Priorities

Since it is Tuesday, many of you popping in here today are likely looking for this week’s Going Paperless post. For each of the last 2 weeks, I’ve had to delay the post by one day, and the same looks to be true for this week as well. I thought I should at least explain the reasons for the delay these last few weeks.

Earlier this year I realigned my priorities somewhat. I talked about it somewhat vaguely at the end of my Internet vacation back in March. Getting down to the brass tacks, however, my priorities, where my writing is concerned are as follows:

1. Fiction writing
2. Other paid writing
3. Blogging

I consider that list my order of precedence. After my day job, family time, and various chores each day, I must get my fiction-writing done before I allow myself any other writing. Once the fiction-writing is done–if there is time–I move onto other paid writing I do, like my book review column. If my fiction writing and other paid writing get done and there is still some time left in the day, that’s where my blogging comes in¹.

This may help explain why things have been a little quieter here than in the past.  I have been unusually busy in my day job, juggling half a dozen projects in various states of completion. And I am absolutely determined to write fiction every day. Prioritizing my writing in this manner goes a long way to making that possible. Case in point: as of yesterday I’ve written fiction for 55 consecutive days, totalling just under 50,000 words. I don’t think I could have done that had I not maintained some amount of discipline with my writing priorities.

So, you can expect the next Going Paperless posts to appear tomorrow–or possibly Thursday, as my day tomorrow is already looking uncomfortably full. And I know how frustrating it can be when a series you look forward to gets off its schedule.