FATE’S EDGE is turned in. At the end we were doing 3-5K every day, which is a crazy pace. Strangely, it didn’t seem too insane after a while. I’m beginning to think that 3K a day should be the way to go. Scrivener, which is the writing program I use, lets me set the target word count and gives me a lovely visual representation of it. When I bellyached to Jeaniene Frost a while ago about how I had doubts of making it and visions of my brain melting, she suggested setting it to 1,200 words.
Twelve hundred words didn’t seem too bad – that’s my “average” daily word count. I’d get to 1,200 words, the bar would turn green, and I’d think, “I could do more…” And I did.
The biggest factor is superior productivity was limiting the internet. If I just stayed the hell away from Facebook/Twitter and didn’t get worked up about things that had nothing to do with me, I wrote a lot faster. Yes, Captain Obvious, Internet is a time-suck. Imagine that surprise. O.o
Gordon bought me roses. Because he loves me.
Now that FATE’S EDGE is in, it should come back to us relatively quickly for edits. Meanwhile I found a small heap of things that need to be done.
- Ebooks – we need to get off our butts and finish three half-finished projects.
- I need to buy Quickbooks and get some sort of system of e-royalty tracking into place.
- I need to unpack the office, hook up the printer, print contracts and mail them.
- Need to get a P.O. Box.
- Need to unpack. Gordon heroically put the bookshelves together, but we still have a couple that need to be dealt with. Also all my clothes are in boxes.
- Need to repaint: the living room is a terrible brown color. I think they were aiming for coffee with cream, but some green had snuck into their brown and the effect is not nice.
- Blog – I love this theme, but it is in dire need of tweaking or perhaps developing new theme that looks just like this one, but is less pain on the back end.
- Need to renew domains
- Need to sort out my new knitting space – does it ever get cold in Austin? What could I knit that children would actually wear? I have no clue.
And today I’ll need to take Kid 1 to orthodontist because her braces hurt. 
Oh, I <3 Scrivener!
And such pretty fresh roses they are, too! ^_^
From my own experience and what I've heard from others, I think writers get used to particular word rates and can train themselves to work more. You can get everything done; just one little step at a time. It doesn't all need to be done today.
I've knit purses to go with outfits.
Hmmm… Cold in Austin… that would be a probably not, but don’t count it out. Texas weather delights in being nutso. The instant someone says “It never (insert random weather action here) here anymore” the weather gods will either A: Immediately cause that action to happen so that all of your friends laugh at you or B: Never let that action happen again (ahem, rain) so that all of your friends think you jinxed it. It’s really very enjoyable
And they’re RED roses, too! My dad only manages that when my mum has a birthday that ends with an 0.
Kudos to you and your husband!
Beautiful roses. I’d been wondering about Scrivener, will have to try it out. Hope you leave time for fun stuff too (although I do understand the ever growing “to-do” list).
I love your current theme! Which one is it?
3-5k is amazing.
I am told that cottons, linens, and flax are all good Texas knitting yarns. They make lovely bath cloths, hand towels, and tank tops.
Pretty roses! Painting is always a fun project. It’s so visible and makes such a change in the way a room looks, plus it goes fast so you feel like you’re making major progress.
Sorry about Kid 1′s braces…they do hurt!
Congrats on finishing! I knew you could dew eeeiiiit!
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It usually doesn’t get too cold here, but it gets chilly enough sometimes for a scarf. However, last winter did get super cold. We got ice and even got down to the negatives. There were power outages cause of the ice too. The last time that happened was maybe five years ago. :/
So happy you are done and can think of other things now… like KNITTING! For the girls: What about some fingerless gloves out of fingering wt/sock yarn or one of those slouchy hats out of sock yarn. I’ve seen several of my kids wearing those even in late spring up here. Hope you get your important things done.
The roses are lovely, and so is Gordon for getting them for you.
I should probably check out Scrivener– I’m still writing as slow as molasses, and I know I can do better. My problem seems to be getting wrapped on in teen drama so much that it sucks the energy and creativity out of me. I think I want to “fix” everything for them:(
You sound more upbeat today– I know you still have a lot to do, but hopefully the worst is behind you:)
My kids – Kid 2 in particular – had a lot of trouble on the emotional front of teenagehood. Their emotions really take a beating when they reach about 12 and no, we can’t shield them from everything. I honestly don’t really think they should. This is their “trial period” time, when they can try out different things and be different people without the burden of having to support themselves.
I actually have done pretty well with letting them express themselves. My daughter is 11 and she wanted to dye her hair black–I helped her and she loves it. The drama that gets to me is mostly the boy/girl stuff with the boys who are 17 and 18 now. See them hurt and not being able to “make it better” ended up being so much tougher than I ever thought it would be. Or seeing them in pain when a friend betrays them–that type of thing:( I told my 17 year old to remember that high school doesn’t last forever, and it really does get better.
