Pam Bustin
creator, editor, story tender
Shake and Bake 50 – The Rambling Backroads Episode
Spent some time last night gazing up at the moon. She was drifting in and out of the clouds. Peeking through the trees. Lovely.
Spent some time yesterday dreaming up tiny rituals…. things I could add to my days that wouldn’t be heavy or hard, but would help me mark the passing of days, weeks, moons.
There’s this, of course. And it serves well. Though sometimes it feels as though I forget about it as soon as I hit “publish”…. forget what my “intention” is for the coming week. I’m working on… grounding that… holding on to the weekly intention with a daily paper chicken. Very quick.
- A morning jot that includes a few worldly “to dos” and a restatement of my intention for the week/day…
- and a few lines in the evening.
Especially promising:
A bit of gratitude:
I am grateful for _____
I enjoyed ____
I felt satisfied when I ____
Harder to fill in but also promising:
My quote for the day – which can come from anywhere – preferably just from…. life…from an interaction with someone in the day (as opposed to a “famous” quote)
I’m on my third… rethink of these paper chickens. I try them out 28 at a time – to give each incarnation a fair shake. The newest one seems quite do-able as long as I keep it right beside the bed and do it first thing in the morning and last thing at night.
I’ve kept up the taking of the MOONY pictures of the studio – though I’ve missed some dates. I like looking at them. A still point with the world turning round it.
And here we are almost to the Autumn Equinox again. Mabon – when things begin to go sleep. When the dark begins to take over the light.
I find that I am drawn to… things beginning in the dark… instead of the light.
When I – oh so rarely – think of casting a circle, or even thinking of the elements…. I always begin in the North with Earth…. not in the East with air. I begin in the dark and move towards sunrise.
North East South West. Earth Air Fire Water.
I suppose it makes sense to recognize that my “year” has always begun anew in the fall. I thought it was connected to school and to my love of school – new books, new pencils, a fresh new start…. Now I begin to see that it might be even more than that. Interesting, isn’t it – how long it takes me to figure things out.
I’m gearing up already for the turning of the wheel on Samhain (Oct 31st). With thoughts of what the next year will hold.
I haven’t been QUITE conscious of it… but I see it reflected here. Take these chickens… I began last October… we are almost at 52… surprise surprise.
I hear from friends that they are on a cleaning spree this month, or they are filled with some high sense of… PURPOSE.
As for me…I find myself filled with the need to … plan, to create some sort of … year long project of some sort… and to begin it in the dark night of Halloween.
I’m not sure yet exactly what form it will take. It is tied in with an urge to MAKE something. Something beyond the writings. Maybe an Art Journal… that I will fill with moon tracings and tiny rituals. Maybe 52… somethings. More chickens and Shake and Bakes? Probably. Maybe a new form for them.
Who knows.
I wonder what you are thinking on, feeling FILLED with this month. Hmmm?
But… I blather a bit.
Let us SHAKE N BAKE!
Last Week’s Playful INTENTION…
…to dance more…
Took the form of funny little dances though out the days. Felt grand.
The Quick Chicken (The Doings that help me with the Being):
- Scribble: 7/7
- Walk: 4/7
- Yoga: 1/7
- Meditation: 2/7
…and…
- Writing Hours: 4/7 The Writing Hours this week were focused round the stories from the world of the Fifth. I’ve been working longhand letting characters flit in and out and seeking different ways in to the Post Apocalyptic world. A few starts. No decision made as to which start it will be… but a character has LANDED. I like her. I imagine we will spend next week working out her story.
THE GNARBLE:
same ole same ole – time rushing by me – low energy – blah blah blah…
THE SWEET N TASTY:
- Hands in the dirt as I put the garden to sleep.
- A new character roaming around the backroads of my mind.
- New tales from my 3day Cohorts to warm my nights.
- Happy Hour on the beach with the Raggedy Man
- A lovely dinner with new friends across the water
The Thing That Needs Baking In MOST (What WORKED):
Walking it out. A notepad in my pocket. Letting the story run. Stopping to make notes. Coming home and getting right into it.
Next Week’s Playful INTENTION…
Keep walking and getting to know this new woman as she walks…. Gentle on my mind…
~~~~
Okay… Time to go and watch the Raggedy Man take what may well be the last “dip” of the year in the ever welcoming Kebsqasheshing.
