Here’s my ROW80 check in:
It’s been a challenging adjustment working at my husband’s boat shop. Most days I manage to peek at Twitter, my email, and post photos on Instagr.am, but they don’t call it, “the busy season,” for nothing.
By the time I get home, I’m too frazzled and tired to string words together. In fact, since I struggle with anemia-related fatigue, I often crawl right into bed after work. After my first week, it became obvious that I was not going to get any writing done if I didn’t do something differently.
But what?
Since my writing is freshest in the morning, I started setting my alarm for 4:00 a.m. This has not been easy. Well, setting the alarm has been easy. The hard part is actually getting up after the alarm goes off.
For one thing, 4:00 a.m. is so dang early that the birds aren’t even chirping – they’re snoring! I am not kidding; it’s pitch black out at that hour here in Texas.
The real problem, though, was a combination of my own sleepiness, a comfy bed and a snuggly husband. Each morning when my alarm would go off, I’d wind up hitting the snooze button 20 times in a row instead of than getting up to write.
Enter my energetic pal, Morgan Dragonwillow, who kindly offered to be my early morning online writing partner. Knowing that @MDragonwillow is meeting me on Twitter at 5:00 a.m. makes all the difference. I can’t stand up a friend, after all. I’d feel terrible!
No more snooze button for me!
Morgan and I use the hashtag #wordmongering, which was created by the dynamic Moni-Marie Vincent @MonicaMarieV (and her friend, @notveryalice) We pop onto Twitter, share a few pleasantries, then get down to the nitty gritty.
I still have a lot of work to do on my memoir to have it ready in time for the May 20th, DFWcon Writers Conference, but that is my goal for this ROW80 round.
Since ROW80 is all about measurable goals, however, I am going to come up with a realistic plan of attack and will post that for my next check-in.
ROW80 Linky List
Speaking of ROW80, follow the links below to see how other writers are doing on their goals this round:
Tui Snider is an author, speaker, and photographer who specializes in North Texas travel, cemetery symbols, and haunted lore. As she puts it, “I used to write fiction – but then, I moved to Texas!”
Snider’s best-selling books include Paranormal Texas , Understanding Cemetery Symbols, and 100 Things to Do in Dallas - Fort Worth Before You Die.
Snider has several more books in progress, and enjoys connecting with writers and readers all over the globe through social media, her newsletter and her website: TuiSnider.com.
Tui, I think I need to begin joining you guys. I have been struggling a lot because I haven’t gotten a lot of writing on later on in the day. Especially with everything going on in my life of late. I might not be up at 4AM (cause that’s 3AM for me and I think that’s a little too much) but getting up before everyone else would help me to get more with my writing done most definitely.
Good luck on your goals though. I think you are doing great. :D
Hi Jayrod,
Well – on Mondays, I could join you later in my morning for some wordmongering, if you would like. I’ll Tweet you about it!
Thanks for the encouragement. I’m trying not to get frustrated with my slow progress.
~Tui
Love the blog! I’m also in Texas, though somewhat south of you. I’ve been trying to get out of bed that early to write. I did it a few years a go, but got out of the habit. Knowing you and a few others are out there might just be the motivation I need.
Good luck with the goals and the boat shop work.
Melanie
Hi Melanie,
Yee haw – another Texan writer! Well, I have only lived a little while, so I don’t know if I can call myself Texan yet. On the other hand, I actually used the phrase, “fixing to,” the other day. It just came out of my mouth, so some of my Yankee bits are wearing down.
Anyway, I hop onto #wordmongering at 5:00 a.m. CST just about every day. It would be great to have you join in sometime! :)
Thanks for stopping by!
~Tui
I never sleep well. wake up a half a dozen times through night. I am always tired.
Hi Karen,
Thanks for stopping by. Sorry to hear that you sleep so poorly! I’ve been sleeping pretty deeply lately, but I hear ya on the “always tired” scenario. I am hoping this chronic sleepiness will eventually abate. For some reason, taking magnesium has really helped me to sleep better. I hope you can find something that will help you!
~Tui
Hi Karen,
Sorry you sleep so poorly! I hear ya on the constant tiredness. I’m waiting/hoping that the constant fog I feel will eventually lift.
Thanks for dropping by & sweet dreams to you!
Tui
Hi Tui!
I’ve been waking up at 4am to write as well. I am not a morning person, so it’s been really hard to get up. Apparently this morning my subconscious wanted some more snooze time and it turned off the alarm. I woke up at 6am (my bus leaves at 6:30) and rushed out the door. But not before I realized I had an answer to a problem that had been plaguing me with my WIP.
If I weren’t PST, I’d join you for early morning writing…
Good luck on your goals for the rest of this week!
Hi Dahnya,
Too bad we’re not in the same time zone. I’d write with you then, too.
Love how your managed to make progress on your WIP while asleep!
Thanks again for stopping by, I’ll swing by your blog, too, and say hi.
~Tui
What a great way to get motivated! And I hear ya on the snooze button. I hit mine at LEAST 10 times before I actually get up (which is why I set it an hour earlier than I need to wake up!)
Hi Claudia,
Hehe – yeah, I still hit snooze about 3 times, but that’s a big improvement for me!
Thanks for saying hi. :)
~Tui
Oh, hey! You’re in Texas? Me too! I live in the DFW area. I won’t be making it to the DFWCon this year (budget wouldn’t allow it) but I always love finding new peeps in my area. :)
Glad you’ve got that friend who will kick you in the butt to get you moving. I have a friend who will do that for me and that makes all the difference in the world for me.
Hi Suzan,
Thanks for dropping by and saying hi! I’m in the DFW area, too.
Sorry you can’t make the DFWCon this year. I’m using the fact that I registered as added motivation to get a manuscript done in time! [fingers crossed]
It’s great having an early morning writing partner. Hey – if you’re ever up writing at the butt crack of dawn, check the #wordmongering hashtag. I just may be up, too.
~Tui
Thanks sweet woman for the mention. I am enjoying getting up with you as well. Here is to both of us completing our Memoirs.
Peace,
Morgan
Heya Morgan,
Not only is it a pleasure to have an early morning writing companion, but it’s starting to get easier for me to wake up then. Thank you sooooooooo much! :)
~Tui