My New Life
The last couple of weeks have been interesting, as I try to adjust to the complete change in lifestyle that has come with quitting my job to write full time. My last “official” day was Oct. 31, and then I packed up and went to the World Fantasy Convention in Saratoga Springs for four days. Then I had one day off and was back at work to train my successor. Since then, I’ve been fumbling around, trying to get my rhythm back.
Because I am an analytical personality, I decided weeks ago to come up with a daily regimen to strengthen body and mind as I craft my new lifestyle. I get up around 7am, and Dani usually gets home from work at 6:30-7pm, so I have a good 12 hours to myself each day. I had all these wonderful plans, about how I would spend at least an hour a day exercising and another hour reading, an hour on writing-related business (contracts, the website, talking my my agent or accountant, etc.), and the rest on actual writing, making sure to also take the time to enjoy the daytime and sunlight, and see friends so I don’t become a recluse. I am generally an introvert by nature, and it is only with great effort that I have overcome that in the past. I was (am) worried that spending all my time alone will slide me back socially to the wallflower I was in high school. I need to take care to avoid that.
Of course, life is hardly so regimented. Some days are quiet, and others filled with events. Sometimes you have time to write but lack inspiration, and others you are bursting with inspiration but still have to go out and keep appointments. Some days you want to exercise, but feel crappy and blow it off. Others you feel fine, but it’s raining or cold and biking in the park seems a less than thrilling prospect. It’s also proven more difficult than I thought to focus 100% on writing when there are so many distractions here in my seat of power (more on that in my next post).
I remember a couple of years ago, I was laid off from my job, and was in a similar situation. For a while I didn’t know what to do with myself. I felt like a bum and a failure, even though the layoff wasn’t my fault and I had decent severance and unemployment to cover the bills. It was weeks before I found my equilibrium and made peace with being a day-person. Hopefully that will be the case again. I should re-read my old blog entries on that at re-post them here.
On the plus side, my mean, bitey cat has become a lot nicer now that I nap with her during the day.
I find it really hard to believe that you were ever an introvert. Tinger tells me the same thing, and I just have to take her word for it as well.