It’s been awhile since I actually did a post specifically for Company Girl Coffee. I’ve combined it with the RevGal Friday Five a couple of times, but it’s been a long time since I just did coffee. So I’m doing coffee today.
I’m trying to figure out where the summer went. I spent most of the summer dealing with migraines and sinus problems. Needless to say I haven’t gotten a lot done in any one particular area of my life: finding an agent, finishing the novel, updating this blog, and my poor house. (Really need to get back to the Small Things.) Between a new prescription for my glasses and finding the right sinus medicine to aspirin ratio, I’m doing better and have the headaches under control.
Once they were under control, I was all prepared to throw myself full tilt into all of my projects, and this whole week I spent…procrastinating. Yesterday I went back to my old faithfuls of getting my rump out of the procrastination rut: Jen Lounden’s The Satisfaction Finder and Havi Brooks’ Dissolve Procrastination. I find that if I use them together, I get things done. Havi’s Dissolve Procrastination helps me deal with the soft stuff: why I procrastinate, negotiating with the fears and monsters that want to keep me safe but are doing it all wrong. Jen’s Satisfaction Finder helps me put goals down on the paper that are measuarable and do-able on a normal day–not the perfect day–but a normal day. Combining these two things wonderful programs usually gets me out of the procrastination rut.
But it all hasn’t been procrastination. Last week I decided to attend DePaul University’s Summer Writing Conference, which was incredible. It was three days of wonderful classes on all kinds of writing. I loaded up on the non-fiction and fiction classes, particularly the fiction classes. I’ve discovered after a two year hiatus from fiction writing, that my fiction skills are just a wee bit rusty. I feel like I received help and advice that will help me get the novel done. I also met some wonderful people. I’m glad I did it, it was worth every penny I paid to attend.
Company Girls, I have coffee and lots of fresh fruit (strawberries, peaches, plums), so have a seat, pour yourself a cup, and tell me about your week.
Thank you for stopping by Diane, Rachel, and Joyce. I hope all of you have a good week!
Thanks for the fruits! The writing conference sounds wonderful! I’m not much of a writer outside of blogging about our family adventures but it would be fun to take a course one day. I do hope your sinuses and headaches go away. I have one right now, so I should head off to bed. Have a lovely weekend.
I would love to take a writing class/conference! I have all these ideas swirling around in my head and don’t know how to get them down. Seems like I can’t get past writing Small Things – ha! Maybe that’s a little sad.
The summer is closing in rapidly. My son is off for two weeks of hockey camp and that always marks the end of “fun” summertime. By the time he returns, it’s time to buckle down to summer assignments etc. sigh. I’ve got a boatload of work to do in August and I know it will fly by.
Enjoy your weekend!
Ummm, fresh fruit! It does seem strange to be staring down the barrel of August already. I am not ready for it! The writing seminars sound wonderful; it’s been forever since I’ve taken the time to just write for fun. As I was clearing out a bookcase the other day, I hit the motherlode of old writing – the folder that had my stories and essays from expository writing and science fiction classes in high school, and my freshman college english class. It will be a while before I have a chance to focus on writing (I will be moving in the next couple of months), but I certainly want to get back to it.
I’ll be needing tons more furniture for my new place; if I ever decide to trek down to Ikea (I’m in Milwaukee), would you like to meet for coffee just for fun? I have no idea when it would be (spring, most likely), but we can let the idea simmer.