The Speed of Time

Time is a dimension that has no beginning and no end; it merely marches relentlessly on second after second, minute after minute and so on. It never changes speed, it stops for no one and nothing. It can't be fooled, nor can it be manipulated. Once gone, it's gone forever, no matter what sci-fi writers might postulate and it ain't on anybody's side, either.

It is our perception of time that makes the difference. For kids, Christmas Eve is the longest night; for a dentist's appointment, time passes all too quickly.

Yea, verily, do I know the last!

There are only three weeks left for PBW's Challenge, and, only three weeks left until the beginning of NaNoWriMo.

Both are of equal importance to me. The first because of the potential to be one of twenty to have work read by a master, and the second because it guarantees me one or two books written.

For the first challenge, I've hit a major snag. For one of my short stories to be expanded into a novella (simply posting a short story, to my mind, is cheating - even though it would give me room to focus on NaNo), I've had to do a re-write. Oh, I've taken sections from the original, but there wasn't enough in it. So, I've introduced a new character, done a bit more on the world building and presented a different aspect to the tale.

Day Strider has been rejected for publication on a few occasions; not for bad writing, but for bad magazine selection on my part. Twice it got the 'not quite right for our publication' speil. I call that a good rejection.

I figured it would make a terrific novella - a variation has already been written as a full-length novel.

Until yesterday, I was feeling more than a little stressed about how I would manage both projects, but after writing 8k of words - some new, some pasted - I felt much better.

Why, if I've got another 20k to go would this please me? Because the extra writing time I've carved out is good practice for NaNo. One project has fed the next, and now is the time for that practice.

Most people who are participating in NaNo, indeed, most writers have a day job so scheduling NaNo is, I suppose, time manipulation; time management at it's best.

So, using Holly Lisle's time schedule, I have twenty days to get it written and posted (two days set aside for disasters or life, whichever pops up first) and twenty thousand words to write = a thousand words a day. Since I type at about 95 wpm, that's a gimmee and given I have three weekends, I have plenty of time to complete the first challenge. Add in focusing on NaNo and it doesn't seem that much.

Even if I only do 500 words every weeknight (7000) that still leaves me with 13k over three weekends. And while doing this, I'm practicing for NaNo, which requires 1666 words a day, which is good practice for anyone who wants/needs to be a writer.

If these calculations sound a little panicked, well, that's easing, because I know I can do this. I'll have this done within a week and then do the edits.

The best part is that if the story doesn't lend itself to 20k, I'll still have a completed novelette by the end of it; of course, then I have to have a book prepared should I win...

Damn, I'm so running out of time...