1. THANK YOU! Thank you, thank you, thank you for all your kind words and excitement and happy dances and emails and tweets and blog posts about my book deal. Seriously, HUGE thank yous! I got choked up on every single comment. For the first time ever, I decided to do personalized thank yous by email. When I replied to your comments, it just listed your name in the to: field; not your email address. I know that not all of you have email tied to your Google account, but like the noob that I was, I figured if you didn't, I'd get a Hello! That wasn't a valid email address! message. I was probably 90% through thanking everyone, completely impressed by how many people had entered their email in their profile, when I realized that if I hovered over the name, it showed the email address. And TONS of the last 10% had the email listed as noreply-comment@blogger.com. Doh! So if you commented on my post on Monday and didn't get an email from me, it's off floating in cyberspace. Please accept my apologies and an extremely heartfelt thank you.
2. I'm going to do a question & answer / parts of my story thing on Monday. I'm a little weirded out writing a post about me, unless I know it's going to help you. And honestly, I don't know what to tell. Help a girl out? If you have anything specific you want me to share-- like how things worked, or what a certain part of the process is like-- or if there are any questions you have that I might be able to answer, please email me. peggyeddleman [at] gmail [dot] com. Thanks, guys!
3. Okay, the ACTUAL POST! Tomorrow is Thanksgiving in US. And then of course we have lots of holidays coming up in December. (< tangent > Oh my gosh. I am SO EXCITED! < /tangent >) So my question is:
Do you see a holiday as a time you can get in more writing time,
or as a time to take a break from it?
For me: Actually, it switches. Sometimes it's driving me nuts that I haven't gotten enough writing time in, and I'll decide to put more focus into that. Sometimes it's the house that's driving me nuts, and I'll decide to put more focus into that. A lot of times, all I really want to do is spend the time doing fun stuff with my family, so I put more focus into that. Which is sort of how it is every single day. I answer the things calling the loudest. And wow. That was a completely vague answer. What kind of an example am I?! Okay, I'm going to make a graph right now. It's going to have an "It makes no difference" option. I guess my answer falls into that category. :)
So what category does yours fall into?
32 comments:
HA! So true!
I TRY to focus on other things, and that's easily done when I'm between revisions. But when I'm writing a draft? Um...my characters keep me in a chokehold. It doesn't matter if I'm busy cooking or cleaning for the holiday, if I get just 15 minutes, they force me to sit down at the computer. If I got a few days without saying "hello," they threaten to run away. *pulls out hair*
Holidays give me more gray these days...
Happy Thanksgiving!
I loved your quick note yesterday, and thanks for it!
Holiday time usually means taking a break, but we're not hosting at our house this year, which means I can stay up all night writing and sleep in the morning when the other three in the house are watching the parade. Win!!
For me holidays are sort of a forced break. :) With younger kids, I don't get much writing done when the older two aren't in school. But that's okay - my writing will be waiting when the holiday is over and we've had some fab time as a family.
I try to realize the holidays are mainly family time, and not agonize over not getting as much writing done as at other times. Writing is important, but your family comes first, as hard as it sometimes is to admit.
Total writing time...for a book. I'll probably take a break from blogging, but most of the blogworld is put on snooze till after the holidays anyway.
And since I'm querying this year, it'll be a forced break full of nail biting and climbing the walls. :)
My husband and I have a sacred, longstanding, unspoken agreement. I clean the house, and cook dinner for Thanksgiving and Shabbat, and keep up with the children 98% of the time (unless you count gestation, which is 24/7) in exchange for getting to do WHATEVER THE HECK I WANT the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday after Thanksgiving.
Guess what "Whatever the heck I want" is this year. Hint: It's not "doing the laundry." ^_^
Barbara-- Hahaha! That's AWESOME. Um... I'm putting you down for "Makes no difference," since there are always things that pull you away from the computer when you're really just wanting to sit down and say "hello," right?
Joshua-- I'm glad you got it! And yay for the win! I'm putting you down for "more."
Stacy-- I totally, totally get that. My kids are a little older now, so it makes it easier. Also easier: we each have our own computer, and can hang out together in the computer room and still work. Yes, we are a family of nerds. I put you down for "less."
Richard-- Such a fabulous way to look at it! I put you down for "less."
Cassie-- Yay! Have fun with your writing time! And I wish you the best of luck querying. And not climbing the walls. :) I put you down for "more."
Leigh Ann-- Hahahahahaha! LOVE this. Have fun not doing the laundry! I put you down for "more."
I've actually never been 'an asipring author' over the holidays before! I can't believe that actually. I feel like I've been doing this forever but its really only been five months... whoa.
I would assume it will stay the same though because I'm a little obsessed right now :)
And... I got an email from you!! And totally appreciated it. I was going to actually email you and ask if you had changed something with your blog to allow for replies. This answers my question :)
It switches for me, too. If I'm doing NaNo (like this year) I use it as a break, but normally I write more on holidays and weekends than throughout the week. My husband's there to hold down the fort. :D
I can't believe I hit enter without a HUGE congratulations! That is so wonderful and such great news! Sometimes my brain can't catch up with my fingers... Congrats!!!
Number 3. It makes no difference.
