Balancing the Internets & Manuscript Progress...

It was brought to my attention by someone wonderful & uber famous *cough*Frankie*cough* that I have been away from the Internets (Il Primo prefers the s) lately. Actually I have beenghosting the internets. You know - where you are hopping on quickly viewing your favorite sites then slipping away barely noticed. Though it would be more effective if I would quit leaving comments on blogs... but then how would I show my love for USC lessons (http://tiny.cc/pWgBJ ) or friends who receive famous shoutouts (http://tiny.cc/n2WIh) or new releases & contests ( http://tiny.cc/HIntN ) or anything else that I love so much!!!!

The reason for my ghosting is actually simple. My day job has been crazy lately & I realized it is almost December! IT IS NOVEMBER 18TH!!!!!! Can you hear me as I shriek those words? My hairbrush is embedded in my hair, my eyes are bloodshot and I am sitting at a computer typing about the date! THE DATE! November is over halfway gone. It is 37 days till Christmas for crying out loud!

It hit me two days ago when someone doing NaNoRevismo posted about how quickly November is slipping by. They were right. I immersed myself into my manuscript and proudly resurfaced this morning with many words in and pleased with the progress. My biggest issue is holding off on major revisions - no, holding off on any revisions - until I am done. It is hard. Little things jump out at me, but I would rather free flow write & then work back through the roughest draft possible.It is better than getting bogged down revising seven chapters. It is dangerous for me to get stuck in revisions. I would have beautiful first chapters then an incomplete or crazy rough remaining chapters or the scariest possibility - lose all interest in the story as a whole.

So my ghostly visits were merely so I could focus on my 'right now work' but it hit me as I read an entry (the one about a certain friend and her famous shout out) that cutting myself off from the internets is more harmful. The release of just enjoying chatter with other writers, discussing 6 foot tall adverb killing armadillos, vegan cookies, and everything else we Tweet/Blog/Text about allows a fresh look when I turn back to my work. My mind is better rested & I seem to find my groove better after taking a break. I just have to remember it is a BREAK, not a reason to let my work slip away from me. So I just have to find the right balance.

I also realized that Il Primo gives me actual nightmares. He appeared in one last night. Talked about how if I don't get my manuscript complete their won't be need to think about any revisions... he scares me, but -

Il Primo will just have to get over it when I minimize my work, grab a snack and let my mouse click away for small increments throughout the day.

I mean unless he has a major issue and comes inside the house therefore wreaking havoc on my computer, husband and dog... he wouldn't would he?

He would.

Let's just keep this between you & me.

If he thinks I am on the internets, I can just tell him that Frankie & Shannon said something about his shell being too small & that he smells....

then he will just terrorize them...

yeah, that'll work... hee hee