Writing Hard...Or Hardly Writing?

Ack! Thursday already and I've a handful of pieces left to quilt together before I can sub to critique group members for next week's meeting.

I have little to say in my defense, except that my behindness is not for lack of trying.

Last week I succeeded in digging through my office for the multiple files I've made while visioning and re-visioning KM. And I spent considerable time organizing said notes by character, chapter, motivation, etc., distilling them down for use during this current (and what I hope to be) final re-vision.

All very useful tasks and long overdue. Unfortunately, in the middle of this process, life conspired in unpredictable ways. An uncle died this week, one whose death came so rapidly that we're all a little breathless. Then there was the fact that E and I spent most of the day at Children's Memorial Hospital Monday for tests, tests, and more tests. All "routine" prior to a doctor's visit in April.

Losing a day of writing--no problem. I'd worked it into my schedule. But then the proverbial shit hit the fan.

E's sick again. Earlier in the week, we blamed the change in the weather for her increased coughing. After last night, P and I are convinced it's definitely more than that. We're heading to the doctor shortly.

I'd rather be writing. I'd rather be accompanying one of my main characters on his quest to the save the maiden whom he'll soon discover can take care of herself thank you very much. Instead, I've a feeling I'll spend much of the next few days holding barf buckets, doing breathing treatments, and making apologies for missing deadlines.

Of all the things that'll slide to a stop while I'm wearing my mom-of-a-special-needs-child hat, the one that hurts the most: the high probability of having to miss Pam Munoz Ryan's school visit in Carpentersville tomorrow.

I wasn't going to be the only SCBWI Illinois chapter member in attendance, but I still feel horrible about missing this one. Why? Because when I agree to do something, I want people to know they can depend on me to follow through on that commitment. The fact that I'll likely have to bail is--well--I don't even want to go there. E's had such a good year, I thought we were past the need to apologize for things missed or forgetten in the face of her illnesses.

Ooops, need to go. Wish us luck at the doctor.

Current read: Cynthia Leitich Smith's new book Tantalize. Yummy. The best dark fantasy I've read in a long time.