Okay, missy, I TOTALLY MISSED your KILLER NEWS because I've been toiling away in my Nanowrimo cave.
CONGRATS!!! (This warrants lots of CAPS, you know. :D )
So HAPPY for you! And I'm excited to read your book soon. ;)
<3 Btw, Happy Thanksgiving!
Less writing time during the holidays. This can be frustrating. I love all the holiday stuff and fun, but I miss the writing time.
Speaking of less time. . . I missed your big announcement! I'm headed over to your last post to read all about it. But--CONGRATULATIONS!!! It sounds exciting and thrilling and awesome! Hurray for you!
I fall into the category of doing whatever is calling to me the most. So I guess my answer is, it makes no difference. Hello, I can be vague too. :)
I take the view that the days where my wife and kids are about are never enough, so they have priority. It's not that I don't want to write, just that it would lost family time.
So, I guess I fall into writing less.
Have a good holiday :o)
I'm not a writer, but if I was, I think it would be less writing time. I tend to slack off during holidays with the things I normally do and play more. And clean my house more.
Less writing time. Definitely. In fact, if my eyes glaze over and my mind starts to wander (back to my MS), I get smacked on the back of the head. *grins* Happy Thanksgiving!
Kelley-- Congrats on your first Aspiring Author Holidays! I've got you down for "It makes no difference." I'm glad you got my email!
Nisa-- I have you down for "more." It's so nice to have the fort held down! And thanks so much for your congrats!
Becky-- I've got you down for "It makes no difference."
Cherie-- Awww! Thank you so much! And congrats on all the nano toiling. :) I hope you have a great Thanksgiving, too!
Cynthia-- I completely understand that! I have you down for "less." And thank you so much!!
Ruth-- Hahaha! We should have a vague party! I have you down for "It makes no difference."
Iain-- That is an excellent view to have. I've put you down for "less." And thanks!
Kristine-- Play more, clean house more. Mmm. Me, too. Love it. I have you down for "less."
Carrie--Hahaha! Here's to hoping that you don't get smacked in the back of the head too much this Thanksgiving. :) I have you down for "less." I hope you have a great Thanksgiving, too!
I totally get less writing done because my kids are home and I need silence to write. I need to invest in some sound proof earphones.
As for what I'd like to know. Basically anything you're willing to share.
Congratulations! I meant to say this when you first posted about your book deal, but ran out of time. Too much NaNoWriMa writing to do.
Holidays generally mean more writing time for me, for which I'm thankful. No music practices!
Again, a huge congrats!!
I definitely get LESS writing time done in the holidays because I'm too busy eating and spending time with family and friends. It makes a great break, though.
Hope you get some writing done. We don't celebrate Thanksgiving in Jamaica, but holiday or not, November has been a crazy month for me for years. Think NaNo has a lot do to with it.
Usually it would be "less" writing time, but this year I'm hoping for "MORE!" :)
Patti-- I definitely do better when I can get silence, too. I've got you down for "less." And thanks for the question!
Imogen-- Thank you! Okay, I've got you down for "more." Congrats on that!
Lynda-- Aww, thanks! I'll mark you for "less." But I agree-- it makes for a fabulous break!!
J.L.-- I think you should have your own celebration. :) I'm going to put you down for "more," since you mentioned NaNo. I'm guessing you must write a lot around this month!
Abby-- Yay for "MORE!"
congrats again, girl!
happy T day!
i'm traveling but making time to edit (b cuz last wk, didnt do nuthin!)
Well, between dealing with family stuff and the whole thanksgiving/black-friday/christmas rush at work....I'm lucky if I can get an hour of edits done on the days I work. However, most of those edits are done DURING work, which means I'm not sure if they count, lol. Thus I'm more on the "less" side of things right now.
Of course, if its a first draft/new story I don't get much of a choice. Apparently sleep isn't a priority to my tired brain when I've a character prodding me into action.
I guess, it depends on how nutz the house is here too lol.
I didn't get a chance to say congratulations! Very happy for you and looking forward to hearing how your journey in publication goes! :)
Congratulations!!! Winderful news.
I'm away right now... And I'm doing NaNoWriMo... So I'm pushing myself to keep up the word count...but usually holidays means less.
Xx
Tara-- Thank you! And Happy T Day to you, too! Okay, I had to guess, but I put you under "It makes no difference," since I'm guessing you normally have to find time to squeeze in, right?
Hannah-- Best of luck making it through this shopping-heavy week! Okay, I have you down for "less." Oh, and best of luck getting sleep, too. : )
Jennifer-- I had a hard time trying to figure out if that meant that you get less, or about the same. I decided that it always kind of depends on how nuts the house is, right? So I put you under "It makes no difference." And thanks for your kind words!!
Michelle-- Thank you so much! Okay, I put your turkey under "less," since that's your usual. Have a great Thanksgiving!
I sometimes write best under deadline, so the "extra" stuff going on during the holidays keeps me more focused.
I get WAY less writing time, but oddly enough that sometimes makes me accomplish more in the time I have... go figure :)
Stacy-- I love this! Its' true- I work much better, too, when I don't have a lot of time to work.
Susanna-- I love when it works that way!
Post a Comment