If noise is an issue, try https://mynoise.net/ I like a combo of their 88 keys and pebble beach to focus. But I hear you about needing space. I can read on the bus, but for writing I prefer specific places in the house. I can write while people watch TV though, so it really helps me.
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To give him credit, my husband cooks more often than I do so I don’t have that excuse. 
We share chores.
A part of my issue is that I don’t know how to request literal “stay away from me” time without offending my family. Because I need a good chunk of time. 30 min here or there isn’t enough. It takes me about 40 min just to get in the zone and then I’d like to write for at least an hour or two. So I need 3 uninterrupted hours. But then sometimes that’s the only time I’ve got with my family. I don’t want a routine in which they never see me.
That’s why I always get excited about the weekend when in theory, I’ll have time for both.
But then we always end up doing something because well, it’s the only time we can.
This is really frustrating. When I don’t write, I’m unhappy.
I used to that too but lately I’m trying to take care of myself a little better and so I’m trying to stop cutting into my sleep time.
Thanks for the suggestion. I might check it out.
I have a writing playlist that works well. Unfortunately, wearing headphones for a longer time really hurts my ears so there’s a limit how much I can get out of that.
What would help all my issues is if the weather got nicer. Then I could sit at the gazebo outside. My husband gets bored there. 
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Also theories on the affects of different frequencies on various mental differences. Works for some people. Static would get to me after a while.
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Men tend to like to fix things…so let him deal with some of the logistics:
- I need time to write, like a 3 hour block, at least once, twice a week.
- I need the time to be as uninterrupted as possible.
- But I cannot give up on family time: that needs to stay as consistent as possible.
- I need your help to figure out when this time is best taken, so the burden isn’t entirely on me, and I don’t neglect you to get what I need.
And let him suggest things.
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I don’t have ADHD, I’m probably on the other side of the spectrum, because I can hyper-focus no matter what’s going on around me (to a reasonable degree), but I like certain rhythms. I never used it, but my kid showed me this website, so I tried it in the office on a noisy day. It worked well.
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Got to 38K. It was hard going because I had to stop and watch videos/consult maps to make sure I am imagining location right. Not all of word count went into chapter 18. I also penned own really quick the ending of the whole book because I saw it really clearly. Obviously, everything always needs editing…
Other than that, 2 chapters edited for She Kills, and that’s it. No reading.
And, it’s back to work tomorrow. Luckily, this week is the last I am a full time employee!
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Okay, time to write a palate cleanser and then get to the other idea after. I am gonna write something simple, and just do it nicely. I’m gonna do that story idea about the musician soon. It’s there as an idea.
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Okay so I think Marcus and Alfie and Meme have a misunderstanding that each one is after the golden bracelet for selfish reasons, but in truth, they all want to get it back to the king for the same reason. So, instead of figuring that out and working together, they end up fighting each other for it. They also have a misunderstanding of who is working with who.
Marcus thinks Alfie and Meme are working together which makes him do things that try to keep them away from the bracelet.
Alfie thinks Meme is evil.
Meme thinks Marcus is evil.
Marcus and Alfie can agree that they think Meme is evil.
So,
I’m going to try to not get confused when MC ends up getting conflicting information from each of them until it’s figured out.
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Edited: so my publisher’s this morning told me they were cancelling my contract.
Then I had an email saying they’re continuing to publish.
I’m not sure how I feel other than both devastated, elated and confused.
I need a cup of tea.
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Prepare yourself, get clarity from them.
This link directs you here:
I’m just not how sure the laws will settle between national differences
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Thank you! I was all ready to google this part, so I’ll keep it handy.
They’ve kept to contract now as they’ve said they’re going to publish it. But it still concerns me; they literally changed their minds when they realised both editor and I did our editing work. They’ve treated me awfully, it leaves a nasty taste in my mouth for when (if!) they publish it now.
Just in a numb state really, within a few hours they totally stole my dreams and then turned around and said they’ll continue, it’s been a weird morning.
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I can’t tell if I’m messing up this pacing
The first ten chapters went really fast but the next five deal with the aftermath and it’s not slow, per se, but nobody’s getting stabbed, ya know? Re-reading it, I think it’ll be okay, but there’s a lot of set-up happening and it kind of feels like I’m asking readers to just trust me. Like, yeas, i know that interaction was super weird but it makes sense later… I hope. I’m trying to make it make sense later.
It helps a lot that I’ve written this once before, and the sequel too. Like the actual first drafts are basically unusable but at least between those and a quadrillion re-worked plots I know what to set up.
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I’m sure this is something you’ve worked hard for, so take this suggestion with a pinch of salt, but, if they’re treating you like trash and you’re not happy with the work they’re doing for you, then maybe you should terminate that contract. Your work is valuable and you deserve to have it published by a company that at bare minimum treats you well. And if this company is already treating you poorly, then I can’t foresee them getting any better in the future.
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I was considering it, but part of my contract states if I did that I’d be paying them for fees like for editing etc, which I dont know how much that could be, but I can’t afford that right now if I did. I’m also just excited to get it out there. I think what’s happened is a massive misunderstanding internally and they just didnt look into it properly. I just UGH.
I was considering approaching them about other books, but I definitely won’t anymore.
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Me, everyday.
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This is a reason why I want to self-publish, even if it costs more. Publishers shouldn’t be able to do that, once they’ve got you signed down. They’ve already had their chance to reject you. But yeah, if you don’t want to publish another book with them again, that’s your choice and a good call if they’ve mistreated you. It sends a good message to them.
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Well, the next thing is to see if they are keeping only the contract on this book or keeping their interest in the rest of your books. Because if it’s your future books, you can shift how you market those.
And then if it does make it out there, you can at least point to “this book made it to published”.
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I think because they’re closing their English market as a whole, they wouldn’t take any more of my stuff on, unless I said they could do it only in French, which I wouldn’t do because it limits my readership.
I also after this wouldn’t go to them again XD
That’s what I’m hinging on is the status on my next lot of queries is that I can get a book out there to market. Hopefully a successful one. I think I’ve learnt my lesson in small presses in non-english speaking countries. This might sound bad, but as an English writer (I mean language not country!) a company who’s first language isn’t English seems to be a problem with issues like this.
It could just be this one press, but it does make me nervous
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This sounds insane! Sorry to hear this, but like, nothing there is reflecting on you, only on them!
Also, this makes my decision for me not to query an indie published who contacted me. I will move the non-performing story instead to Radish from Wattpad. I just need a moonlit abs cover.
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I have a slight up-tick of reads on Radish. Since it’s me we’re talking about, I’m afraid to hope. I’ll hope when I see growth for like 2 weeks straight. But… I think all hope was wrung out of me by now. I am so beaten down rn in terms of writer confidence, I can’t even describe it.
The upside is that I absolutely love writing this part of the Fireman’s Girl. I am heading right into the reveal after reveal part, and I now have a drafted ending, so yeah… I am happy with the writing part. I also firmly decided that Draft 2 will absolutely route Harris into the ‘wounded and overwhelmed’ territory. It’s a big project, but for now I am charging toward the end!
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