Tag: sleep

Night Words

by eileentroemel, posted in Uncategorized

Last night I made a point of going to bed early (for me) because I have a cold and feel pretty lousy.  I lay in bed trying to sleep.  Words tumbled through my head with a repetitiveness that I knew would mean I would not get to sleep early.  I lay there listening to my thoughts hoping that the words would leave and I could sleep.

You would think after all these years of writing I would know when to just give in and get up.  The repetitiveness of them should have been a clue because I couldn’t stop repeating certain phrases.  I know other writers tell me they keep a pad of paper by the bed but that doesn’t work for me.  For one thing, it would disturb my husband if I were to sit up and turn on a light to write this down.

I tossed and turned for quite some time before I finally got out of bed annoyed with myself for not being able to turn my brain off.  It is funny how I can lay in the dark with my eyes closed, trying to relax and empty my mind enough to sleep but I won’t sleep.

The interesting thing is I got up and wrote a long poem about a true moment and didn’t think it particularly good.  I zipped it off to one of the people who reads for me, as she usually gives me objective feedback.   So did I then go to bed?  No, because for some odd reason the words excite me and rev me up.  I have to go through my shut down routine all over again.  This involves checking email and a whole odd nightly routine that I must do.  By the time I was done, it was nearly 11:30.  Not early anymore and I’m not getting extra rest like I need. 

The good thing though, now the words were out and written.  I fell into bed and almost immediately fell asleep.  Somehow getting those words on paper allowed me to settle the chaos in my head enough so I could sleep.

 This morning I get up to read an email from my friend.  I am slightly concerned it will be a commentary on how completely awful my poem was.  Yes even I have doubts about my work sometimes.  There is an email and she loved it.  It is a relief that the forceful words weren’t just a jumble of twaddle and make sense to someone other than my warped mind.

Villains and other fun characters…

by eileentroemel, posted in Uncategorized
Villains are fun and difficult to write.  In the manuscript I’m working on I’ve been so focused on the good guys the bad guys have been somewhat vague as they are just bit parts.  This criminal is brought to justice and the good guys win.  Now the good guys are dealing with worse bad guys and these have names and powers.  They aren’t just non-descript criminals. 
I’m just getting into introducing the big bad guy.  He has been eluded to often but never described.  I have to get into his head and figure out how to make him three dimensional and not a caricature of a bad guy.  He is somewhat surrounded by others who are bad guys too so these characters have to be well developed. 
I’ve just started the character development so it will be interesting to see how this goes.  I want my bad guy to have almost no redeeming characters.  Yet I may have to throw a twist or two in there – I don’t know yet. 
I was feeling a bit stopped up as I felt I was dragging this story on too long.  I was thinking it might be time to find a way to finish it off quickly but now (after a night of little sleep) I’ve come up with several ideas that are all bursting to get out and I’ll have to make sure I get them down on paper soon. 
This last weekend I was hoping for some writing time but didn’t get any.  Mostly because I opted to spend the few hours I had to myself (yes during the super bowl) watching DVDs.  I was feeling like I had let myself down by not taking the time to write. 

Whether from lack of sleep or down time I don’t know I suddenly have the story flowing from my fingers with alacrity.  I am once more wishing I could spend all my time writing instead of working my day job…

To sleep or not…

by eileentroemel, posted in Uncategorized

Last night I finished a chapter about ten and thought okay I’m done writing but I’m not tired enough to go to sleep.  I grabbed the book I was reading and curled up in my recliner.  Three hours later I finish the book and decide okay it would be best to go to bed. 

I lay there in bed waiting for sleep to overcome me.  I’ve been awake a long time afterall and I should be able to drop off right?  I mean I had a full day yesterday.  I wrote for a while, did Vicki’s taxes, talked to Gin and Stephanie, watched tv, hung out with Ken, finished reading a book.  I should be tired right? 

Nope.  I lay in bed with my eyes closed.  I shifted positions trying to find a comfortable position and about the time I would start to drift off then the next scene in my manuscript started to play.  The good thing about this is that I’ll be able to write it fairly easily because it is in my head what will happen and how. 

I wanted to be up early so I could spend the whole day with Ken.  It’s his birthday and I wanted to be up early so we could sit and talk or watch a movie or whatever.  Nope – I finally fell asleep about 4 am and slept late. 

I appreciate the inspiration I’m getting to write this epic manuscript but at some point I would really like to sleep normally.  As a writer I may have to give up that desire because I have the feeling my muse is going to be as inconvenient as my guides…

Time Thief

by eileentroemel, posted in Uncategorized
There is a thief in my area.  He or she has been stealing time from me.  I’ll be working away at something – either at work or at home – and suddenly it is much later than I thought it was.  The other night is a perfect example.  Ken started the dishwasher before he went to bed around 7ish.  He told me about it and asked that I turn it off etc when it was done.  I think I grunted acknowledgement at him (hey I was writing).  Five minutes – no more I swear – the chime indicating the dishwasher was done went off.  I was annoyed.  It must be broke or something right?  No it was 8:20 and the time thief had struck again.
He was hiding in my house last night because after I took care of the dishwasher and only maybe ten minutes later, Vicki came to tell me she was going to bed.  I told her it was very early for her to go to bed. She pointed out to me that it was nearly 10 pm.  I cursed the time thief again.  He’d struck while I’d been busy writing a chapter…
Two minutes later – I swear that was it – she wanders down the hall all squinty and grumbly because she can’t sleep.  I start to tell her she needs to give herself more than two minutes and realize I’ve been hit again by the time thief because it is nearly 11.  Of course I wrote nearly an entire chapter of almost 4600 words last night.  It flowed and practically wrote itself.  I am very pleased with it. 
I was a good girl then and went to bed.  Unfortunately sleep was elusive and I tossed and turned nearly all night only falling asleep after 2:45 this morning.  Now if I could only get the damn time thief to give me back that time – I could have a nap and not be completely exhausted today….