Establishing a Routine

When I wrote my first book (yes, I have written a book), I had to establish a routine. (Yes, I'll discuss that book in a minute...bear with me; I do have a point).  It began every morning at 5 am, I would write for an hour each weekday, and then go to the gym to work out and then off to work I went. The book got finished (but didn't get published). The point is, that I had a routine! For someone like me, that made all the difference in the world. I wasn't going to post daily to this blog until I actually began the November challenge, (and I still might not), but I have been prodded to by my niece Erika. She suggested that I post daily, as to gain interest and snippets to entice while I research and prepare. Hmmm, not sure I will do that. Why? Well, as I said, the challenge starts on November 1st. Yes, I have a ways to go, but daily? Maybe, let's see how my muse wants to proceed.
Back to the routine. If you could see the space that I am preparing for me to sit and write every day, you would simply shake your head in disgust and say what a mess!! I have "projects" in medias res everywhere!!!!  I am up to my neck in pictures, and cross-stitch, and quilting; just to name a few. So, my plan is to take care of some of these projects by either finishing them up or getting them out of this room! The clutter, I must admit is overwhelming. So, to write everyday right now means that I have yet another tool to procrastinate.  Those of you who have seen this room would say, "Leave her alone to clean up that mess first, then she can write!"
Now, about that first book... Oh, you thought I forgot? Nope. Picture this...The year, 2000 and I am in northern Maine: Caribou to be exact. I am riding on the back of our snow machine with my husband Gary. BAM! Out of the blue, an idea strikes! So, there I am...riding, and thinking. Slowly I begin developing the details of the book. Once home, I start scribbling down everything I could think of, and the next morning, I begin my routine! I finish the book as I said earlier, and I have a writing partner, Lynda, who I would share a couple of chapters in order to help me edit. I love having a writer as a friend as they are such a big help in so many ways! Anyway, I digress. The book is called "And Sew I Stitch". It was finished in 2001.  It is a book that is about a woman who learns to cross stitch in middle school, and each chapter is based on an event in her life, and at the end of each chapter is a cross-stitch pattern that relates to the previous chapter. I have sent this out to a couple of publications, but I hadn’t really pursued it too much, because I needed more time to create the cross stitch designs.  I haven’t touched it in years! I will, but for now, I'd like to get this novel that has been in my head for 10 years, onto paper, and into your hands.