Two am. That’s the time a close friend of mine wakes up to study. This friend is quite accomplished, but two o’clock in the morning! I don’t think I could do that, and then function efficiently for eight hours at work. I would need an energy drink, chased with a large mug of coffee.
I tried getting up at three am. I actually did, once. To my surprise, I didn’t talk myself into excuses, one of the two times that I tried. I edited for about an hour and was quite pleased with myself throughout the day.
When you want to be a writer, and you have a full time job, you have to fit writing in whenever you can. For me, I need total quiet to write. I don’t even want anyone to be in the room with me. This quirk makes it difficult to sneak in time during the day.
Lunch time is my gym time sometimes. So, my times to write are weekends, before I go to work, or about two hours at night. I tried all these schedules this past week. The schedules are not the problem. The spirit in me called procrastination, attacks me like a possession. Every week I have to exorcise him. (When I read over this paragraph, I realized that I have a lot more time than I thought to write).
For the most part, chapter one is 90% completed. I revised it again, as well as chapter two. They have both been sent to be reviewed/edited. On Thursday, I began editing chapter three. I hope to report it as being completed in next week’s post.
I think the best time to write is when you are inspired. Hopefully, the inspiration will come when you are in a position to give it your full attention. I like mornings. It’s quiet and cool and I’m not half as drained as I would be after having a long day.
I draft these posts on a Wednesday, complete them by Thursday and on Friday I do cosmetic editing, as I like to call it. ‘Selima and the Merfolk’ fall in whenever it can (which is horrible). Since I have been writing this feature, I write more often. But I want to adapt the three am practice.
My goal for this coming week is to have chapters three and four almost ready for review, and if I get back chapters one and two I’d like to make the necessary changes. As I mentioned in my last post, I like to leave the story alone for a week, and then look at it with fresh eyes.
Wish me luck and keep me accountable.
vanessasalazar.com 
I wish you accomplishment. How many chapters do you propose to write? Are ideas entering the room as u write, which is like inspiration, or are you jotting down ideas for expansion as you go along, which is like task work?
Your Friday postings show a marked increase in confidence and, of course, determination. Timing is different for me as a poet. I usually write to prompts in contests which are posted by the 20s or 30s everyday. I write on screen mostly (99% of the time) any time of day or night, or 2am or whenever. We understand it’s all about loving the vibes you’re in and showing it. Proceed. Succeed.
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Cheers! Continue and thank you for giving me the courage and confidence to step out of The Coward Zone. Strange the places and persons we are bolstered by… 😉
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