The one goal I had for Camp NaNoWriMo this month was to finish my book. That… didn’t happen. In fact, I only wrote each week because of the write-ins I hosted.
Just as July was kicking off, I decided to host weekly write-ins in my region’s Slack channel. I scheduled them for Thursday nights because that’s when we usually do virtual write-ins in November, and people were excited about it. Though I did occasionally forget until the last minute (Yay for ADD!*), I did actually host those five write-ins! I consider that a huge win.
Another thing that happened in July is that my husband and I decided to move in with my mom in a completely different state, so I quit my job.
What does this have to do with my book? Well, if my husband can find a job quickly, I may not have to work. (!) That means more flexibility in managing my fatigue and hopefully more writing time.
Oh, you’ve never heard me mention my fatigue before? Without writing an entire book on the subject, let me fill you in: The depression I was diagnosed with as a teenager is actually chronic inflammation. Dealing with the inflammation uses a lot of my body’s energy, so it causes fatigue and depression to get me to slow down. No, I don’t know exactly what is causing the inflammation, and no, I can’t get a doctor to do any damned thing about it. They hear the word depression and automatically prescribe antidepressants (that don’t help with the fatigue). At the moment, I’m trying CoQ10, which is helping a lot, but I’m still playing with the dose and have bouts of fatigue that make it nigh impossible to get anything done. I’m thinking of starting an anti-inflammatory diet, but I’m afraid the restriction will cause disordered thoughts.
So that’s another reason my book still isn’t done…
However! I did enroll in Sarra Cannon’s Publish and Thrive course, which starts August 10th, and I’m REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IT!
Now, I know what you’re thinking. How can you publish a book that isn’t done yet? Well, I asked myself that for years, but I’ve found that I am a lot more motivated when I know exactly how much work is ahead of me. There’s nothing worse than accomplishing something, only to have it tainted by suddenly finding out you’re only a quarter of the way done with the project as a whole. By doing this course, I’ll be better prepared for what lies ahead.
Will I get a lot of writing done in August? I don’t know. At least half of the month will be taken up by moving, and the Publish and Thrive course may take up the majority of my spare energy. Or maybe I’ll manage my fatigue really well and get a lot more done. Who knows?
*Some people don’t believe me when I forget about things. “Didn’t you write it down?” “I usually put events in my phone, so I get a notification.” “You know, it’s okay if you didn’t do the thing. You can still show up.” No, really, people. I just forgot, despite all the notifications and having it written in my planner and on all the calendars in my home. ADD is a bitch.
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