Christmas

Good Evening, 14th January 2021

Peter Germany Cat, Editing, Life, Lifestyle, Novella, Planning, Preparation, Writing , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Good evening, folks!

I’ve had a few quiet days writing wise, but I’ve managed to edit about 3000 words in the last couple of days.

I do find it harder to get a lot done when I’m on early’s but it’s something I’m getting better at. It’s definitely something I need to get better at as I do a lot of early starts, but I can do that by getting to bed earlier.

I’ve got a week off early February, so I’m going to start thinking about what I’m going to achieve in those seven days. I won’t be off out anywhere as we’ll most likely still in a lockdown. I’d like to be done with this read through of Black Blood and have an idea of what I’m doing with the ending by the end of that week.

I’ve got tomorrow off, but I have work to do on a non-writing matter that could take up a fair part of the day, but I’d still like to get about 3000 words worked through. I’d really like to get some fresh words written as well. I’m getting an itch to properly write as well. It’ll be great if I could put an hour aside and just knock out some words. Music on, and write! Simple as that.

Raven exploring the space under the stairs as I was putting the Christmas decks away last week.

I am really going to try and get myself organised better in the next month. I’ve got a dry/erase board and a diary. So I should be making better use of them. I need to write weekly, monthly, and yearly goals. Adjusting as I go depending on what comes my way.

I’ll wrap this post up by pimping out my Buy Me A Coffee page, where if people have liked my work they can contribute to the costs of writing. I’m working as an independent author at the moment, and any funds I receive go straight back into the writing pot. I’m going to be searching for paying markets for short stories and I have the funds in place already to self-publish my first release. I’m waiting on the editor to be free, I’ve got formatting arranged (although I’d like to learn how to do that myself in future), and the artwork looks amazing! I do understand times are tough, and I’ll never push hard and start bugging people about this.

I meant to post these weeks ago, the Christmas lights from my hometown of Gravesend.

Right, I’m off to watch a movie and then an early night. Although no work tomorrow I’d like to get an early start for the day. I’ve a lot I’d like to get done and getting an early start will set the day up nicely.

Important Words

Peter Germany Health, Life, Writing ,

I don’t know why, but it feels like the writing that I did earlier this evening was important. Not so much the content but the act of writing. In the couple of days that I wrote in the lead up to Christmas I was struggling to get the 1000 words a day I’ve been trying for but tonight it felt easier, even if I think what I wrote was rubbish.
Maybe it was just me being excited for Christmas or maybe it was the head cold I had but I just wasn’t feeling it. Even though I wasn’t feeling it I still managed to knock out 1400 words in an hour and it wasn’t especially hard to sit there and get it done.

Hopefully I’ll be back to where I was earlier in the month quickly, I like getting over those 1000 words 🙂

Writing While Tired

Peter Germany Editing, Health, Writing , ,

For reasons I may talk about in another post someday, although I think I’ve talked about them here before, this time of year is not one where I sleep well. As a general rule I don’t sleep well and this time of the year is worse but words still need to be written. I didn’t write yesterday but I’ve written 1405 words in an hour this evening. Okay, those words are pretty bad but I still got them down and when it comes to the edit I can fix it then.

I think it was important that I did write tonight. I am getting more and more convinced there is a connection between my writing output and my mood. When I’m writing I’m happier, much happier. Life seems to make a lot more sense when I am writing than when I’m not, and even though I don’t feel great at the moment that’s because I’m tired. WE had a really good day yesterday and although today didn’t go quite to plan it’s not been a bad day. A lot of resting was done, which I think myself and my parents needed.

Tomorrow I’m back to work, and a little bit of normality until New Years Eve. We’re planning to demolish a shed on Sunday and put up the new henhouse. That I’m quite looking forward too as it’s something I’ve not really done before and it’ll be a lot of fun working with my Dad. I’ll still have plenty of time to get in my 1000 words a day minimum over the next couple of days and once the New Year is here then the real work will begin. I’m on course to hit my 30,000 words by the end of the month so coming into 2015 on target will be a great start to the year.

Right, I’ve rambled enough for one night. I’m fairly sure I’ve not made a lot of sense, but made lots of typos. I hope you’ve all had a great Christmas 🙂

Good Morning Tuesday

Peter Germany Health, Life, Writing ,

I’ve got a cold. I almost had those four words as the only content of this blog post but I thought that might be seen as lazy or just a way to get sympathy; I don’t want sympathy. It’s just a head cold, but it does affect me and what I’m trying to do.
It hit me on Sunday, but I didn’t really feel it till yesterday morning when it hit me hard and yesterday at work was a lot of hard work to get through the day. Getting home last night I was feeling pretty rough, but was cheered up by a little bit of good news when I got home, which helped spur me on to get some words written. Only seven hundred granted but that’s still seven hundred words I didn’t have when I woke yesterday. I didn’t get presents wrapped up or cards written though.

Tonight I was due to go out for a while but I’m not going to go as I really need to just get home and get in the warm and try to get this cold bug out of my system, hopefully before Christmas. I want to get those presents wrapped and cards written out tonight as well. It’s been suggested that I give writing a miss tonight, but if I’m not too wiped out by the time I’ve gotten those cards and presents sorted then I might try and get a few words done. If I don’t get anything written tonight I’ll definitely write tomorrow, unless I get really ill. That I doubt though, I’ve had enough colds over the years to know how it affects me, and despite the fuzzy head I know I can still operate almost as normal. Last night proved that, and has installed in me the knowledge that I can work through a simple cold and not cry off like I used to. I just may not get as much done.

