D is for Drafting

This one is easy - as I have been doing, I'll be continuing work on my crime novella, Operation Camilla. My breakout activity will be television, and as today is D, what else would I watch but Doctor Who.

I am up early as usual, and am about to start work at seven a.m. when the telephone rings. It is a swamp-dwelling barbarian who informs us that they will come and fix our heating. Sadly, with winter coming on we are at the mercy of these cretins and must allow them to behave as they will. This means that my working morning is shot to shit, because as soon as the tradesman arrives, our dog Memphis starts barking at him, and I know he will not let up until the guy leaves. Even if he settles down briefly, I can't concentrate because I'm tensed waiting for the next outburst. Therefore, this morning I will be doing housework insted of working on my book.

This is Memphis, our Security Chief.

By ten o'clock we've got rid of the swamp-dwelling barbarians to everyone's relief, and I can finally start work.

I have now reached the middle section of the book, where the main action will take place, and almost as soon as I sit down and start work I realise with alarm how weak my outline is in this area. It is like that well-known cartoon of two engineers standing in front of a whiteboard covered with complex diagrams, with a big box in the middle that says 'then a miracle happens'. I always seem to make this mistake with my outlines, and it's very wearing to find that once again I've done exactly the same thing. Still, that is what discovery writing is for, isn't it, so I forge ahead without the faintest clue of where I am going.

By a bit after eleven, I've got the wordcount I need for NaNo. My husband has invited me out for coffee, though, so I do that instead of firing up the television.

After lunch I take a few minutes to check the local library, who has had Dance of Chaos on order. I am delighted to see that someone already has it on reserve! I have a fan!

Two more sessions and two episodes of Doctor Who take me to 1545 with 1300 words. I have two dance classes back to back this evening, so it's time for a nap.

I end with 1500 words for the day. Not as good as the other television days, but the loss of the early morning hours was very destructive.

Tomorrow will be brought to you by the letter E.