Word Count: 36,544
One of the skills that I generally possess is the ability to put work from my mind. When I go home, I am at home - work stuff usually does not intrude much. The converse is also true, of course... if I am at work, then home stuff generally does not get much attention. Hence my ever-lengthening list of things I ought to do during the day that never get done.
But I digress.
The problem is that this partitioning does not appear to carry over to when I am not working - I have made poor pace on my novel since I lost my job ten days ago, to the point where a two day buffer has now turned into a three day deficit.
Right now I am sitting here with time on my hands (time enough to pour out this blog post!) but I am also waiting to go to an interview. Having an interview is good, especially so quickly after losing my job, but it is not a state which is conducive to writing, it seems. I know - I have already tried to write. I managed about 400 words before I had to give in to the distractions of fretting about getting ready.
I certainly do not think hat my cause is hopeless. I have seven days left to write in November. Today will probably be blasted with the interview, but still - seven days to write 14,000 words. That's eminently doable, especially with the long car trip coming up for Thanksgiving.
I have eleven chapters left to write, though. If I was sticking to my original plan of 2,000 words per chapter, that would be a much taller order.
And so I find myself with a decision to make: do I try to stick to my original schedule (even though I have broken with it already by writing over-long chapters) or do I try to finish the story with shorter chapters?
I think I will see where I get to over the next three days. If I happen to pull out a 10k or 15k day today or tomorrow then the original schedule still looks plausible (and a 15k day would be a nominal win right there, leading me into the possibility of simply stretching my writing out into December). But I will also not fear to just stop a chapter if it has run into the sand.
Well, I need to get back to pacing the room. Wish me luck.
Posted by Dunx at November 24, 2008 08:43 AM