The baby is sleeping better, so now I have only myself to blame for my sleep-deprivation. I’ve been staying up late revising Adverse Possession. Before I had kids, my most productive writing hours were from 10am to 3pm. I didn’t do much writing while Thumper was very young. When he was eighteen months old we joined a co-op playgroup that gave me two free mornings a week, and that’s when I started writing again. I’m not willing or able to take so much time off from the work this time. It was miserable not writing for so long, and a miserable mother isn’t much good to anyone. Besides, Ladybug is a way easier baby than my high-needs guy was (is). I’ve been able to get back to writing and freelance much, much sooner with her. But she’s too young for a playgroup. No free mornings to write or do editing work yet. Night time is it.

My old line was that I couldn’t work after nine pm. That my brain was useless at that point in the day, capable of producing only crap. But if night time was the only time I could get I had to find a way to make it work. The first couple of weeks I did churn out nothing but crap, but it got better. I’m in a routine with it now, and it feels natural to be writing while I listen to Billy and the kids snore on the baby monitor. I always work at my desk in my office, with a glass of water and a mug of decaf next to me, and an apple. Those little constants helped me move the midday routine to late night.

I’m getting good work done. The revisions are going well. I have no idea how long this draft will take–adding three povs is a major undertaking. But the good news (and the bad news) is that no one is waiting for this novel. I will work on it until it’s done. (again)

The third novel, which was formerly known as Cold Black Stars but which recently renamed itself Damascus, is waiting impatiently for its turn again. And so of course an idea for another project started tugging on my sleeve yesterday. But one at a time. The next books will keep. I thought I’d try to work on AP and Damascus at the same time, but I just don’t have enough writing time to divide my attention like that. If only I didn’t need to sleep at all…

Happy New Year, my dears.