Wishing you …a week of roaming wise.
go easy ~p
In homage to Havi’s Friday Chickens over on the The Fluent Self — This is the place I review my week – in an attempt to track some things – like progress on my novel and… living intentionally. I shake out my week and lay it out. Let the hard burn off and the good sink in. Call it an experiment in paying attention.
Comments are cherished here. Discussion is adored. If you’d rather talk in private – drop me a line.
Related articles
- Shake and Bake 45: The Shine Suck Such Shine Edition (pambustin.com)
Shake and Bake 49: The Harvest Edition…AKA… Next Year Country
Hullo Sweeties
Ever a denizen of “next year country” – I planted garlic today. Planted it BEFORE I harvested the bounty of this years garden in preparation for… FROST.
Yes. Tonight we will get our first frost.
It snowed today in Timmins…just a hint of snow, a few flakes that sent people screaming… but there it is. The light is waning… and we move into FALL.
The Autumnal Equinox, or Mabon for the pagans in the crowd, isn’t until the 22nd of September, but the shift has begun. Up here, anyhow.
Looking back… cuz I can do that now – having passed my one year blogoversary – I see that I did the big (heh heh) harvest on Sept 15th last year. And again it was a Harvest This Seed That situation. Perhaps it always is.
It’s actually weird to look back to that post. It was pre-shake n bakes. I’d just gotten deep into the NIP. That was the seeding I was doing…And I’ve spent pretty much the entire year tending to those “rows of words.” And the completed draft sits out there in the Studio… waiting for me. Waiting for me to head back in for another reVision.
But not quite yet.
I’ve decided to try my hand at a few shorter pieces first. Working on… working out… dreaming round… this world that I dove into during the 3 Day Novel Contest. The world of the Fifth.
There are those that Tend the Earth, the Air, the Fire and the Water. These are the Four – and the Fifth shall tend the spirit.
There will be more fun with the Random Sacred…or Sacred Random… and, I’m hoping, all manner of hi-jinx. Who know what could come of it.
I was spurred on to this by a few calls for submissions that a friend pointed out to me.
~
Fractured: Tales of the Canadian Apocalypse
Tesseracts 18: Wrestling With Gods
Submission details: www.edgewebsite.com/books/tess18/t18-catalog.html
Or find details posted on the Tessracts Eighteen blog: http://tesseracts18.com
~
I’ve been wanting to try my hand at some short stories and… well heck… I think it’s a good way to explore the world of the Fifth a bit more before I dive back into Sanctuary and… disappear for months and months down that particular bunnyhole.
All righty…. she claps her hands together and rubs them furiously…
Let us CHICKEN…
The Quick Chicken (The Doings that help me with the Being):
- Scribble: 7/7
- Walk: 4/7
- Yoga: 3/7
- Meditation: 3/7
…and…
- Writing Hours: 3/7
What Worked:
Talking and laughing. As in talking with the Raggedy Man and thereby finding our way to laughter. Ahhh laughing. Laughing and laughing and laughing away all my dreary old sadness and worry. He’s a miracle man in suspenders, I tell ya.
What I Might Do Next Time:
Talk and laugh…sooooooooner. So simple… so hard.
THE GNARBLE:
- the SAD
- the tired (so sick n tired of the tired)
- the foolish not eating and the resultant…TIRED. sigh
- the dreads – totally from the days of no Writing Hours logged… and yeah… lack of $uper pile$ of $$ (where oh where do I find the super piles of cash?)
- the urge to… do more…add more “things to do” to my ever growing list…pushed by… what now? I dunno. I do know. That never ever ending feeling of… “not enough not enough not doing enough!” blergh.
THE SWEET N TASTY:
- The Walking (oh so good…oh so good for all the ills)
- The Hands in the Dirt – much neglected of late but enjoyed enjoyed ENJOYED today.
- The amazing wealth of information, wisdom and wild knowledge that is out here on this interweb. LONG LIVE THE WEB!
