I have to be up by 5 AM tomorrow. I just calculated my optimal time frame for the morning session, and “5 AM” is what mathed out.
That means this post is going to be a little short.
And with it, I’d like to say time’s a bitch.
Today, I wrote a scene that I’ve had planned for years. I think of it as the emotional hook of the story–the moment that defines what the novel will be like, locking Modis and Sydney together. Like anything else I write in first draft, it needs a lot of work…
But I enjoyed writing it so much that the morning’s session became a game of chicken between me and time.
“Ten minutes left?… I bet I can finish this scene in ten minutes.”
“Five minutes. Goddammit.”
“Three minutes.”
“Okay… I should definitely be leaving right now, but I can take an extra ten minutes.”
It got to the point where I just forced myself to leave the last line of the scene, knowing I’d be late if I didn’t. And man was I almost late–one of the only times I’ve ever gotten to work at the new job with minutes to spare.
Somewhere in here, there’s a lesson about priorities. It’s completely lost on me though.
Because the real lesson feels more like, “Maybe wake up with two hours of writing time?” Which is a beautiful pipe dream. Cause I’m not waking up at 4 AM. 5? Sure. But 4 AM doesn’t exist. It’s a made-up time; everyone knows.
Whatever. The point is, it’s 11 PM and I should be thinking about my priorities…
Go to bed in a few minutes.
Wake up, get dressed, have coffee.
Figure out the last line of today’s scene.
And continue on to the end of the first two chapters–the point where the actual adventure begins.
I’m obviously not finishing H&T by the end of NaNoWriMo, but that doesn’t mean I’ve lost. Knowing that is an amazing feeling. The NaNo Police aren’t going to knock my door down and arrest me.
The only thing that could possibly keep me from writing is me.
Just thinking that makes me want to wring my hands and laugh maniacally. I’m sure some disaster will pop up–some hurdle to figure out.
But right now… it just feels like I’m getting away with something.
Words for the Day: 798
NaNoWriMo Total: 11,247
House of Error 