Digressions: My Life in 500 Words or Less

I’m a hermit now. OK, maybe not quite a hermit. A semi-hermit.

Yeah, this might need a little explaining.

Beginning this month I’ve ramped up my writing habits to focus on a novel I’ve had partially written for some time. What I call semi-hermit mode is a self-imposed limitation on socializing and leaving the home.

This is not new territory for me. I have, on other occasions, gone into semi-hermit mode in order to focus on my writing work. One instance involved me maintaining a weekly writing schedule of 30-40 hours, including a goal of submitting an average of one work per week for a year. This necessitated great discipline and a certain amount of foregoing of social activity, but by the end of the year I had accomplished the weekly work goal and exceeded the submission goal.

I’ve known I would be revisiting semi-hermit mode for a couple of years. I have unfinished novels waiting to be completed, but I had other writing work beckoning, and I needed to make sure I was ready to tackle the long-term novel project. This summer I realized it was time.

Originally, I had decided the semi-hermit mode would begin in October, but that got pushed back due to unusual circumstances. I knew I couldn’t push it back much further, though. If I’ve learned anything about my own writing habits it’s that I need to strike while the iron is hot because it certainly can cool off without warning.

So all that is to say I will be seeing less social activity and less of the outside world in general over the next few months, but it doesn’t mean I’ll cease those things entirely. I will still dine out now and again. IHOP and Olive Garden are counting on me, after all. I’ll still attend occasional gatherings with friends. Friendship is revitalizing, and that is a gift I appreciate.

But the writing schedule will dominate much of my time. And what I permit myself largely will rely on my progress on a weekly basis.

Already I have slowly increased my weekly writing work hours. Though the holidays might curtail the full schedule I aspire to, I’m sure I will be in full swing come the new year.

That schedule includes writing progress on the novel, continuing to submit short stories I’ve written but haven’t published and maintaining my social media, which consists of Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and four Facebook pages. I hope to have a completed draft of the novel by April.

When I recently posted this news on social media, my sweetie, Rebecca, made a “Misery” reference, thanking me for the announcement. She didn’t want anyone thinking she had hobbled me as Kathy Bates did to her favorite author.

So wish me luck. And if you see me out and about that means my writing work is going well and I haven’t been hobbled. Yet.