- Oatstraw (oh thank you thank you Susun Weed for your wisdom – http://www.susunweed.com/How_to_make_Infusions.htm
- And best of all best TASTY TREATS of the week – the honour of reading the Raggedy Man’s newest play, Sliver. Oh so freaking good. And now… where to send it? Who to send it to? Thinking…thinking…
The Thing That Needs Baking In MOST:
Let me hold two things from this week…
“You already KNOW what you need to do. And it is enough.”
And…
“We all simply have to decide how much we are willing to pay.”
By which I mean… a couple of things….
- How much am I willing to “sacrifice” to keep writing – meaning… finances/stuff/running water (heh heh).
- Or you can look at it from the other side with the how much of your Self, your Soul, your life are you willing to sacrifice to get the Stuff (and the running water)?”
There is a fantastic new blog I found… a lovely lovely lovely Arts N Crafty woman named Caatje who lives on an island in the Netherlands and she has a fabulous post about this. Pop over and check it out at http://caatjesartsystuff.blogspot.ca/2013/06/full-disclosure-or-how-does-she-do-it.html. She sounds like my kind of gal!
Next Week’s Playful INTENTION…
Dance more.
Shake it, Baby!
~~~~
Okay… Time to get the Lentil Stew and Corn Bread cooking for dinner.
Wishing you …wonder.
go easy ~p
In homage to Havi’s Friday Chickens over on the The Fluent Self — This is the place I review my week – in an attempt to track some things – like progress on my novel and… living intentionally. I shake out my week and lay it out. Let the hard burn off and the good sink in. Call it an experiment in paying attention.
Comments are cherished here. Discussion is adored. If you’d rather talk in private – drop me a line.
Shake and Bake 48: The Gearing DOWN Edition
Hullo Sweeties
It’s official – I survived another 3-day Novel Contest.
The journey through this session was unique – as they all are. It was fun, but not as much MAD fun as I have had in years past.
This year I was very… focused on finding my way into the world of The Fifth. It’s fascinating to be able to almost see something so clearly and yet have things feel… hazy at the same time.
The siren song of this world and this new set of characters will draw me back. I know this. And I am glad.
The week was spent in… recovery mode … and I have to admit… the recovery goes on. This one really knocked me for a loop. Physically.
On Tuesday, the Raggedy Man and I made it into town (as you can see over HERE) and I mailed in my submission. We had a few celebratory pints down at the Legion, got a tasty tasty burger and fries from the Chip Stand and I was home and IN BED by 6:30pm.
Wednesday saw another trip to town … family business. I was home by 2:30 and wrapped up in a blanket in a chair outside, reading and dozing until around… 7 when I WENT TO BED.
Thursday was a bit better, energy wise. As was today. But I gotta say … whew.
I keep aiming to shake off the sleepy dozey desire to just read and watch boob tube and… get the ole brain in gear thinking of … what will be my next focus, writing wise. I keep aiming but as of… right now… I am just looking over there at that fire burning in the stove and thinking… maybe a cup of tea and read…. yeah that’s what I REALLY want to do.
Truth.
But… a few things that MOOST be done before I can curl back up… And so…
Let us CHICKEN…
The Quick Chicken (The Doings that help me with the Being):
- Scribble: 7/7
- Walk: 4/7
- Yoga: 5/7
- Meditation: 5/7
…and…
- Writing Hours: Well boy howdy…. mucho gusto over the weekend. The spreadsheet I kept for the contest this year has me clocking in 31.78 hours of actual keyboarding time amidst the 72 hours of the contest.
- Monday-Friday…. not so much on the Writing Hours front.
What Worked:
Sticking. As it Sticking with it.
Word by word by word… I made it through the contest. It helped to go onto the ChatZone and get backup while cheering others on. I can’t thank my pals over there enough for their company through the hours.
Remembering. And looking back.
Peeked back a few times at the work journals/notes I kept during previous 3DN contests. Helped a lot to read what I felt WHEN during the other years.
What I Might Do Next Time:
I might get together a little tome on my true way through the 3 Day – just for myself and slip it into the Book of Me. Reminders of what has happened in years past… especially the lulls… doubts… and freak-outs and how I got past them.
Because – oh yes – I WILL do this crazy thing again. As long as they run this contest, I believe that I will be holed up somewhere, scribbling madly and grinning like a wild child.
THE GNARBLY BITS:
- the tiredness in the bod.
