NEW - CRITIQUE SERVICE

I am now offering a critique and manuscript assessment service. For further details, please e mail me at janelovering@gmail.com

Sunday 5 January 2014

Shut up and get on with it

And what, I hear you cry, is your New Year's Resolution, Jane?

Well, thank you for asking!  Most of the things I make resolutions about are the subject of restraining orders, so probably best not talked about, but this year I've got a real one.  And it's clean and everything, so I can actually talk about it, which makes a change, because it doesn't include the words ***!! , ##&$, or Tony Robinson!

Restraining order, restraining order....

For this year I resolve to actually get my head down to do more writing.  Actual writing, that is, not all the peripheral stuff like Facebook and Twitter and reading amusing blogs or looking at pictures of kittens, which is what we writers spend long hours doing, while convincing ourselves that we are doing publicity/networking/research.  One day we're actually all going to write books about kittens just to prove that it was real research, and then where will you be?
And they all lived happily ever after.

I have no excuse really.  The day job occupies my life from 6am until 1.40 (getting out of bed and getting home times, actual time spent 'working' not shown).  Afternoons are, therefore, extended periods of time in which I could be banging out handcrafted words on the anvil of my laptop, well, if you take out the necessity of dogwalking and food preparation, and the non-necessary tasks of hoovering and dusting and generally making sure that the house doesn't become something like Sleeping Beauty's Castle, only without the beauty and usually without the sleeping either.  More like 'Dozing but jerking awake every ten minutes average looking but scrubs up well on a good day's castle really.  Which is a bit long to go on the nameplate outside, now I come to think of it.

The problem is that the lure of Being A Writer is often stronger than the lure of actual Writing which, while it isn't alligator-wresting, and can be done in the warm with a plate of HobNobs, can be Really Hard Work, particularly when Time Team in on  or there are kittens to look at.  But then, I guess it's not much of a New Year's Resolution if it doesn't involve a little self-sacrifice, is it?

6 comments:

Chris Stovell said...

Mm, you're still much better at than I am! I've spent the entire morning waiting for the Drain Man - like TR in that photo only much muddier and a bit swearier, I'm guessing - and noodling about on FB. I'll join you in your resolution... from tomorrow. Happy New Year to you!

Jane Lovering said...

Thank you, Chris. I hope your drain man (sounds like a cheap remake of Rainman) soon leaves you in peace and fully-emptying toilets. Happy New Year to you too!

Jean Fullerton said...

To true, she says taking time out of her writing afternoon to flit around the internet.

Anonymous said...

Procrastination is my problem. It stops now. I just have to check Twitter and have a quick look at FB.
You know, just in case I miss something. Then make a cup of tea, and I have to have it with a biscuit. OOH, just want to watch the end of the movie on T.V.
Procrastination is my problem. It stops now. (Well sort of)
Lorraine x

Jane Lovering said...

Thank you, Jean, it's nice to know that it isn't just me, and yes, Lorraine, you can share my New Year Resolution - that means there's only half each though, so we still get to procrastinate 50% of the time...

Rhoda Baxter said...

only 7 days in and my next book is already late. Maybe I should 'writer up' and sort myself out with a resolution.