Sunday, January 17, 2010

Clocking up the Hours

For the past week or so, I have been on holidays from my "day job" and have been busy working on some major revisions to my middle grade novel To the Feral Tree. I have to say, that I have been thoroughly enjoying the process and have been really proud of myself, especially with the amount of energy and focus I have been able to maintain each and every day.

I'm not sure whether it is the change in routine, or whether it is because I have a deadline and a limited amount of "writerly" time to make that deadline, but I have been hammering away at the keyboard for between 8 - 14 hours each day for the past nine days (plus a few similar random days over the Christmas / New Year period). I have to tell you, this is some kind of record for me. I am the one who usually manages an hour or three, then suddenly remembers that she must mop that floor, or ring her sister, or get some groceries ...

I think it was Edison that said "success is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration". If this is the case, then I have certainly put in the perspiration for this project, here's hoping the inspiration doesn't let the team down.

Nevertheless, it is back to the "day job" and I will be hopping onto the 7.10 train tomorrow, secure in the knowledge that the revised manuscript is already in my editor's inbox. Yay!

And the best part is, I am all fired up and itching to get on to my next project. Double yay!