*waves* hi kid2
Mine turns 1 on Thursday… *braces self for upcoming teen drama*
Actually, as a middle school teacher I’ve seen it, heard it, experienced it, slapped it down, and sent it to the principal’s office while I made a phone call to the parents. On one hand I think I’m prepared, on the other hand I’m sure my little girl will come up with new and unique ways to drama out.
Is it strange I’m looking forward to it?
*needs head examined*
Yes that is strange lol!
My daughter has just turned 12 and I let her have a load of friends around for a Buffy sleepover – big mistake. No one slept at all, stuff was broken and things were said. Mostly ‘never again’.
I have been dreading this stage since I was pregnant and it is definitely not disappointing.
You are the sweetest people I don’t really know
!!
Not sure about an orthodontist, but I can recommend an awesome dentist. Hubby and I absolutely loathe most dentists and anything related due to bad experiences, but we were both very happy with Dr. Schraeder. http://www.drschrader.com In addition to being one of the few dentists dentists in Austin who sees patients on a Friday, he also does periodontal work so you don’t have to see a dentist and then make an appt with someone else for advanced problems. Truly, only 2 or 3 dentists are open on Fridays, most have Mon -Thu hours – which really, really sucks when your tooth cracks and you need an emergency root canal and crown. He’s also the forensic odontologist for Travis county and has several other interesting dentist related jobs. On top of that, he and his wife (she works with him) are good people. Intelligent, excellent sense of humor, very snarky and genuinely funny. Good story tellers too!
Heh, you would never know from all that how much I hate dentists, but obviously he made a very good impression.
Aww, you got roses from Gordon, that’s so sweet. *S* Congrats on finishing the book on time! I know you have a ton of things to do, but don’t overwhelm yourself. Make a list of things that need to be done and pick a day (or week) by which it needs to be done. It will give you a schedule and it will not let you overdo it–and you will have a sense of accomplishment every time you cross something off that dratted list. *L*
Regarding knitted products for Texas–knitted tank tops. Make it with light cotton yarn and your girls will love them. *G*
Linen, cotton, silk in tank tops? Or some lovely lacey scarves.
My sister knits a lot of socks, which you could wear in Austin’s admittedly mild “winter”. Also, lighter-weight sweaters work as well. Nothing wool, though, that’s definitely out.
Scarves and Hats – that’s what everyone in Austin wears in the ‘winter’. We collect them. Think 3 inch wide scarve, loose weave – anything thicker and it will almost never get used. After wintering in Portland, you will probably think our winter is kind of like spring. I make mine extra long, so for the week that it gets a teensy bit cold, I can double it up, and the rest of the time it just looks like I’m attempting to be stylish.
Oh, loose weave sweaters, or sweaters that button up (so they can be easily removed) are ok too.
There are some knitting groups in Austin too. And you should totally check out Hill Country Weavers on South Congress – their yarn selection is incredible.
Congrats on the book! Eagerly awaiting it!
Very important addition to list- float in pool with frozen margarita (or any cold treat). Call this your new health plan.
Wow that is a lot of words!
As far as knitting things – Lots of people have cute loose knitted swimsuit covers. Not the best example but similar style: http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/img-thing?.out=jpg&size=l&tid=35155491
Lovely roses. Congratulations on the writing accomplishments! You are so generous to share fun stories with us!
Congratulations on the book being turned in and ick on all the chores left to do, do not envy you.
Austin does get cold to those of us who are raised in Texas heat, to someone like your family who have weathered colder climates you may just smile and wear shorts all year long…
But there is ice in some of the winter season, there has been snow of a sort known to fall a time or two in the past 5 years and it pays to drip your water through the pipes are they freeze and burst when the weather stays in the 30′s for over a day…. Not real bad weather winter here in Central Texas but due to the fact we are having such an abnormal heat wave from early on this summer the winter will probably be colder than normal also…
I have lived in this area of Central Texas twice and even 50 miles east of Austin we get hit with some extreme temp changes so watching the winter updates on Austin television channels for the past 10 years I can tell you that it fluctuates from year to year and from one extreme to the other in the fall and winter months.. You can start out in the morning at 29 degrees and by that evening be in the 80′s some days and some days you can start in the 70′s and be in the teens come night fall…
There’s a new knitting book you could check out – More Knitting in the Sun. It’s full of kid patterns, specifically designed for warm weather. I haven’t looked through it fully but some of the pics looked like a kid would actually wear them. It’s on my to-purchase-eventually list.
http://www.amazon.com/More-Knitting-Sun-Patterns-Knit/dp/0470874481
Btw, as an Oregonian I just want to say boo-hoo on you moving away, but I understand. The winters suck like a mother and my husband and I have both developed the allergies from Hades since moving to Oregon 9 years ago. But I loved the idea of possibly running in to you at Winco! Ha ha
Oops I just read more on the Amazon page and the patterns are just for kids 2-12. Ha ha
Okay! How about this one – the original Knitting in the Sun, with adult patterns?
http://www.amazon.com/Knitting-Sun-Projects-Warm-Weather/dp/0470416661/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1310498150&sr=1-1
Michelle may very well come up for Armadillocon….if so, you guys can compare knitting notes.