- an achey achey hip and a swollen right wrist.
- dark dark darkest times when I was sure that I would not finish this story in any kind of satisfactory way at all at all.
- telling some grand friends that I’m just not up to a night out tonight – though I long to be with them, I also long for a book by the fire and this time, my introvert wins.
- feeling like a lazy pants for “giving in” to this tiredness in the body and this fog in the mind. Silly silly silly, I know…but there it is.
- the fear that I am “missing” these last warm days by being so freaking tired that I just want to LAY DOWN… And the feeling that by staying inside today and catching up on some computer business I’ve made myself tired again – as opposed to… I dunno… getting outside into the air… or something. oof.
THE TASTY BITES:
- being able to rest.
- good food, grown in our own garden.
- realizing that if I won the lottery I would do… exactly what I’m doing right now… Well not the TIRED thing, but the rest of it – living here, with the Raggedy Man, writing – I am so friggen blessed to be where I am and to be able to do what I want and NEED to do. Blessed.
- and… the story… the story that grew under my hands through the dark hours of the night. These characters who come to me and tell me their stories. What a gift it is. I can only hope that I prove worthy of them. I must give them my best effort – to bring their story through – as true and clear as I am able.
- and now… the fire… and a book to curl up with. A book someone else has worked hard on through the dark hours. Thank god for books and them that write ’em.
The Thing That Needs Baking In MOST:
“You’re all right, Kid.”
(I have this on good authority)
Next Week’s Playful INTENTION…
Ease on down….Ease on down the road…
Yeah. That’s the ticket.
~~~~
Okay… That’s it for me. The kettle is boiling…my book awaits
Wishing you a wonderful restful weekend.
go easy ~p
In homage to Havi’s Friday Chickens over on the The Fluent Self — This is the place I review my week – in an attempt to track some things – like progress on my novel and… living intentionally. I shake out my week and lay it out. Let the hard burn off and the good sink in. Call it an experiment in paying attention.
Comments are cherished here. Discussion is adored. If you’d rather talk in private – drop me a line.
3 Day Novel Contest 2013 – The Snapshot Gallery
Hmmm…. this gallery has disappeared once already…. let’s try again…
There should be a slideshow of 39 silly photos here – if you can’t see it…drop me a note and I’ll come back here to try again….
Maybe it is taking tooooooo long to load? Harumph.
Shake and Bake 47: The Tender Edition
Tis time… tis time… to dive in once again to the wonderful madness that is the 3-day Novel Contest.
Last week at this time… I had a plan. The plan has changed entirely.
That’s cool.
For me, The 3 Day has become all about embracing the random risings of my soul.
The Tale demanding it’s spot in the sun this weekend has been brewing for a long long time. Back before the days of Bean and Goose… Back and back and back into a way-back day sitting on the shores of the Kesquashashing River and dreaming of … a future time.
A time…
…past The Troubles.
…past the ApoCollapse
A time after … a major shift in life as we know it on this planet.
I dreamed a little dream of the people who would still be roaming the planet… after.
And The Tenders came to me.
There have always been those who Tend the Land, the Earth, their fellow Beings. And there have always been those who… in their fear (often shown as greed) would rape and pillage EVERYTHING and EVERYONE.
So it goes… I suppose.
I took a stab – years and years ago – at a Short Story set in this world. It was … clumsy…
To be kind, it was the first short story I’d tried my hand at since… well since never managing to really finish one in writing classes at Uni. I do credit this … blundered attempt… at opening the door to Fiction for me. It is where I began to slide over into a different kind of story telling. From plays to… writing my first novel, Mostly Happy.
This weekend, I’m taking a stab at … another tale from that world I glimpsed so long ago. I’ve got a few characters to keep me company — and we’ll see where we end up.
Wish us well.
As to the week….
The Quick Chicken (The Doings that help me with the Being):
- Scribble: 7/7
- Walk: 4/7
- Yoga: 3/7
- Meditation: 7/7
…and…
- Writing Hours: 7/7
See…. told ya I’d start tracking again. I do still want to learn to play guitar… but for now – these are the FIVE things I truly aim to do each day…
What Worked:
Fantastic week of letting myself wander about… gathering my thoughts, images, ideas… Scribbling and scribbling and scribbling…. ahhh.
