Priorities

[violsva]

I have two weeks left to the Yuletide deadline which means I do actually have to get on that. I may do it after the doctor’s appointment I’m about to leave for, or I may use the last day of November as my last day for a while on this fantasy AU.

It’s interesting, how writing prioritization happens. This month I have gotten huge amounts (by my standards) of writing done by just. Writing. First thing in the morning. Any other time means I have to deliberately refocus myself - which I can do, taking walks works, but is harder. And it’s harder to actually go, “Okay, if I want to do this thing, and I do, I have to switch over and do it, even if that means sitting in front of the Scrivener file staring at it for twenty minutes first.”

It’s possible now, because being on the right antidepressant is magic. But it’s easier to just write before my brain starts wandering off in different directions.

It’s just that that is easier if I’ve had the story floating around in my head already. Which the fantasy AU has been. And my Yuletide assignment, though I have an idea and an outline and it’s something I’m interested in, hasn’t been doing. So there is going to be a lot of staring at Scrivener files in my near future.

And then it’ll be the end of December, and I will have been travelling, and lots of things will have happened, and, I’m worried, possibly the fantasy AU will have walked right out of my head and I will have to work to get it back. Because right now this is a thing I am excited about and want to finish, but that was how I felt about last year’s Regency romance too and that’s still not done. Whereas if I kept at it I might, theoretically, have a very rough draft by Christmas.

Except also bears would eat me. (And I do want to have written this Yuletide fic.) So I can’t do that.

Comments

[sanguinity]

I really must think to check here before I try commenting on tumblr, because this is a much friendlier place for a chat.

Another morning writer! I write in the morning partly because I'm smarter in the morning, but I absolutely hear you on the thing about trying to get your writing in before your brain is yanked off in other directions. (I hate, hate waking up to find that I've been tagged in an internet argument, because writing time not someone is wrong on the internet time.) I'm also most likely to have The Next Idea during that dozy awakeish-but-not-out-of-bed-yet time frame, which means that it's easiest to capture that idea during a morning session.

And yes, just... writing. As many mornings as I can manage it. And voila, stories get written and finished and published. Funny how that happens.

And I hear you, too, about how your brain gets in the groove of a source or a story, and it can be difficult to switch stories. Even if it's a story or source you want to write! Just. I was already trucking along on that story, see?

Good luck on the Yuletide fic, and may the fantasy AU still be waiting for you when you get back to it!

[violsva]

I came to morning writing late - I used to write in the evenings, after class. And then I got a job with a really long commute and I got so much done in my notebook on the subway. Because I had to be awake, and I had nothing else to focus on, and words just happened. It was great. Now I am kind of deliberately recreating that open space of writing time.

And the Yuletide fic's world is starting to build itself in my head now, which is great.

Also if I do more thoughtful posts on tumblr maybe I should start linking to DW for comments.