Not writing, and trying to read about it.

Oy!

Granted I haven’t had a usual week (with the whole jury duty thing) but I’m off my game again. I know that I’m not technically writing this month (except my blog and my personal daily word limit), but I still want to set aside time to study those areas that need work.

Why is this so much harder to do?!

I do have a partial answer for myself: because I can’t just get up and read.

You see I was setting aside the mornings to do my writing. That’s when I’m the most alert and ready to go…but that also makes it the hardest time of day to sit down and read. I don’t know why, so I can’t explain it…that’s just the way it is.

With that in mind I’m going to make a minor modification to my “writing times” for June/July: my original plan was to start reading by 8am and finish by 12pm. But that was when I was going to be inside at a computer. Since I can take my books anywhere (including my hammock and the beach) I’m making my new goal to start by 12pm and read at least three chapters.

I like this plan better. With the writing goals I had a, well, a goal, a to how many words to write. With the reading I’ve just been picking up the book. That doesn’t work. If I read one page does that meet my goal? One hundred pages?

I don’t want to shoot for the whole craft book in one sitting. I need to be able to absorb and start taking notes about what I want to do with my characters. But I NEED to finish this book by the end of the month (I don’t think it will be a problem).

As far as novels go, however, I need to limit myself. My original goal was four novels a month: I’ve already read three. I need to make sure I’m not spending all of my time reading those…I need to learn my craft, people!

And I also need to see what my cats are doing…there’s a lot of noise coming from the living room right now. That never bodes well for my furniture or rug.

Here’s to a good weekend of reading! And writing…I have an interview with a woman this afternoon and I have to get the piece to my editor by Monday. And hubby and I are house hunting Saturday. And then Sunday is Father’s Day.

(I think three chapters a day will be plenty).