What I would do Next Time:
Not PANIC when, the week before the contest I realize I want to totally SWITCH HORSES.
That story isn’t LOST… it will go in the file… and grow in the dark. Like they all do.
THE HARD:
- Hard? Whuzzat? HA!
- Oh yeah… The PANIC early in the week as I realized I was switching my focus RADICALLY for the contest.
- The PANIC of actually trying to create this story… this huge IDEA has been in my head for years and … this will be… trying to actually BRING IT into reality. gulp
THE good BITS:
- The ideas…the questions rising up… as soon as I turned my head to look their way.
- The warmth of friends… friends from the way-back and friends I’ve YET to meet in person.
- The time the time the TIME to do this. To stare and dream and scribble and rethink. To walk and talk. To sit and type this missive.
- The tech that lets me send this out… and lets me connect to people far and wide who are in this Contest with me… in this WRITING THING with me.
- The Sweetest Raggedy Man on EARTH who cheers me on, and cheers me UP. Who feeds me when I forget to eat, and stands such fierce guard over my Solitude. He is truly my BOONyest companion.
- The most glorious show of… solidarity and support and… Kindness over on the ChatZone. A writer doubting herself after a year BARREN of writing. Another writer lending her courage, support and a hand up with such beautiful words. I have saved the words… for myself when I’m down… and for the one who wrote them. Next time I see her slip her into the dark, I shall send them to her. For Courage and so she doesn’t forget who she really is.
The Thing that needs Baking In MOST:
How FUN has this week been? How ALIVE do you feel?
Tis good. This writing thing. Tis very very good.
Next Week’s Playful INTENTION…
Well lordy… let’s just focus on the weekend THIS TIME …
…how about we have us fun?…
Okay…my chicken lovers… That’s it for me. I’m off to putter about.
There’s food to prep. And I could work on that outline just a LITTLE bit more…
Ha.
~~~~
Vaya con Dios, Mi amigas.
go easy ~p
In homage to Havi’s Friday Chickens over on the The Fluent Self — This is the place I review my week – in an attempt to track some things – like progress on my novel and… living intentionally. I shake out my week and lay it out. Let the hard burn off and the good sink in. Call it an experiment in paying attention.
Comments are cherished here. Discussion is adored. If you’d rather talk in private – drop me a line.
21 Monkeys – Day TWENTY ONE – !
Hullo peoples…
Wow.
I can’t believe it has been 21 days! We did it!
I think back on Day ONE….
Looking at the definition of the word MIRACLE… and how it appealed to me..
The word miracle comes from the Latin root mīrāculum, equivalent to mīrā ( rī ) to wonder at + -culum -cle.
To wonder at… to behold with rapt attention…
And floundering around to…
… set one intention for this journey and to cultivate it daily. To tend it lovingly and watch it blossom.
Well… I did hold basically to one intention for the journey… To SEE and HEAR what is happening right this moment. I didn’t hold this intention every moment of every day… but each morning… I renewed my intention… The same intention.
I also managed to follow through on the more… simple… intention of posting here each day.
Some things to carry along/take away…
I continue to find humour along the path and to … embrace my monkey mind and her need to joke and keep me grounded.
I have also started to..more and more… take the time I need to do the things I need to do – for myself. And to actually… speak up… To work together on a plan, instead of jumping to attend to someone else’s needs on THEIR schedule.
This is cool.
I do believe that taking the time to meditate, to be still, is leading me to … be more honest – with myself and therefore with others too.
I can actually… feel my own needs and voice them.
This is huge.
I look forward to returning to my own silent mindful meditations each morning.
I’ve kept notes throughout this adventure. There is so much material packed in to these 21days. Perhaps… after a cleansing week or so of some silence… I will return to these messages and questions and move through them again… more slowly.
May you see miracles all round…
May you behold your own life with Rapt Attention.
go easy ~p
Shake and Bake 46: The Gearing Up Edition
Hey Again…
As reported a few freaking minutes ago…. It’s the week before the 3 Day Novel Contest and I’m slipping into high prep mode.
It’s been a blessed bundle of a week.
What worked:
The studio. Getting out here to work is so freaking fantastic. I love it!
