Best. Job. Ever.

Apologies for no post last week, but I was at Disney World!!!!

Yes, I'm a huge sucker for Disney. I have a Tinkerbell tattoo, and I would have a Stitch one, but I'm not sure it fits in with the whole motif I have going on. But Stitch did flirt with me at the Magic Kingdom, so that was kind of nice (I know he was probably actually a girl, but I'm okay with that. As far as I'm concerned, he was the adorable little alien I love.) No Tigger this time though :(

ANYWAY...

A bunch of stuff happened while I was gone and right after I came back from the trip that sent my writing world spinning. It made me realize how badly I needed to write up a schedule and stick to it. Self-imposed deadlines, people! I love them, but at the same time, since they are self-imposed, it means no one's accountable but me. (Well, that and I have a tendency to make them... uh... challenging is a good word.)

But here's a secret... EVERY writer should have deadlines. I don't care if you're only in the practice stages of writing that supposed million words of crap and you only share your stuff with your dog. One of the most important aspects to my writing life is to do something writerly every day. Just like working out, if I slack off for too long, it's soooooo much harder to get back in the groove. Even a page a day. If you can do that, you'll find yourself more inclined to write as it will become a habit, not a chore.

And, honestly, it should never be a chore. Writers, as a general rule, don't pull down the big bucks. Sure there are the Stephen Kings and the JK Rowlings and the Stephanie Meyers, but most authors? They have day jobs to pay the bills. Be in this gig because you love it. Love the writing, love the revisions, love it all. Get excited about the blank screen. Be giddy over opening a vein to spill your soul onto the page. Love your characters. Cry when you have to kill them. These are the people you've chosen to give living space in your brain to. You are their god.

It's a pretty awesome feeling. But back to deadlines. This month (and probably a chunk of next month) is all about revisions for me. I have two novellas that need significant revisions (at least one that will end up novel-length by the time all is said and done, which is awesomesauce). As of today, to make the deadline, I have twenty days to do them both. Ten days each. It's doable but tight. (See above-mentioned tendency to assign myself challenges.)

The thing is I can't wait to dive in. I LOVE these characters (some more than others, of course) and can't wait to make their stories shinier. Even though it's revisions, it'll still mean a lot of new words (even when it's not MORE words), so I should still get that page a day without any trouble.

Oh, and I get to beta read a book by one of my favorite new authors at the same time.

Best.

Job.

Ever.

And with that, I need to get back to work. But really, for me writing is kind of like living at Disney World. Over the course of the next month, I get to hang out with mobsters, scientists, clockworks, legends and dragons. So, I feel the need to say it again...

Best.

Job.

Ever.

Have a great week, everyone!