Not this time.

I'm taking next week off and I am SO ready for it. I have blogs I want to write, articles I should finish beforehand – but it all amounts to doing double the work this week, and I just can't get my head into it.

The good news is I have fallen back into a regular writing routine after struggling for a few months there. But I'm afraid I'll slip right back into my funk when I take the entire week off.

On the other hand, we have some fun activities planned and haven't I said before that sometimes you just need to decompress and be inspired by life in order to have something that's worth writing about?

So really, the guilt and pressure are all self-imposed. How about a little self-imposed pleasure? Dip my toes in the pool, soak up some sun, eat some ice cream and get away for a while, right? It'll all be waiting for me when I get back.

My Works-In-Progress

• Well, it took a few weeks longer than I thought but I finally finished my tweet-inspired tale! Maybe once it finds a home, I'll spill the beans on whose tweet inspired me
• I haven't even started planning my WeSeWriMo project yet, not really! I've tried but keep getting stuck. Maybe my week off will allow my thoughts to settle and the perfect idea will come to me. I hope…
• Instead of driving myself completely insane, I'm going to hold off on my RPP idea until later. I haven't even looked at it since NaNoWriMo – I imagine it will need a lot of reworking, which isn't a bad thing. Sometimes the editing goes smoother than diving into something new
• I've been meaning to finalize my swag giveaway but it keeps getting pushed to the backburner. I'll need to tackle it when I'm back.

So, how to you cope with being constantly on the go and finding it hard to take some time for yourself? Think I'll be able to cope?!

Fellow WIP Wednesday posse:

• Jamie Eyberg – Vacation
• Aaron Polson – WIP Wednesday: "The End" Never Felt So Good

If you’re a writer participating in WIP Wednesday, post a link to your blog in the comments! More info on the WIP Wednesday initiative can be found at Kate Karyus Quinn's blog.

Fellow members of The Creative Alliance:

• Patrick Pillars – From The Dark Side Anthology Video & Interview with Nicole Ireland
• Ro Van Saint – Z-Cast Ep. 2
• David Sobkowiak – Full bios for all From The Dark Side Authors
• Vange – From The Dark Side Antho Stuff
• Nicole Ireland – Interview with Patrick Pillars

Want to know where all the cool kids go? Check out TCA and join us! Writers, artists, musicians – unite!

State of the WIPs:

• completed the first draft of my tweet-inspired tale (tentatively titled Graveyard Shift at The Institute)
• did some brainstorming for my WeSeWriMo project
• took a look at one of my NaNo 2010 stories, hoping to submit it to Red Penny Papers

What I Did Well:

• got back on track with my WAC
• spent some "Me Time" reading (aka feeding the creative Muse)

What I Can Improve Upon:

• trying to get back into hitting a 500-word minimum at the very least (I'm o.k. with this when polishing up a WIP, but would prefer a 1KDay when working on something new)
• try not to get stuck on the perpetual Twitter refresh too often
• socializing seems to be either feast or famine for me. Would like to balance this out more so I can interact and bond (instead of drive-by hellos) with my peeps without sacrificing too much writing time

All in all, it was a good week. Not great…but these things wax and wane so I'm determined to get more accomplished next week.

How did you do with your goals last week? What are you hoping to tackle this week?

My WIP pile is evidence of the creative chaos in which I work. With a billion and one projects on the go right now, it speaks a lot to my need for some sort of schedule.

When I am working on a story that doesn't have a specific deadline in mind, it's easy to get caught up in every minute detail or simply flit from one project to the next and never finish anything.

[ Photo: Ali Taylor  ]

So, when I heard about WeSeWriMo (Web Series Writing Month), I was instantly curious.

NaNoWriMo is good for me. Sure, it's a crazy undertaking, but having that specific deadline and daily word count to work toward is made for me.I've been wanting to offer some free/minimal payment content for a while now, and an online serial has always been on my to-do list.

So, I have decided to take up the challenge. I'm a bit worried that our annual camping trip might hinder my progress a bit – but then again I tend to get up early when we're camping – and what better setting to jot down some words than sitting lakeside every morning with my cup of brewed-over-the-campfire coffee?

Come August, I'm taking the plunge. Care to join me?

In other news, I've got a pile of stories to be read that rivals my mountain of WIPs. With tales from Jenny Hudock, Barry Napier, Aaron Polson, R. Van Saint, and Jason Tucker, to name just a handful, I've got loads of inspiration just waiting for me to partake.

I've also started reading Melissa Jones' Black Wreath. M is actually the culprit responsible for letting me know about WeSeWriMo in the first place, so if you are looking for a dark mystery with an exquisitely distinctive voice, check it out!

All in all, there is always a lot going on and that's how I like it.

My Current WIPS

• final edits to tweet-inspired tale, i.e. sprinkling it with Creep and Cringe
• lightbulb moment with one of the stories from my NaNo 2010 collection; plan to finish and submit it next week
• ideas brewing for WeSeWriMo

Fellow WIP Wednesday posse:

• Jamie Eyberg - Not enough coffee in the world
• Katey Taylor – Sensational!

If you’re a writer participating in WIP Wednesday, post a link to your blog in the comments! More info on the WIP Wednesday initiative can be found at Kate Karyus Quinn's blog.

Fellow members of The Creative Alliance:

• Jenny Hudock – Dark Journeys Returns: The Handyman
• Patrick Pillars – The Vigil 

Want to know where all the cool kids go? Check out TCA and join us! Writers, artists, musicians – unite!