Happy New Year! I’ve been trying to get back into the swing of my normal routine after a holiday break of sorts, which led to this little diddy. Hope you enjoy!
Anatomy of a Winter’s Writing Night
Approximately 4:36 p.m.
Arrive home ravenous because you forgot your afternoon snack at work. Make dinner #1 from the leftovers you’ve been eating off all week but you didn’t leave enough for a full meal today.
Ignore the strange sound your microwave is making.
Debate on going to the grocery store to acquire the food you’re actually craving prior to the possibly impending snowstorm.
At 4:59 p.m.
Tell yourself you have 3 hours to get something done before you need to leave the house for an event, feel triumphant. That’s such a long block of time!
5:00 p.m.
Open Instagram. Laugh at the funny video you sent your friend earlier even though you’ve already watched it. Respond to messages.
5:02 p.m.
Ok back to writing…what? What are we writing today? Probably should’ve made a plan. Oh, maybe I can edit my manuscript! I wonder if my editor has finished?
5:04 p.m.
Check email. Don’t respond to any of them. Your editor has not finished because they are a human living their life. You’re unbothered. You didn't really want to edit your manuscript tonight anyway.
5:07 p.m.
Flip through recent drafts in the notebooks strewn about your kitchen table. Look at your spreadsheet for upcoming submission deadlines.
5:15 p.m.
Stare at the cursor taunting you on a blank Google Doc. Consider making dinner #2 or baking a cake instead of writing. But you gave up added sugar for January. Despair. Crave a milkshake.
5:17 p.m.
Realize that if you write about your night for your newsletter, everything you do technically counts as part of the writing process.
5:19 p.m.
Decide to leave this section as a mystery for the readers to keep your creative allure alive. (Is it working??)
7:26 p.m.
Debate staying in to watch a Godzilla movie (a.k.a “research”) instead of going out in the cold to go to the comedy open mic.
8:03 p.m.
Decide to go to the open mic because even if you bomb, you’ll get to try your new bits and see people you like.
8:36 p.m.
Drop your name in the signup bucket and sit in the back of the room. Laugh at the talented players in the Improv jam.
9:17 p.m.
Get called to the stage first because the universe is testing you. The judges don’t ring their gongs to kick you off stage during your entire set, so that’s an achievement.
10:30 p.m.
Drive home. Run through your jokes and how to make them punchier next time.
10:47 p.m.
Crawl into bed and fall asleep listening to Welcome to Night Vale for the 30th night in a row. Surely that doesn’t affect your dreams or REM sleep.
Some writing resources for the new year:
10 Podcasts That Inspire My Writing