I tend to be obsessive-compulsive with my writing. I can sit down at my computer and pound the keys for 8 to 16 hours straight. I'll get up to go to the bathroom, get something to eat or drink, and then plunge right back into writing. Once I start, I can't stop until I'm exhausted. This past weekend, I worked 16 hours straight, took a nap, and then worked another 12 hours straight. Then I wanted to cry because of muscle fatigue and spasms in my neck and back. I have osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. I have arthritis in my neck, too. I really felt it after binge-writing this past weekend. When I feel the pain of my arthritis kicking up, it kinda takes the joy out of writing for me. It makes me want to stay away from my laptop, but if I do that, I won't get any work done on my book. So I need to stop being OCD about my writing. I need to set out blocks of time to write and blocks of time to rest. I need to stop ignoring my body's signals that it's being overworked or put under too much stress. I need to take better care of myself. Otherwise, I might end up feeling run down and sick all the time.
I can't stand being distracted. I have four cats. The two older ones are 14 and 10 years old. They like to lie around and sleep all the time. The two younger ones are each two years old. They like to play all the time. One of them is always howling for food and attention. I don't feed him when he demands it; I feed all the cats in the morning and in the evening. He bullies the older ones, and this makes for quite a bit of hissing, growling, and angry protesting until I break it up with a squirt bottle. The other two-year-old likes to climb door frames, tear up my bed, and play-fight with the other youngster. Between the two young ones and their distractions, I get really frustrated, but I don't know what to do about it. I write at my desk in my bedroom. If I close my door to keep the cats out, all four of them will howl to be let in. If I go someplace away from my house to write, I'm bound to leave something I need back at the house, or forget it when I pack up to come back home. Also, I can't listen to music with lyrics when I write, because I'll start listening to the lyrics and not be able to write. It has to be classical or instrumental music. I can't have the TV on when I write, either, because I'll start watching TV instead of writing. I've found that I can have a boom box blasting my favorite Christian radio station while I write, but it has to be on the other end of the house rather than in my room. Even my daughter watching movies on her phone or computer in the room next to mine distracts me, especially if there's a lot of screaming. My desk is situated so that my back is to my bedroom door, which means I don't see someone coming into my room before I hear them. If I wore ear plugs to keep from being distracted, and someone came into my room, I'd get scared to death! Most of the time I write better when it's dead quiet in the house. I think that's why I stay up all night writing.
That's another thing. I tend to stay up really late at night to write, and then sleep most of the day. I haven't had a regular bed time for several years. When I try to go to bed at a "decent" hour, such as 11:00 at night, my mind won't shut down and let me relax. I end up staying up all night and go to bed after feeding the cats at the crack of dawn. I try to go to bed earlier if I have an appointment the next day, but it doesn't always work. I've managed to have nights when I go to bed at around 2:00 AM, and get up around 11:00 AM. But then I spend all day doing housework instead of writing. The housework has to be done, and I'm usually the only one who does it. I don't say that to complain; it's a simple statement of fact. If I ignore the chores so I can write during the day, it's like the chores scream at me until I get up and do them. It's a wonder I get any writing done. Then I go on one of those aforementioned writing binges.
Tell me again why I wanted to be a writer? Oh yeah, it's because I love writing. I just have to organize my time better.
Speaking of which, I'm planning on writing a post for this blog at least once or twice a week from now on, so be watching for new posts.
I can't stand being distracted. I have four cats. The two older ones are 14 and 10 years old. They like to lie around and sleep all the time. The two younger ones are each two years old. They like to play all the time. One of them is always howling for food and attention. I don't feed him when he demands it; I feed all the cats in the morning and in the evening. He bullies the older ones, and this makes for quite a bit of hissing, growling, and angry protesting until I break it up with a squirt bottle. The other two-year-old likes to climb door frames, tear up my bed, and play-fight with the other youngster. Between the two young ones and their distractions, I get really frustrated, but I don't know what to do about it. I write at my desk in my bedroom. If I close my door to keep the cats out, all four of them will howl to be let in. If I go someplace away from my house to write, I'm bound to leave something I need back at the house, or forget it when I pack up to come back home. Also, I can't listen to music with lyrics when I write, because I'll start listening to the lyrics and not be able to write. It has to be classical or instrumental music. I can't have the TV on when I write, either, because I'll start watching TV instead of writing. I've found that I can have a boom box blasting my favorite Christian radio station while I write, but it has to be on the other end of the house rather than in my room. Even my daughter watching movies on her phone or computer in the room next to mine distracts me, especially if there's a lot of screaming. My desk is situated so that my back is to my bedroom door, which means I don't see someone coming into my room before I hear them. If I wore ear plugs to keep from being distracted, and someone came into my room, I'd get scared to death! Most of the time I write better when it's dead quiet in the house. I think that's why I stay up all night writing.
That's another thing. I tend to stay up really late at night to write, and then sleep most of the day. I haven't had a regular bed time for several years. When I try to go to bed at a "decent" hour, such as 11:00 at night, my mind won't shut down and let me relax. I end up staying up all night and go to bed after feeding the cats at the crack of dawn. I try to go to bed earlier if I have an appointment the next day, but it doesn't always work. I've managed to have nights when I go to bed at around 2:00 AM, and get up around 11:00 AM. But then I spend all day doing housework instead of writing. The housework has to be done, and I'm usually the only one who does it. I don't say that to complain; it's a simple statement of fact. If I ignore the chores so I can write during the day, it's like the chores scream at me until I get up and do them. It's a wonder I get any writing done. Then I go on one of those aforementioned writing binges.
Tell me again why I wanted to be a writer? Oh yeah, it's because I love writing. I just have to organize my time better.
Speaking of which, I'm planning on writing a post for this blog at least once or twice a week from now on, so be watching for new posts.
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