Getting Back Into Writing
... and Alaska throws a frozen curve ball.
Where did January go?
There are 31 days in January, so why did last month seem so much shorter than 744 hours? Between appointments, illness, and reorganizing parts of my apartment, I seem to have lost entire days.
TLDR!
Here’s what to expect:
Temperatures below -20F (-29C)
Getting back into writing, for real!
My plan for writing in February
Bookish events for February 2024
January 2024 Accountability
Waking up to a dead car
Yesterday, the temperatures here in Palmer (Alaska) dropped below -20F, and it’s surprising how quickly temperatures like that will freeze a car battery. So, I spent a couple of hours reading while waiting for a recovery service to arrive and give me a jump start. Then, halfway to work, my tire pressure gauges came on, letting me know that my tires were running flat.
Thankfully, I work for a car parts store and was able to test my battery on arrival at work. One attempt to recover it and a new battery later, I added air to my tires and made it home. Not wanting to face that again, I woke up every couple of hours to start my car to keep it from freezing up again.
Needless to say, I’ll be investing in an oil pan heater and battery blanket before next winter.
So, there’s your slice of life in Alaska for the month!
Getting back into the swing of things
Trying to get back into writing regularly has been interesting. I’m finding that many of my old habits don’t work anymore, and my available writing time is very different from before Covid.
I’ve changed jobs, gone from working part-time to working full-time. I get off work earlier, which should mean more time for writing, right?
Well, it doesn’t seem to have worked out that way. Between Alaskan winters, larger than average snow falls, and illness, I’ve been losing a lot of potential writing hours.
So, instead, I’ve concentrated on firming up the outline for “Of Wolves & Men” because I’ve been able to work in short, concentrated bursts. It seems to have worked well, and I went from a rough outline with several semi-decent plot points to an excellent outline with subplots that I’m excited to write.
So what’s the plan for February?
I’m going to try moving from writing for extended periods to writing for maybe 15-30 minutes at a time. It’ll help me focus, stay flexible on when I write, and give me a chance to build up to longer sessions.
Since I plan to start writing from the beginning of the outline, I might share one of the early scenes once I’m happy with it.
The question is, would you prefer to see a rough draft of the scene, or wait for a polished version?
Which brings us to events for this month…
Bookish events for February 2024
Feb 1- Feb 29 : National Library Lover’s Month - Library use is on the rise (according to The Guardian), let’s celebrate.
Feb 3 : World Read Aloud Day, Take Your Child To The Library Day
Feb 6 ': Reclaim Social Day - let’s spread positivity by sharing books and authors that inspire us.
Feb 9 : National Read In The Bathtub Day - there’s no better way to relax.
Feb 11 - Feb 17 : Freelance Writers Appreciation Week
Feb 14 : National Library Lover’s Day, International Book Giving Day
Feb 22 : Single Tasking Day - slow down, take a breath, focus on one thing at a time.
Feb 26 : National Tell A Fairy Tale Day
Feb 26 - Mar 4 : Jewish Book Week
January 2024 - Update
Days I’ve written something: 12
Days I’ve been unable to write anything: 19
Outline pages: 13 (and growing)
Draft pages: 0
Words written: 2,367 (outline), 0 (draft)
