Where did the week go?

My intention when I started this blog was to post at least once a week. I noticed that it's been a week since I last posted. OK. So, I'm not too far gone to recognize when I was about to blow off my very minimal commitment.

What have I been doing that's been keeping me from posting? Have I been saving the world from Conficker? No, that was two weeks ago. Have I been furiously writing my heart out for my online writers' workshop? No, but that is something else that I should have been doing. Have I been working extremely long hours? Not so much.

Mostly, I've just been inordinately exhausted. Get up. Exercise. Go to work. Come home. Vegetate. Attempt to get enough sleep. Repeat.

There have been some things in my personal life that have been stressing me a bit. I'll leave discussion of those to those who have my email.

All in all, the week was pretty much a wash. I've been way behind in my writing workshop. I set aside last Sunday to play catch up. Then, my son and I had a melt down. I couldn't focus afterwards. Yesterday, I hoped to catch up, but I had committed to some major cooking for a deleted Seder celebration at my church that was held last evening. (Which, was a bright spot when all was said and done.)

Today, I have managed to catch up somewhat with my workshop responsibilities. I turned in four critiques for the folks who are planning, with me, to continue as an online writing group after our current course finishes up in two days. I hope to turn in my last writing assignment tonight. I also did a lot of the setup and leg work for the continuation of our little group today. We're going to try doing a Yahoo Group for a week as a trial run.

Our class had us committed to turning in something every two weeks, and trying to critique the work of eight other people every two weeks. It was too much for my schedule really. The continuing group has agreed that we would each take turns posting. It works out to about once a month. The others would then have a week to critique that person's work. Much more doable.

Now, back to my exhaustion, and hopefully to finishing my last assignment for my course.

Commitment, Indulgence, and Stress Reduction

I have long considered myself a hobby writer, in that I write more for pleasure than with any notion of ever making it my profession. In my youth, I did harbor that fantasy but certain realities about that industry and my own personality made me realize that I was never going to make a living at writing. In a lot of ways, that is more than fine. I get a great deal of pleasure out of writing. If I needed to rely on my writing to pay the bills, the joy would probably be completely sucked out of it for me. (I usually end up despising anything that I feel that I 'have' to do.)

Over the years, I have found myself spending less and less time writing for pleasure. And I am the worse for the lack of it I think. Blogging is the only semi-regular outlet I have these days.

Since I periodically belong to the Writers Digest Book Club, I frequently get mailings from them advertising online workshops. I usually just delete them. I've told myself that I don't have the time or the money to commit to such things; or, I tell myself that those workshops are for people who have professional writing aspirations, which definitely is no longer a goal of mine.

I got one of those emails earlier this week. Something stopped me from deleting it. I re-opened it and glanced at it every day for four days. Then I thought about it.

I'm not taking any classes for my degree right now. I'm not taking any professional development courses for my job for the next few months. Work and home have been bombarding me with some minor stressors in the last couple of months. Writing centers me and helps me work through stress. Also, the cost of the class is currently not a big deal for me.

So, viola! I am now registered for a twelve week online workshop on Fundamentals of Fiction Writing. I've ordered the textbook. The class starts Thursday. YIPPEE!!!