Good Morning Sunday

Peter Germany Life, Writing , ,

Today I’ve got a shed to clear out and then demolish. This is in preparation for building our new henhouse, although we probably won’t start building it till the new year though. We’ve got to extend the run as well for when we build the new henhouse and prep the ground where the new house will go.
Then I’ve got to clean out the current henhouse and then I’ll have Christmas cards and presents to wrap up. I’ve also got tidying up to do, I’d really like to get either my bookshelf tidied up or the bookshelf that holds all of my DVDs and Blu-Rays.

I’ve also got my 1000 words to write today as well, but I’ll probably do that tonight, although I’ve just been told that the shed probably won’t be being taken down today so that’s a little more time I should have today.

Right, I’m off to make a start. I hope you all have fun and or productive days 🙂

Good Morning Monday

Peter Germany Life, Writing ,

Despite my best intentions I didn’t get any more words written when I got home last night after being over at a friends house. I didn’t get home till gone 7:30pm, I hadn’t expected to be out as long as I was but once we’d gotten talking then time just flew by. I haven’t seen this friend for about two and a half, three years and although we do stay in touch we had a lot to catch up on.
It was a lot of fun though and it was great catching up. I think in this day and age we can often find it hard to make that time happen to see friends that we don’t often get the chance to.

Back to today and this week. I’ll be writing later this evening once I’ve gotten home from work, and this week will hopefully be a little less busy than last week. I’m making a declaration for Thursday that I will NOT get any words written that day. The simple reason for that is I’ve got my works Christmas party that night so what with going to work as well I sincerely doubt that I’ll be able to make the time to write that day.

Now, I’m off to get ready for work. Have a good and productive day, and week everybody 🙂

Last Nights Writing

Peter Germany Writing , ,

This week seems to the one where I’ve had late starts when it comes to writing. Aside from Monday I don’t think I’ve been able to sit down and start writing before 9pm all week, last night it was just gone 10pm when I finally sat down to get writing (I’d been out Christmas shopping). I still got my words done. A 1000 words in a little over 40 minutes.

Last night was one of those nights where I could have quite easily just thought ‘Screw it, it’s too late’ but no. Just because I got home late or have had a lot to do when I get home isn’t an excuse for me not to write, although I think 11pm needs to be a shut off. Anything after that time, especially on a work night, needs to be me thinking about getting to bed.

I’ve passed the 10,000 word mark on this re-write of Earth, After Liberation. I’m a little behind from where I wanted to be simply because I didn’t get started till the 3rd of this month but I’m not far off from catching up.

Right, I’m off to get ready for work. Hopefully tonight I’ll be able to get started on the writing before 9pm. If anything having this new mindset, and determination at this time of year is a good way to test that determination as we’re approaching Christmas and the New Year and it’s a time when there’s a lot to, a lot of distractions. So it should be an interesting few weeks 🙂

Last Nights Words

Peter Germany Editing, Writing ,

I had another late start last night, getting going at around 9pm. Last night though I was far closer to being tempted to have a night off. I thought I’d only get about 500 or so words written and that it would take a silly amount of time to get those 500 words done. I think part of that was because on Tuesday night I did struggle to get coherent words written. In fact, after reading some of what I wrote on Tuesday I think I’ll be scrapping most of it when I edit it.
Last night though I knocked out just over 1200 words in just under an hour, and I think they were some very good words personally. I think if I’d been able to get an earlier start then I may have been closer to getting to the 2000 word mark.
Tonight I’m off to try and get the bulk of my Christmas shopping done so it’ll be another later start with writing, but tomorrow I’m gonna be aiming to have a decent nights writing 🙂

Gearing Up For An Easy Sunday

Peter Germany Life, Movies, Writing , , ,

Today should be a nice, chilled out day. Tracie and I are off out to lunch later and then into the cinema to see Frozen, we saw it last week (in 3D) but we both really liked it so we’re going again but this time we’re going to see it in 2D. I may do a little work later, I have a couple of synopsis to write and some research to do as well but I’m not overly concerned if when I get home tonight if I just put my feet up, watch a movie and faff about on social media.

Speaking of research, I actually done some last night. I am pretty sure I’ll be working on Earth, After Liberation in the new year so there is a fair bit of research I want to do to add content and fill in some holes that are in the story.

After I got home yesterday and cleaned the henhouse out, had a bath etc. I got all my Christmas presents wrapped up, I hate wrapping things up. I will no doubt tear wrapping paper, get the cello tape wrapped around a finger and generally turn the air around me blue. Why can’t things be in a square box by the way? Thankfully most of the bits I got were in boxes 😀 it’s all done now though, I’ve just got the cards to write out which I’ll do one day in the week.
I wont be in the Christmas spirit until the 24th though. I’m not a Bah Humbug person but if Christmas Eve is a work day then I’m at work but we normally only do through till midday and then when we get told to sod off and have a good Christmas then that’s when my Christmas starts 🙂

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