Monday, March 12, 2011

I'm a writer.  Its my job and pretty much one of the absolute best jobs in the world.  What I find interesting is how many friends and family members think that because I'm self-employed and thus, don't have to report to an office and a boss, that I don't really have a JOB.  But I do.  I promise you I do. 

When I have a deadline fast approaching, I go into panic mode.  Working on weekends if I can, not taking phone calls and, I'm nearly at this phase now, occasionally hiding out somewhere away from all distractions.  Because I have 3 weeks to write almost 30,000 words.  Plus I have to do a synopsis for another book by Thursday. 

Yep, it's going to be crazy.  Add into the mix that my mom is having major surgery on Friday and it just got even crazier.  I tried to explain to her yesterday that I wouldn't be visiting every day like I did last time, in fact it'll just be on the weekends (you know, like my brother who has a day job), but I'm not sure she understood why.  In fact, she said something to the effect that I could work at the hospital because she sees people on their laptops all the time.

And yes, if I was just typing a report or even doing insurance quoting, maybe I could do this.  And yes, maybe if it wasn't an hour drive each way to the hospital, I could pop in every day when I'd finished my daily word count.  But write there?  What would be the point of visiting?  I'd have to put on headphones to drown out the other people, couldn't converse or actually visit, and I wouldn't get half as much done. 

So no, I'm going to have to suck it up and write at home.  And yes, I feel terrible about that, but I don't actually have a choice.  I've already asked for one extension.  I can't ask for another.

So.....  despite feeling incredibly guilty, I know if I were still working at the insurance agency, I wouldn't be able to take off work every day.  And if I don't turn in the book and the synopsis, I don't get paid and I actually need this income to live off of.  So I'll mostly be here, hunched over the keyboard. 

Off to write.  And I probably won't get to blog as much as I'd like, though we'll see.