I’ve officially been holed up for fifteen days and decided to make an assessment of my accomplishments (if any) as far as goals I set out for myself. And my current state of mind.
As I write this, the lights are literally blinking as a howling wind calls from outside my window: There’s a new storm in town. I have now plugged my computer in to make sure I am fully juiced in case I lose power for a spell. Coffee sure tastes better when there’s a good storm out. Hmm, I like that line. I’ll have to use it sometime…
The first thing I did when I learned I wouldn’t be returning to the barber shop where I cut hair for the next 20, then 40 days, was buy five books. I also began to outline a story that I’ve been waiting to begin while I was finishing up my novel, The First Love. I told myself that I would read these five books and by doing so would learn more about how to structure my own stories.
Structuring things like when to indent after someone speaks. If one person says something, then a second person does an action, is the second person’s actions given a new paragraph? Is it added just after the first person’s comments? Does it go on a new line but not indented? I used to know these things so well, but after a bazillion years of being out of school–and a touch of menopause–I no longer remember. (sigh)
Ok, so back to my goals (and does anyone care?)… I read three of the five books, began my story, and yet I feel no better off than when I started.
What I am beginning to fear is how I will respond to going back to my life of waking and working by an alarm clock and only writing during a blocked off time. And what about the eight pounds — EIGHT FRIGGIN POUNDS — I put on already? How embarrassing is that? I ate so much ice cream in the first week/ten days that my stomach hurt for three days after. Talk about comfort eating…
Assuming we get off of quarantine at the end of April, I have 20 more days to prepare myself for returning to work, living once again in a structured time controlled money obsessive lifestyle. Seriously, how many of you are trying to figure out how to make your current situation work out long term?
If only I could come out on the other side of this thirty pounds lighter, my arms and legs toned, and a beautiful tan. Oh and a letter of acceptance from a literary agent who adores my new book…
Erinne Bates 