Ya’ Lazy Louse!
I’m writing all out of order again. I’ve got about 15K of the end, and today I filled out two scenes in the beginning. And added more to the end. Ended up, by the end of the day, having written over 5,000 words.
I really dislike when my process changes. I’d rather it stay the same. Predictable and reliable. IN ORDER.
Anyhow, it sounds like a productive day, doesn’t it?
But.
I didn’t get up. I didn’t dress. I didn’t shower. I didn’t brush my teeth. I just lay in bed and wrote until I was done. Until 2pm.
I was going to get up after the writing and go to a movie, but then I remembered that I set the absolutely crazy goal of reading 365 books this year and I’m a bit worried I’ve bitten off more than is humanly possible to chew.
But I told you guys. So now I’m embarrassed. So I sat in bed for another three and half hours, reading. The sun was shining, a nice breeze was blowing through my camper, and everything was drying out in preparation to be rained and leaked on again tonight. The window is right here when I’m in my bed, whereas if I sit at my little tiny desk, I’m looking at the dirty dishes in my sink. I mean, if I want to look at the window from my little desk, I have to put forth the incredible effort and TURN MY HEAD.
This is the life.
So I can look at this in two ways. I’m writing a lot and reading a lot and that’s productive to my goals and I need to do that every day. Worse, out of the last week, if I lie in bed and don’t get out until I finish writing, I get my writing goals done before 11am or 1pm or 2pm. If I get up like a normal human being? I get nothing done.
(I would’ve sat outside but it was raining. I might be able to sit outside tonight, if it doesn’t rain. But it will. 
This is Ohio.)
Or you can look at it like the whole campground probably sees it: that lazy louse in the little camper lays in bed all day. She didn’t get up until 2pm!
I promise to go on an hour walk every night (while listening to books on tape… this goal was a lot bigger than I thought it was). I promise to do yoga every night. A whole hour. I promise to go hiking this weekend. I promise to patch the leaks in my camper… soon. I might even go to the county fair tonight.
I still feel guilty. I still feel like I lay in bed all day like a lazy louse. See? I’m the one who gives writers a bad rap.
Jury: What’s the verdict? What would you do?
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Natasha Fondren is a writer traveling the U.S. in a camper with her four cats. She is currently enjoying the lizards and desert heat in Arizona.
Oh, Natasha, I’m a card carrying member of the lazy louse club. I had the day off, and I stayed in bed until 2 watching Battlestar Galactica, listening to audiobooks, and napping. I meant to pay bills, do errands, and write. But it felt so nice.
Oh NICE! I need to catch up on Battlestar Galactica. I never did see all of it!
And napping rocks, Robin! I love napping. I did a nap today, too!
You’re doing fine. Reading and writing are, of course, what life is for.
See, that’s why I like you, Eric!
5,000 words sounds like a really productive day to me. I’d trade that for doing some of the more mundane things! I gave you an award over at my blog!
Thank you, Lauren! How sweet!
It sure was a happy day!
You have to stop making us promises! Soon you’ll be going crazy, getting in all the writing, reading, yoga-exercising, walking, etc.
I’m jealous of your 5K words. My writing got derailed today, but it was with good stuff, so I’m not complaining. I wrote over 1000 words, and I’m trying for another 1000 tonight.
Never, Edie! I promise never, ever to go back to that lifestyle.
I do want to read a lot, though. 
I’d be thrilled with 1K, but I’ve had such an unproductive week.
I wrote the next 1K. Yay! I went way off my story, but I like what I’m writing. I hope I won’t end up cutting it.
Oh that’s AWESOME, Edie! I gotta get to it this morning. Slow start. Did you end up keeping it?
Dearest, you left your house, sold your belongings, etc. etc… so you could live your life the way you wanted to. So stay in bed and write until 2 p.m. if that’s what you want to do. Live your life on your own schedule according to your own needs. Get your work done as you see fit, and don’t worry about what anyone else thinks. Banish the “shoulda”.
I’ve read posts from many authors who state that they put the writing first–they don’t do anything else until their writing is done for the day. So you’re not alone.
LOL, Elizabeth! Thanks for the reminder!
No more “shoulda!”
Yeah, I think that’s the way I need to work.
I definitely think it’s important to make sure you get exercise, even if it’s not until the end of the day. An hour is plenty for me, and then I don’t feel guilty for sitting around the rest of the day (even if I am “working”).
As for the neighbors, just make sure they all know you’re a writer.
Yeah. Definitely need exercise. I do get quite a bit in the trek back and forth to the restroom every day, LOL!
Still. Writing is SUCH an inactive job. I’ve always wanted one of those treadmill desks. Have you seen them?
Spy, I never write in a chronological order. Although I have outlined the next novel in a chart, I write whatever section comes to mind at the moment. Sometimes the outline will change because a character decides to do something different and a new trail thread is blazed. Working on the ending is good, because then you know you have to stop there. Try writing out of order, and you’ll find it has it’s own life.