No Time

The title of this post is a little nod to The Monkees, who I'll be seeing this Friday night for the first time with Mike Nesmith. Tears will be shed, for sure. Tonight I'm going to see Damien Echols speak, also certain to be a profound experience. And the rest of my time? I'm busting my butt trying to finish a novel by a deadline. I have never actually worked with a deadline like this. In the past, I tended to write with my own schedule and always make it in plenty of time. This book has had a lot of setbacks. Not writing setbacks, but life setbacks that have majorly gotten in the way of writing. Because of that, I am rushing to type up my handwritten pages, then print and revise those pages before December 1. And then somehow do my big editorial revision in the month of December. All of this would be no sweat [I have never used that phrase but feel the need to bring it back], but I have a KID. And that is my REAL JOB. This kid, who just turned four, does not like to play by herself. She needs food and toys and rides and someone to wake up with her and put her to bed and read to her. She is wonderful, but she and Author Mom have a very hard time coexisting. I get a maximum of two hours a day to work on my books. Most days less. This is not enough time with a deadline, but that's what I've got. I'm not bitching, just sort of tellin' how it is. Why I haven't blogged much. Why I get to watch an hour of TV a day that isn't Curious George. Why I'm just a little grumpier than usual (some who know me might change a little to A LOT). I hope it's worth it. I hope it's a good book.