What I would do differently next time:
Come out here sooner… every blessed day.
The Hard:
- – the Meditation Challenge is great but lawd-a-mercy it began to take me longer and longer each day. The journaling bit. This isn’t a BAD thing…it just…time crunched me on a few days.
- – that feeling of being time-crunched.
- – some free floating sadness/frustration that I absorbed from another. So not mine, but there I was with it all over me. sigh.
The Good:
- + The Meditating Daily.
- + The getting back to the DOINGS… (and yes… I will start posting the numbers again…. maybe next week. Heh heh. Let’s just say the walking and the meditating and the yoga…ahhhh…)
- + Realizing that it was someone else’s sadness/frustration glomming onto me and by recognizing it…lifting it… a little.
- + Speaking up. For what I need. About what I see and think and feel. I really did OK on this front this week. Whatever can be happening?
- + and again again again I gotta say… having this room of my own to work and read and dream in. So so so SO GOOD.
The Thing that needs Baking In MOST:
Keep working with the Grounding. Breathe. Feel your Feet.
Find the PAUSE.
This Week’s Playful CHALLENGE Intention…
… write the word EASE big and bold and glue it to the cover of the SCRIB – which is the one thing I will for SURE touch every day. This will help me remember the intention for this next week …
Find the EASE-FULL way.
The Result…
Pretty groovy… and it DID help! Whee!
Next Week’s Playful CHALLENGE Intention…
To have FUN with my 3 Day prep.
To Go DEEP but keep it… playful.
~~~
Okely-Dokely… that’s it for me today.
Wishing you a fantastic weekend…and week to come.
Thanks for stopping by.
Go easy ~p
In homage to Havi’s Friday Chickens over on the The Fluent Self — This is the place I review my week – in an attempt to track some things – like progress on my novel and… living intentionally. I shake out my week and lay it out. Let the hard burn off and the good sink in. Call it an experiment in paying attention.
Comments are cherished here. Discussion is adored. If you’d rather talk in private – drop me a line.
My Way through the 3day – another 3day Novel Contest Post….
Hullo Sweeties…
Well… it’s that time of year again. The 2013 3day Novel Contest takes place over the Labour Day weekend (August 31 to September 2, 2013).
I’m back for another round of furious fun with a whole new batch of characters itching to tell me their story. Once again… I find myself without much of an outline…but hey… there’s a whole week to go and… what else have I got to do, right? YIPES!
Thought I’d toss out a few thoughts, tips, things I’ve learned over the past couple of years for those of you cruising the net looking for… distraction in the form of preparation tips. One of my personal favourite ways to distract myself in the last few days before the contest.
First off… here’s the skinny on my past participation…
2008 – Sanctuary – won Honourable Mention
Prep: Went in with a fairly tight chronological PLOT type outline – it was a fun year, found myself reeling from plot point to plot point but still open for surprises when they came up.
Length: 18, 430 words
Where it is now: This is my current Novel in Progress (NIP). I recently completed a 72,316 word “first draft”. I call it a first draft because it is basically a whole new bag. I plan to continue working on this with an eye to submission for publication.
2009: Blood Harmony
Prep: A looser outline and some research done. Once again, fun was had by all – I think my favourite moment was when something wild came ENTIRELY out of the blue and it was just so perfect that I found myself dancing on the porch! Magic times!
Length: 18, 981
Where it is now: I still love these characters. The two main characters made their way into the rewrite of Sanctuary. There is definitely more to come from Mac and the Bird.
2011: Elephant Shoes
Prep: I went in with three characters, a setting and a strange set of … sacred correspondences I’d been working on for awhile – like elements/directions/colours/numbers/angels/gods/plants/animals. An AMAZING adventure. To watch it all come out word by word and… I do believe my highest word count ever. Funny isn’t it?
Length: 22,132
Where it is now: Reworked it into a 19,930 word novella for another contest. Didn’t win. It is on the list to work on this winter. Not sure if it wants to be a novella or a long short story. Time will tell.
2012: Finnegan Begin Again
Prep: BIZARRO time. I had this one character talking to me… for quite a long time… but she wouldn’t really tell me anything other than to TRUST her. It was all quite horrifying to tell the truth. No outline at all. No real idea of what the friggen story was even ABOUT…just a character to follow. I dove in and had a blast.
