10 or so a week. It's about all I can do, unless I want to stop by everyone and just say 'nice post' and be done. But if I were doing that then I'm not posting for the right reason. I like having conversations. I want to read what the poster has to say back in response. That sort of thing takes time.
Oh well, I feel your pain. Happy writing.
Traffic and comments are down at my blog, too, which makes me feel half panicky. The other half thinks it may just be that it's summer and people are busy out enjoying themselves (or being stressed out by all their kids' activities like you and I).
ReplyDeleteI have two short stories that desperately need to be put on computer (I was working on them during my daughter's gymnastics classes), but like you, I have a hard time reading my handwriting. This has been on my to-do list for a couple weeks and I just haven't gotten to it yet. Transcribing doesn't have the pleasure that actual writing does. Boring. And frustrating when I can't read what I wrote. There's a reason friends and family used to joke that I'd be a doctor when I grew up (chicken scratch).
I'm terrible about keeping up on other blogs. I'm trying to work on that and find a good way to do it that doesn't involve taking all my time.
In other words, I feel your pain in this post.
I am going to tell you something. And I am being totally and completely honest. I have never looked at my blog traffic. I have no idea how many hits I get. I am afraid it would be too depressing. I agree with the following thing. My daughter agrees with you about the Weasley twins cause they are her favorite.
ReplyDeleteMichael: I took a longer break between House and Brother's Keeper than I intended. Ideally, though, I'd probably only take about a month or so off between projects. An hour a day, in a general sense, isn't enough for me to really accomplish anything, either. I mean, I need 4-6 hours of writing in a day to get to 1000 words.
ReplyDeleteWhat's "me" time? I don't think I have any memory of that.
Rachel: Yeah, I'm enjoying the swim lessons. It's actually the only time during the day I can be sure I won't have my daughter crashing my thought train every few minutes.
Rusty: That actually makes me feel a lot better about the blog traffic. It's better for it to have been an artificial spike than for it to have been real traffic and that just fell off.
I'm with you on the not saying "nice post." What's the point in that? I'm into the whole conversation thing, too.
Shannon: Oh, yeah, I used to get the same doctor comments when I was a kid. It's horrible.
Sharing pain is so much more fun that suffering through it alone. :)
Jennifer: Actually, I only ever looked at my traffic the first time by accident. If I'd known what that stat tab meant, I may never have looked.
Give your daughter a high five for me. :)