CHANGES

OK. I am back to counting my calories and exercising again. I feel better and I have noticed my energy levels increase as well. I know you don't really care about my daily diet and energy levels but I have a point, honest.

I have noticed that my level of creativity is dependent on my diet and lifestyle. If I don't eat the right foods or if I don't exercise, my creativity suffers. Today I thought of a way to change my first 3 chapters, all while sitting at my desk, waiting for the phone to ring. Is it a coincidence that my creativity level increased just as I had eliminated certain foods out of my diet? I think not.

I have been going to bed really early these few days and it didn't do anything but make me grumpy. It might sound strange, but I think I do better with less sleep. I think I could get away with only 7-6 hours of sleep. Hell, if it helps my writing why not? I would probably get up to write in the middle of the night if it wasn't so damn cold at the moment. Winter use to be my favourite season, well not this year.

You can do with some weight loss!

One of my colleagues asked me to go on the soup diet with her today. She thinks that I could do with the weight loss, especially after she found out my sister is a chef and mentioned that she could see that my sister is a chef, because I look as if everything I eat is still stuck to my body. I know I can benefit from losing a few kilos, but I will do it on my own terms. I have already started with a complete lifestyle change in September last year. And it is not like all I do is eat. Yes, I will eat some junk food every now and then, but it is not like all I do the whole day is over eat.

Anyway, everyday she starts off our day with more weight remarks and I can't ignore her because my desk is right next to hers. Maybe I am too sensitive but I think that there is something wrong with my human chemistry or something. I keep on pulling all the mean people to me and I don't want to keep saying that I am not a peoples person because that makes me sound like a complete freak of nature.

Honestly, I do struggle with my weight, but I am doing something about it. I already made peace with the fact that I wont lose all the weight fast. It will take time and I would rather make sure the weight stays off instead of picking every kilo back up after a week. Usually my writing is my coping mechanism, but I haven't been doing much of that lately, which probably explains my horrid mood.

LET THERE BE MUSIC!

I have finally found a way to write good romantic scenes. Music! If I listen to great music, it sort of gets me in the right state of mind and it inspires me to write great love scenes. The music helps my mind to drift and allows me to think from my characters point of view.

However, my idea of great inspirational/romantic music might differ from what everybody else might deem appropriate, but it works for me. Some of my favourites are:

Eyes on fire-Blue Foundation

A Case of you-Joni Mitchell

Never think-Robert Pattinson

My Love-Sia

Broken-Seether

These are just a few of the songs in my play list, but I love them and whenever I hear them, scenes just play out in my mind and they practically write themselves.

NEXT PROJECT, ALREADY?

I just had the greatest plate of Carbonara pasta. I made it myself. I am becoming a rather talented cook, if I must say so myself. But I also had to do the dishes, a lot of them.

Anyway, I am starting with the outline for my third potential novel. I just have to write everything down, so that it can get out of my head. I am still editing the first one and should still finish the second, but this story is haunting me. So, I am going to grab a book, a pen and plant myself in front of the fireplace and just let my ideas flow unto the paper.

FIRST NICKNAME

I received my first nickname at work today. I am not pleased about it at all. This guy came up to me and asked me if I was conceived on a short weekend, because I am short. Now the jerk calls me Shorty.

I suppose it could have been worse, but it is still rude. I just laughed off his insensitive comment, not wanting to show him that his comment upset me. I refused to give him the satisfaction. In reality I felt like punching him square in the face and let me tell you I was really close too. But I remembered how hard it was for me to get a job before and to end up unemployed again because of an ass like that, was just not worth it. Rest assured, I will have a character who will kick the crap out of a guy with a similar attitude in my next novel. I will get my revenge.

I wrote a bit at work again today. But besides the few pages at work, I don't really write a lot at the moment. Our computer needs to be reformatted or defragmented, which ever, I am useless with computer terminology. So, I don't want to write or edit until that is done. I already have so many copies of my two manuscripts that it is driving me crazy. I have this fear that after they cleaned the hard drive or what ever it is they do, that none of my back ups are going to work and I would have to retype both manuscripts. Can you imagine that? My family would have to rush me off to the emergency room for resuscitation because believe you me, I would die right there and then.

Shorty! Urgh! I can't help that I am short and I hate it even more that it is still bothering me. But I guess it is a small taste of what it will be like when I start submitting my manuscript. Agents and editors are ruthless and just as demeaning with their responses.

ANOTHER DAY

Today I did quite a bit of writing between calls. I have sort of developed my own mad scientist type of handwriting and I have valid reasons why.

1. I don't like it when people read over my shoulder so, if they can't read what I write maybe they will stop attempting to read it.

2. I am too lazy to write out all the words in full. I don't have a lot of privacy to type on the computer and I think writing stuff kind of helps me get into the writing mood.

I know what you are thinking, when does this chick work when she is writing most of the time? Well, it is very quiet at the moment and they won't let me read at my desk, so I write. I can't just sit there and stare out of the window. Yes, I have an active imagination, but not that active that it will keep me amused for hours.

People are becoming friendlier and I am starting to adjust to the new work environment. But I have to be aware of certain people at the office who are constantly trying to take advantage of the new girl. Why can't people just leave you alone and let you do your job?

Anyway, I will start making the big changes to my first manuscript soon, just waiting for the computer to be reformatted and then I will start. I am dreading the changes to my first three chapters though, but I know it is necessary.

Done!

I have finally finished my exam! I am so happy to be free! Yeah!

I wrote about 5 pages today while I was at work. I am very happy with what I wrote. Only problem is that it is a scene for my third manuscript and I am only busy with the second. But I guess I can always put it away for later use.