Length: 21, 691
Where it is now: right beside me on the table. Truth is I haven’t even LOOKED at it ONCE since the contest last year. I plan to take a look in the next few days…. As I recall, there was a bunch of wild women in that one and there are wild women talking to me again this year… hmm… We’ll see what happens.
So… these are my “3day Creds”
Here’s what I know…
What I NEED to do the contest:
In truth…all I need is a solid typer machine, my back to the wall and somewhere to start — a character usually, a hint of their voice and … in my dream of dreams … a first line that leads me in to their story.
Stuff that HELPS me do the contest:
Solitude:
My Sweet Raggedy Man usually … exits stage left… for the duration of the weekend. He goes into town and leaves me alone in the shaky shack all day SAT, SUN and MON. He also… stands guard over my solitude. Making sure to head off any would be “visitors” who might be making plans to “drop over.”
He comes home at night and keeps the bed warm for me. Sometimes I even crawl in for a few hours of sleep. He’s also been known to give me a cuddle when I get THE FEARS.
He is always on hand for the Monday evening Official Printing Out Partay. Wherein I dance around, have a few glasses of wine and… pass the hell out.
Solid Gear (Hardware/Software):
- I work on a MacBook Pro with a Brother printer.
- I’ll be using Scrivener again this year – a fabulous “writing studio” that helps keep me organized and trucking along.
- I made a pinterest board this year to gather visual inspirations. I also stick pictures and charts up on the walls of my studio/trailer for inspiration.
- The Abebooks 3 day 2013 ChatZone is my place of solace and camaraderie.
Food and Bevvies:
I tend to go a tad overboard on the food prep. Again, it serves as a distraction on the final couple of days.
I’m a grazer so I load up on a lot of “stuff that is easy to eat with one hand” and make a few more substantial meals ahead of time for easy heating and eating.
Here’s my basic list:
Beverages:
- Coffee…lots and lots of good coffee.
- Herbal Teas… for when the caffeine threatens to shake my bones apart. Partial to ginger and mint.
- Water – cold and fresh from the hand pump off the back step.
- Juice – something lovely and special that I might not treat myself to daily – pineapple, pomegranate, wild berry concoctions.
- Wine – so far I’ve only opened the wine AFTER I hit print on my submission draft… but one never knows…. This might be the year I dive into the liquor cabinet in joy or despair.
Snacks:
- Chocolate… lots and lots of good chocolate… including goji berries covered in dark chocolate…mmmm….droool….
- GORP – almonds, peanuts, raisins, dried cranberries, dried mango, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, honey nut cheerios
- Fruit – cut into chunks for easy snackage.
- Cheese – a variety of cheeses chunked as above.
- Veggies – Carrots, red peppers, snap peas…as above.
- Cold meat – usually turkey and either ham or some kind of sausage… prepped and ready for easy snackage.
- Tortillas – for quick wraps or Quesadillas.
Prepared “meals”:
- One big honking Spinach Frittatta with veggies – cooked on Friday and ready to eat, hot or cold, all weekend.
- One BIG warm meal that will fill me up and knock me into sleepy land. I’ve made lasagna and pasta dishes in the past. This year I am going to make a fellow 3dayer’s Chicken and Dumplings in the slow cooker. Sounds yumma yumma!
- I also always grab a few frozen meals and/or a frozen ZA just in case…
And finally… the actual WORK/SLEEP plan:
I’ve done pretty much the same thing each year. It works for me.
Friday:
Finish up food prep and maybe do a bit of noodling with… whatever sort of outline I have. Hang out in the ChatZone. Try valiantly to have a nap at some point. Go back to the ChatZone. Light a fire if it is cold and I am working inside. Find a way to be warm in the studio if I am working out there. Make a fresh pot of coffee around 11:30… begin drinking it as soon as it is made. Lurk on the ChatZone til almost midnight. Go outside, howl at the moon in a prayerful way.
Saturday – Start typing at 12:01AM.
Work through the night. Stopping to drink coffee and snack as necessary.
Pop into the ChatZone when I need a break…or a laugh…or SOLACE.
Stand and stretch and move about whenever my computer tells me another hour has passed.
