I imagine this is what sobering up must feel like.
Here it is, a week into February and I have written less than one thousand words this year total. It’s embarrassing. It’s shocking. It’s down right revolting. I haven’t blogged since… No… That can’t be right.
December Eleventh?
Oh dear. This won’t do at all.
I’ve managed to lose a whole month to the Post Retail Christmas Traumatic Stress Disorder. It’s a thing… look it up. I’ve only recently started to sleep like a normal person, aside from the fact that I’m a twenty nine year old man with a Pokemon addiction. Sometimes that creeps into my sleep time. Okay, it creeps in there a lot.
In November I was both a jerk and focused. I smashed out those fifty thousand words and laughed in the face of NaNoWriMo- “Ha ha ha ha haaaaa.” I told friends and family that I would not be going to their functions. Words flowed freely and I was exceptionally happy with my progress and the story.
I know what you’re thinking. “Well TJ… Tell me. Tell me what happened.” As I lay on the metaphorical psychologist’s couch before you, allow me to explain the blur that was December and January.
December came and my store was busier than I’ve experienced for this shop. As we were the little store that could, we struggled but managed to smash targets with lower wages than any other store in our area. I’ve said in retail before that the numbers simply don’t lie when we’re doing a good job, and we did a damn fine one.
After Christmas is followed by two weeks of sales and returns. Customers overjoyed with the deals and others who are absolutely pissed that our Christmas casual with two hours of training sold them the wrong thing and they opened it on Christmas. Yet another year I ruined at least half a dozen Christmases. That’s fine, fix it now and move on.
Then January comes where we begin clean up and sending out things that didn’t sell over Christmas. For the Christmas Period, I live and breathe the store, and when I’m not there, I’m thinking about it. Enter Pokemon. As a January Retail Zombie, lumbering along looking for brains, I needed something to jump start my brain. Anything besides work related things. I picked up the latest copy of Pokemon and decided that for the first time in a long time… I would catch them all.
At first it was a joke. Catch them all. PFFT. There’s literally a bajillion. (Note: Sarcasm)
Now? I’ve caught over four hundred legitimate Pokemon… with still a rough three hundred to go. *Cue Pokemon Theme Song*
So I did end up replacing work in my mind… with Pokemon. Now while I’m at work, I’m counting down the minutes until I can get home, crack open the DS and discover a few new Pokemon I’ve never seen before. Judge me. I don’t care. I love it like a fat kid loves cake.
Or just me… I love cake… a lot!
So now, oh now. Here we are and Past TJ has literally done absolutely nothing to help us on the journey to becoming a Pokemon Master Published Author. Future TJ seems to have some promise, but Future TJ is more concerned with turning the big Three Zero this year and what hole to hide in until people stop reminding him of it.
Meanwhile present TJ is here writing this blog, staring at the golden DS wherein lies untold amounts of Pokemon for capturing. Present TJ doesn’t seem too focused either but at least this poor guy is trying.
How are you fellow writers faring in this new year? Are you the broken little soldier that I am? Or are you already doing the book signings while us mere mortals look up inspirational writing quotes from our favorite authors? One of my friends has published her book. Another friend is actively seeking out publishers for her story. Congrats to those two! Let me know how you’re going in the comments, I’d love to hear from all of you! Until then… Gotta Catch Em All!
Uhh… I mean… write them… the words… Gotta Write Them All… Yes.
Side Note: Has anyone given any thought to a whole world where to gain a friend you pummel them to within an inch of their demise only to throw balls at them until they are forced to come along with you? The premise for Pokemon is weird.
I couldn’t tell ya about Pokémon…not my thing. I can’t get into games in general. Sorry, no help here. Now get to writing mister!
You’re right.. I should be writing. But… have you ever seen a Pikachu? It’s damn cute. Although I have work homework (Yay a new way for it to follow me home) so that’ll take priority. Bloody paycheck jobs!
For me it’s not gaming, just mysteriously missing time … but, in truth, it’s missing energy. I just found out that I’m seriously deficient in vitamin D, though, so now I have a prescription for industrial strength stuff and that may help. Like you, I’m trying to get back into my work after the blur of Dec/Jan.
Hey, at least I’m READING blogs again 🙂
Renae, you have to start somewhere, right? The worst part for me is I’m actually at an extremely exciting part in my book but due to a lack of energy and focus I just find myself staring at the words.
Honestly, I couldn’t tell you where I was for January. I just hope I was wearing pants.
How far are you along with your writing?
I wrote like a fiend in December over break (being in academia we get 2 1/2 weeks off, and yes, it’s as wonderful as you imagine), but I think I burned a few circuits, and January hasn’t been incredibly productive. I do feel like I’m getting back to business in February. Sometimes I think after a huge writing spurt, e.g. Nano, you’ve got to give the old brain a rest!
My partner is a teacher here in Australia and she just finished four weeks off. I was a bit jealous working nearly every day over Christmas break. My problem was I went hard for November, then did Christmas in retail and then by the time I was aware it was 2015, I’d missed January.
Now I’m hoping that I can get back into it. I’ve started rereading what I wrote and organising my notes. I could write all year long given the time. Unfortunately those pesky things like friends, work and family all get in the way (Sarcasm!). I often wonder how many writers have a social life. I guess that’s the wonderful thing about social media; you can create whatever life you want others to believe, even though you may not be living it! (No one would want to see pictures of me sitting around playing video games if I ever become a published author!)