Monday, May 7, 2012

The Monday Muse: The Late Shift is Killing Me

***Latest news -- I've been invited to present Up: A Mother and Daughter's Peakbagging Adventure at the Boston Book Festival on October 27.  This is a huge event -- I'm very excited!***

The (Last) Monday Muse

Remember that Muse I wrote last month?  The one about finding the time to write?  I meant what I said -- a writer actually writes, she doesn't just sit around and talk about writing -- however, I need to change my approach.  The late shift is no longer an option for me, as I'm finding the lack of sleep more and more difficult to endure.  This is a bit of a bummer, for staying up all hours of the night used to work rather well.  Up: A Mother and Daughter's Peakbagging Adventure was written between the hours of 10pm and 2am over twenty consecutive weeks.  I've created first drafts of two other full-length manuscripts since UP was accepted for publication (one fiction, one nonfiction), also between the hours of 10pm and 2am.  However, something's happening to me.  I'm turning into a caffeine-addicted wench who desperately needs more sleep.

I've therefore decided to 1) send the kids to bed a little earlier each night and 2) cease writing Monday Muses and  Wednesday Shout-Outs.  I'll keep posting Tuesday Trip Reports, Thursday Things, and Friday Wraps, as those posts describe our adventures and announce important UP-related events.  These slight adjustments should give me the time I need to properly edit my works-in-progress and catch up on my Zs.

-----Tomorrow's Tuesday Trip Report will describe our adventures hiking Mt. Morgan and Mt. Percival.  Ladders and ledges and caves, oh my!

2 comments:

Jennifer said...

Sounds like a plan. I can only handle about 2 late nights in a row before I turn into momzilla. I'm amazed you were able to keep up that pace for so long! I also take naps in the afternoon if I'm up late a lot. I hope you're able to get the rest you need. Good for you for listening to your body. Take care!!

Patricia Ellis Herr, Alexandra Herr, and Sage Herr said...

Thanks, Jennifer. Momzilla -- what a great word! :)