As some of you might have noticed, there are not a lot of short stories pouring over this site just yet with the challenge.
Actually, luckily for me, I had no other writing deadlines this fall either. Because writing anything has just about been impossible. So even novel deadlines would have been pushed back at this point.
In our master classes we taught things like this and called them “Life Rolls.” That basically means that life just flat says, “Nope, not writing now.”
This has nothing to do with some magical “writer think.”
Here is how you know you are dealing with a “life roll” instead of an excuse to not write.
The rule is simply this. If a boss at a day job would let me off, then I don’t write. Or if I would have called in sick to a job, I am too sick to write. Otherwise I write.
Kris has the same rule.
If I had a day job working in some office, most of the last seven weeks would have been personal leave or vacation time. I might have gotten in a few weeks of work, (as I managed) but mostly not.
After spending the last two weeks mostly out of town, deep in legal issues, death certificate issues, and packing more boxes than I want to remember, I am finally going back to work tomorrow. You all won’t see it here, but the fine writers attending the workshops here on the coast over the next week sure will. And honestly, I’m looking forward to it. I really, really want to get my mind back on writing again. And I might even get a story or two done along the way. We shall see.
The week after the workshop I’m back traveling again, both back to Eugene where my friend lived and also to Reno to try to find his van and get his other personal affairs in order down there. Then on to Boise and back here in early November.
And then my boss (me) will make me go to work hard and try to make up for lost time and missed work.
Let me tell you, I am so looking forward to that moment. Writing for a living, even under deadlines, is heaven compared to the last seven weeks.
I really want to get back to work.
Stay tuned, I’ll talk about some of this stuff later on. It’s been a wild trip.
Try to take care of your health through all this. Stress isn’t good for human bodies, but unfortunately you can’t avoid it at the moment. I continue to look forward to your next story.
Looking forward to the next story, whenever it comes. You have such a great work ethic (especially holding yourself to the same strictures as if you were in a “real” job) that is an inspiration. I hope if I am ever lucky enough to write full time I will be able to be as serious and devoted to it as you and Kris are.
Good luck with tomorrow!
Thanks, everyone, for the kind thoughts. Twelve hours of sleep yesterday and ten hours last night and I almost feel like I can dance again. (grin)
And Mary Jo, you are dead on about stress. I sort of burnt out my stress resistance levels with Pulphouse, so now when I have too much stress, my body just starts to shut down. I call it being allergic to extreme stress. I get through it fine when happening, then just fall face first. Not a pretty sight. So I agree with stress. And so much of that is attitude for me at least. I have managed in the last few weeks to slowly move much of this to having fun. I love looking through books and being on a treasure hunt and my friend’s home and apartment (he had a house and an apartment) are like treasure hunts. And searching for his van in Reno will be a treasure hunt and a detective case at the same time. Should be fun if I spend a few days also playing some poker while there and having a meal or two with the wonderful writers in that area. (grin)
So attitude is back as things are falling into place and now it’s back to writing for a week with the workshops. Good sleep and a day full of fun stuff and great people. Doesn’t get better.
“Don’t be too severe upon yourself, or underrate yourself, but do yourself justice.”
~~ *Smith’s Rules for Cheering Up*
by Sydney Smith, 1820
It may strike you as odd, but this announcement encourages me. This time of the year, early autumn, is one of the busiest for me as a teacher and parent. Not only am I getting used to my new classes and schedule, but my kids are starting school again too and need extra attention and help, shopping and business trips, and so on. I get so exhausted I kind of drag myself from one thing to the next, and in the back of my mind (and often the front) there is the nagging feeling I should be fulfilling some sort of writing quota – but I can’t. I have to give myself a break instead of a breakdown. I have to let up on myself so I can stay healthy and whole to keep going. I too look forward to the day I can breathe a sigh of relief and get back on a regular writing schedule. In the meantime if I see an opening here and there I dive in and get done what I can.
I second what Mary Jo said. Good luck with it all. I hope everything gets sorted out quick and easy.
Good luck!
Sounds like quite a lot to deal with. I agree with Mary Jo, remember to take care of yourself as well.
May you soon be back to writing.
Hang in there, Dean. Your posts are example and inspiration. Sometimes when I don’t feel like writing I remind myself of what you would do in my situation. Then I hit the keyboards.
Dean, I worked a front-line job with homeless people for three years, before quitting to work (very) part-time and write a lot more. I completely understand the allergic-to-extreme-stress thing.
While it’s great knowing I *can* pull a 110 hour week on my feet in a high-risk and high-stress job, I also know that I probably will never, ever be able to do it again. My body has made the picket signs and will just go on strike.
Take care of yourself. If nothing else, watch Twilight. It always puts me right to sleep.
Dean, when I get stressed and burned out, I get angry. I snap at people. I am very unpleasant to be around.
You get tired, then you get playful.
You’re a better man than I am, Gunga Din!
Glad to hear you’re not letting the stress swamp you, Dean. Life happens and health comes first. Good to see your enthusiasm returning!
If you need any help while you’re in Reno, just let me know.
Kris and I would love to have a dinner with you guys. Great fun. We’ll call or e-mail ahead. (grin)
Thank you for the reality check. I had to come to grips with life’s demands 2 weeks ago and admit to myself that I won’t have my first novel ready for Indie publication in time for the Christmas retail season. That really stinks, but I needed to take care of some family and work issues first.
I really appreciate your blog and your wife’s blog. Hope to make it to one of your workshops–I have many freinds who’ve been to them and found them invaluable.
“The rule is simply this. If a boss at a day job would let me off, then I don’t write. Or if I would have called in sick to a job, I am too sick to write. Otherwise I write.”
What a great guiding principle. We’re in the middle of moving right now, and I haven’t written anything since two Wednesdays back, when I finished a short story. Closed on the house the next day, and haven’t stopped working my butt off since. This is the first time, really, I’ve been able to sit down and read some of the blogs I’ve missed. I figured the faster I could move in, the better environment I’d have to write. So I took the week off. Haven’t felt guilty about it. Hell, haven’t had any time to even think about it. But my wife took the week off of work, too, so the principle makes a whole lot of sense to me.
However, like you, I’m now itching to get back to work. It’s been too long, and I can feel it. After the last time I took this much time off — last Christmas, when we went to DC to visit relatives — I ended up writing 50,000 words / 8 short stories in a month. Hope I can hit that kind of stride again!
Though I’ve said it before, after reading Kris’s post on Respect, I’ll say it again. I really appreciate what you do here. Thanks so much, Dean.
Ditto to what everyone else said…looking forward to your next stories, but I’m really glad you’re not killing yourself with stress and trying to do everything. It sounds like it’s been a crazy few months for you and Kris, so it’s amazing how well you’ve kept up on here already. Hope the workshop is fabulous (they always are), and wish I was there.