I usually work til I’m blurry. Then I head to bed. The time has varied, but the sky is usually lightening by the time I hit the hay.
I set an alarm for 8 hrs from the time I crash… but I usually wake up in a few hours. The story seems to always be running through my brainbox and urging me back to the typer.
I eat some food. Have a stretch – maybe do some yoga. And I dive back in.
Same work method…type…. stretch…type… BACK IT UP…type….snack…type…BACK IT UP…type… chat with cohorts…type…dance madly…type…weep…type…laugh…type…BACK IT UP…type…
Some years I have had a hot meal on the Saturday… some years not…. depends on the rhythm of the wordflow.
Usually work late into the night Saturday night/Sunday morning.
Then I sleep til I wake up.
Sunday: Eat. Stretch. Chat with cohorts while I have a morning coffee.
Dive in and… write until I have a draft. Sounds crazy but it’s true. I always seem to find my way to the end before I sleep on Sunday night/Monday morning.
If I can focus… I do a spell check before I hit the hay. If I’m REALLY clear eyed… I do a quick pass to pick up any NOTES I left for myself (see below).
Then I sleep. Again, I may set an alarm… but I always wake in a few hours.
Monday: I do a spell check if I haven’t.
I go back and fill in spots where I left myself notes. I do some editing. I do another spell check and then I print myself a hard copy.
I go outside… either just do some yoga or go for a short walk to clear my brain.
I come back, put on my “editor girl jacket” and sit and mark up/edit the hard copy.
I type up my edits… do a final final spell check… and … it is usually late in the evening.
I print it out.
I open the wine.
I woop it up!
I fall into a deep and happy sleep.
Tuesday – me and the Raggedy Man drive the manuscript into town and I mail it off.
We drink.
We are happy.
Things it is important to do throughout the contest:
BACK IT UP! Save your work. AND..Save it on a thumb drive and/or send it to Drop Box. Email it to yourself or a trusted pal.
Stay Hydrated – too much caffeine can make you nauseated or head-achey…drink water or juice or something to keep that brain MOIST and working.
Move the body – I really learned this the first year. I tend to hunch over the keyboard. Totally did my bod in the first year. Burning pain in my shoulders. Aching swollen hands… it was mad. I now have my typer set to talk to me every hour. She tells me it is 1 o’clock…2 o’clock…and so on. Whenever she speaks, I get up and stretch. Take a walk around the room or step outside for a minute. If I feel the burning muscles thing happening – I do some quick yoga stretches to work it out and I MOVE from whatever place I have been working in to another chair/spot/position for the next hour. It helps. Really.
Come to the ChatZone if you need cheering on. Someone will be there to make you laugh, or challenge you to a word sprint, or… send you a link to an awesome song to dance to if that’s what you need. If no one seems to be there… we must all be typing madly…but someone will need a break soon and they will ride to your rescue. I swear it.
Things that I avoid during the contest:
People live and in person. I only talk to my 3day cohorts and the Raggedy Man for the 3 days.
I don’t Facebook or Tweet (well, I still haven’t joined the twitter verse…so that ain’t hard.) I find too many bunny holes of temptation therein.
If I find myself wandering about online when I just meant to check a fact… I SHUT OFF MY WI FI and buckle the hell down.
and most of all…
I DON’T EDIT as I go. I simply CAN NOT allow my over-active critic to get her claws into anything until the Monday editing session. Sure I might change a few words, fix something up QUICKLY but if I find myself staring at something or reworking a sentence over and over… I just MAKE A NOTE IN RED and write it on my hand-written notepad thingy to come back to later.
If I start to edit… I won’t make it. I won’t get through the entire story in the time frame.
I know this about myself.
And, because I have always managed in the past to have some time at the end to go back over everything… I don’t panic. I just let it be and MOVE ALONG.
Keep those fingers moving.
That’s the ticket.
WHEW… OK. I will stop there. I’m sure I’ve missed things… but this is a start at least.
If you have any questions… drop me a line… or better yet – c’mon over to the ChatZone. There’s a bunch of great folks over there who’d love to meet you.
Go easy ~p
If you liked this post… you might want to check out these ones… They have some links to other people’s survival guides and some info on outlining and whatnot….
Places I read
some places i hang out
Pam Bustin 