pbray: (Default)
pbray ([personal profile] pbray) wrote2008-05-29 09:06 am
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Embracing the chaos

After spending five months trying to make it work, it has dawned on me that I should stop expecting to achieve a satisfactory work/life balance. Each time I think I have a handle on things, a new curve ball is thrown my way. For instance, up until yesterday I was anticipating a moderately busy June, to be followed by the madness that is quarter-close in the financial world.

Instead there are now three major projects that need to be accomplished in June, any one of which would be daunting. And oh yes, all of the projects must be done with minimal user impact, while still getting ready for 2Q close.

So screw it. It's not going to get better, so I'm just going to go with the flow. Thus, starting June 1st, I'll be signing up for [livejournal.com profile] novel_in_90 again. It worked last summer, and hopefully it will work again.

Now it's off to beat databases into submission. And explain to end-users that I'm not actually psychic, so if they need changes made to the system they have to tell me, rather than expecting that I'll somehow be able to read their minds.

[identity profile] kristine-smith.livejournal.com 2008-05-29 01:32 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah.

Starting next week, I'm going to try the get-up-at-oh-hell-thirty-and-write-for-a-couple-of-hours and see how that goes. Evenings aren't working.

I have a few things to look forward to this summer. Some concerts. Denvention. But other than that, it will be nose to grindstone. Book is due in 6 months. No choice.

I may sign up for [livejournal.com profile] novel_in_90. But Seventy Days of Sweat didn't work out very well, so this may not be a time to try more metrics.
Edited 2008-05-29 13:53 (UTC)

[identity profile] pbray.livejournal.com 2008-05-29 03:56 pm (UTC)(link)
Well zero metrics wasn't working for me, so I'll give Nin90 a try. And we can commiserate in Denver. I'm also trying the "wake up early and write" routine....

[identity profile] mizkit.livejournal.com 2008-05-29 04:57 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm doing Nin90 too, since I have yet another book due more or less immediately. And we get to move house again during this writefest. There's *never* a good time. :)

[identity profile] pbray.livejournal.com 2008-05-29 05:20 pm (UTC)(link)
Yikes, moving?! Hopefully not too far.

[identity profile] mizkit.livejournal.com 2008-05-29 05:21 pm (UTC)(link)
Depends on how you define 'far'. By Irish standards, it's far, as it's to the other end of the country, more or less. Of course, it's a very tiny country...

[identity profile] pbray.livejournal.com 2008-05-29 05:58 pm (UTC)(link)
Wow. But at least you aren't changing continents this time.

[identity profile] jpsorrow.livejournal.com 2008-05-29 05:33 pm (UTC)(link)
Yay! I'll have someone who will drink with me at Nin90! Welcome back to the dark side, young Jedi. *heavy breathing noises . . . no, not THOSE kind of heavy breathing noises, geesh!*

[identity profile] pbray.livejournal.com 2008-05-29 05:58 pm (UTC)(link)
Must Nin90! Must write!

Must try out new bars in Binghamton...

[identity profile] shaysdays.livejournal.com 2008-05-31 03:36 am (UTC)(link)
A bit OT, but I am 1/4 of the way through the second Devlin book and really enjoying it.

[identity profile] pbray.livejournal.com 2008-05-31 01:47 pm (UTC)(link)
Thanks! And kind comments are never off topic.

[identity profile] shaysdays.livejournal.com 2008-06-01 03:43 am (UTC)(link)
Argh- I am, I dunno, 9/10's of the way through it and all of a sudden- King.

Not that I hate Mr "And a young child shall lead them- into a place with alien ass weasels" but it seriously ended at Devlin vs Mychal!

(I did check the third one and there wasn't a correction, so I'm assuming it's a publisher error and not a wickedly cool cliffhanger.)

I'll also send a slightly more cool-toned e-mail you can pass along to Spectre/Bantam.
Edited 2008-06-01 03:55 (UTC)

[identity profile] pbray.livejournal.com 2008-06-01 04:26 am (UTC)(link)
*Gnashing of teeth*

Sigh. I'm disappointed to hear that there are still bad copies out in stores. The newest print run is good, but of course that doesn't help you or the handful of others out there who have purchased bad books.

Just send me your mailing address and I'd be happy to send you a copy that's guaranteed to have all its pages.