I have a policy of not working on Sundays, even just writing, and even when it’s fun. However, I find that if I spend more than one day away from a manuscript, I get totally lost, and it can take me a couple of days to get back into a comfortable working rhythm.
In the past couple of weeks I’ve had to add something major to my schedule. It became apparent that I needed a real day-job, and since there are none to be had in my region, my compromise is to start selling handcrafted jewelry. This is something I’ve wanted to do for awhile, but my skills definitely need work; my jewelry is good quality for what it is, but my execution needs improvement. So lately my daily routine (which I had just barely made a habit) has been turned topsy-turvy as I’ve added jewelry technique sessions to my afternoons. While planning all of this, getting the tools and materials together, and trying to keep up the new housekeeping habits, my manuscript got left by the wayside.
Sometime this past week I decided it was high time that I finished that first read-through. I ended up having to re-read about fifty pages just to figure out what the heck was going on, and to get a feel for the story again. (It probably doesn’t help that the plot is a train wreck.) Anyway, I just wanted to say how important it is to revisit your work daily for at least a few minutes, even during times of stress or upheaval, in order to stay connected to it. If I’d done so, it would have saved me hours of catching up.
So many times I have completely forgotten where I was in a project because I was unable to look at it for a week or two and work on another task. I think it is important to keep a daily connection going. I hope the jewelry business goes well!
Thanks! So far I’m enjoying it, even though I feel like I’m all thumbs learning the wirework. :)