She knits, and it’s even warmer in Houston.
Some of the folks I know who knit in Texas do things like sweater vest and cardigan b/c the are easy take off when the sun warms up the winter days. I never seen knitted shorts but maybe you could start a new fashion trend. People in Austin tend to be very accepting of “fashion risks.”
The last time I was in Austin I was reading Magic Burns and knitting a lace shawl. That book and shawl always remind me of that trip to Texas. If you can, get over to Hill Country Weavers – a great yarn store in Austin, you will find plenty of ideas there on what to knit in Texas.
Gordon gets a gold star for thinking of, and getting, the roses. Make that well deserved roses.
Jeaniene Frost is very sneaky in a good way, with her suggestion of 1,200 words. Nothing like outsmarting yourself, and with such good results.
Be sure to give yourselves time to recharge, after all the move hassles and stresses, and the big effort and stress of getting FATES’ EDGE done well and on time. You deserve some breaks. Plus, everything you do will be better, and done with less effort, if you’ve taken some R&R here and there.
Hey I just realized something…Austin has one of the best local radio stations in the country. It’s 93.3 KGSR. I’ve listened to it off and on for years over the internet. Really eclectic and generally run by people who just love music of all kinds. You might want to check them out.
I lived in the Dallas area for 2 years a while back. It does get cold around January and February. Now that I remember it seems to get a lot colder than it really is and I’ve lived in Utah, Colorado, and Oregon for comparisons to cold temps. Now I’m living in Alabama and I still get freezing every winter around January and February.
I guess if it isn’t cold my body might be so used to getting cold at that time that it just interprets that it’s cold without letting logic in. It really doesn’t help that I’m kind of considered cold natured and while I’m freezing I’m putting off heat like a heating blanket on high. And that’s why my husband won’t cuddle with me when I feel freezing, cause I guess it seems like I’m on fire. No clue.
“Blog – I love this theme, but it is in dire need of tweaking or perhaps developing new theme that looks just like this one, but is less pain on the back end.”
Is blog broken? Not broken? On way to broken? It looks good. I vote leave it if nothing is broken until you have time or code writing groupies. My vote counts ’cause I am code monkey tester and push random buttons. But will refrain from pressing things if it breaks the website and makes you write code instead of booksBooskBooskBooskBooksMoarBooksPleaseMoarMoarBooksOohBooks.
And yes, I’m aware that could be internal dialogue for a dog substitute with bones or treat.
As for the yarn, perhaps trade it for bamboo, silk, and cotton. I like knitpicks shine, if that helps. Shawls also help with overzealous air conditioning.
Love the roses!
Twitter/Facebook = Black Holes in Time ::Blinks:: What do you mean it’s midnight!! I just woke up!
One thing kind of hit me out of all the text (sorry, not an Edge fan)–you mentioned a bar turning green when you hit 1200. Was that an exaggeration, or is there really a program for that?
I believe that’s a feature of the writing program Scrivner. Note that while it’s available for both the Mac & PC now, the Mac version is always a version ahead of the PC version, so if you have a PC, check the features before you buy to make sure it’s got what you want
Lovely roses!
Ilona, Lilith Saintcrow praised a program called Freedom on her LJ awhile ago., Freedom let’s you block internet, for a time. I think the longest time was 8 hours.
I don’t know anything about writing, but I know I love toe socks! And even better, knee high toe socks! Maybe your kids would like them too, if you still need a knitting project
Way to go Gordan! Roses look great wish I was smart enough to remember to buy my wife roses mire often.
Socks, socks & more socks. With toes if needed. I live in Sunny Central California (San Joaquin Valley), and still wear wool socks (fingering weight yarn) through the summer heat. They work better than Knee-Highs or panty hose ( & I haven’t worn those in 4 years).
Yes, it does get cold in Austin but not extremely. Sweaters that can be pulled on and off easily are best due to over heated buildings. Fur coats are something that are rarely used in Austin, but you are not knitting a mink coat.
You will get use to it. One day you will be saying “OMG it is January and the low will be 40 degrees! How can I stand such extreme cold!”
Here’s something to knit–or at least a knitting direction to consider:
http://robinmckinleysblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/IMG_0977.jpg
You do know that red implies lust right??
The comments are tl;dr for me. But if you use Firefox, get Leech Block.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/leechblock/
It may help with that productivity issue.
Yes, I agree that the internet is a time-sucking monster. I’ve found a few programs that I run (on Mac) that selective block or allow internet access for up to 24 hours in order to reduce my distractions and help me to get my work done. One (and I’m a happy freeware user) is called “SelfControl.”
Thanks for all the wonderful stories! I’m looking forward to Silver Fish…
David B