Jul 12, 2010

A Perfect Sunday


Reading: Sweet Temptation by Maya Banks
Watching: Sherlock Holmes
Listening to: Sarah MacLachlan
Making me smile: BBQ in the bush

I wasn’t sure what I wanted to blog about today – then I thought I’d share my Sunday. A day in the life of a writer.

We’d organized to have a BBQ lunch out in the bush at a nearby river, so I got up early-ish (sleeping in is sacred in my house on the weekends) to get some writing done. I’m very close to finishing the (very rough) first draft of a book I’m working on, so I wanted to get my pages done for the day.

I’ve been writing at the kitchen table lately (despite the perfectly good desk in my perfectly good office) and after putting some music on (Sarah MacLachlan) I got to work. I managed 11 pages (~2,750 words) before we needed to head out. I was very pleased and I’m thoroughly enjoying every minute of the story I’m working on.

The track out to the river was pretty rough -- you need a 4WD with high clearance. But it was well worth the effort. We set up on the edge of the river where the water runs clear and isn’t very deep – so no need to worry too much about crocodiles.

We had a great BBQ -- food was excellent! My keen photographer husband explored with his camera and got some wonderful shots. I’m still pondering how I can fit the setting into a future story (-: We also had a (mostly) friendly monitor lizard drop by!

By the time we got home, I was feeling tired and lazy. So I sat down to read with my Kindle to read. After dinner, I managed a few more pages on my story. All in all, I brought my page count for the day to 18 (~4,400 words).

A great day of writing, a wonderful BBQ lunch with friends in a beautiful setting and some reading. Sunday doesn’t get much better than that.

How did everyone else spend their Sunday?

Images: Karl Hackett

21 comments:

  1. Sounds like a perfect Sunday!! And fantastic you managed so many words =)
    By the way I love those shots of the river - looks like you've had lots of rain, send it my way *please* LOL
    My Sunday was spent writing too, and going out with my 2 youngest girls (3 & 12) to watch Toy Story.

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  2. Anna, what a wonderful way to spend a Sunday. I hope you find a story for that setting -- it's beautiful. My Sunday was very lazy -- hot dogs on the lounge with a movie... the sound of rain on the roof (shall tell it to head your way, Mel) and a pile of books near at hand. All quite pleasant really :-)

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  3. Hi Mel --
    I've been trying some different things with my writing to get more productive. It's really paid off!! I never used to write that many words!

    We haven't had much rain (it's the dry season up here right now). That water is literally ankle deep. In the wet, that river is raging!

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  4. Mel --
    Was going to say your Sunday sounded good too -- hanging out with your daughters watching Toy Story. I love Toy Story (-:

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  5. Hi Michelle --
    Nothing like a lazy Sunday with rain on the roof. Watching a movie or snuggled up with a good book. Hope you watched a good movie!

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  6. Oh, PERFECT day for a writer, Anna! How satisfying getting so many words on paper AND fitting in the BBQ with friends and some reading!

    Congrats on being close to finishing the rough draft on your WIP! That's always a great feeling, isn't it!

    I'm curious about Sarah MacLachlan now - I'll have to Google and check her out.

    :)
    Sharon

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  7. Hi Sharon --
    Thanks - I'm really excited to get this draft finished! It is a wonderful feeling.

    You'll love Sarah MacLachlan! Her music is perfect to write to as it doesn't distract me.

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  8. What a gorgeous Sunday! Love the photos, esp the monitor lizard. We get the lace monitors around our place - they're fascinating.

    Sharon, you have to listen to Sarah MacLachlan - she has a beautiful voice. One of my favourites of hers is the Angels song from the City of Angels soundtrack.

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  9. Sounds like you had a fabulous day, Anna! The river, the BBQ, the lace monitor -- and all those words! We had glorious, frosty sunshine here on Sunday. I'm editing at the moment, so very few words written, but heaps of pages read!

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  10. Wow. Beautiful, crystal water. I love it. What a fabbo Sunday.

    I had an offish sort of day where I couldn't settle so it was a day of odd-jobs and life-admin for me. Hightlights included critting a few chapters for a fellow LoveCat. Then I settled in for my Sunday night viewing (four out-of-five shows I watch each week is on Sunday night) and... the power went out.

    For twenty hours!

    So. Kind of sucky Sunday, really. LOL. Would much rather have had yours.

    xx

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  11. Oh what a great Sunday Anna. Productive AND relaxing AND a BBQ to boot. My Sunday was lazy too- read abit before family came around. And then I stayed awake all night to watch the World Cup. Abit zombified today.

    Good luck with your WIP.

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  12. Hi Rachel --
    The lizards are fascinating -- the way they move and react. This one kind of looked like a dinosaur (just smaller scale).

    Angels is my fav song of Sarah's as well!

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  13. Hi Emily --
    Good luck with the editing! That'll be up next for me once my draft is finished.

    Frosty sunshine sounds wonderful. Living in the tropics has me pining for cooler weather sometimes.

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  14. Hi Nikki --
    Oh, I hate those days when I can't settle, but sounds like you were still productive.

    Sorry to hear you missed your shows because of the power outage. We get a few of those here too. Hope your next Sunday is better!

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  15. Hey Eleni --
    Hope you enjoyed the game -- were you supporting Spain?

    Thanks for the luck with my WIP. I have a few more words to finish and it will be done!! Having a hellish week at work this week (got promoted and now have bigger workload) but I will complete that WIP!!

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  16. Anna! Congratulations on your promotion at work! I am in extra awe of you now for still doing such a fantastic week of writing with that on your plate as well!

    :)
    Sharon

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  17. Oooh, a promotion for Lovecat Anna! Congrats - you're amazing!

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  18. Anna -- you TopCat you! Congrats on the promotion.

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  19. Thanks for the congrats gals. TopCat -- I like that (-:

    I'm lucky that I like my day job and love my writing -- makes it easier to balance it all (oh, and my hubby who I love most of all!)

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  20. No, I was actually supporting the Netherlands. Oh well....

    And congrats on the promotion on the day job!!

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  21. Hi Zana
    I'm taking a break from my morning tally of words to drop by and say hi.
    I have just seen my book, Their Marriage Miracle, pop up on the CATalogue out soon. Awesome. I am really excited about getting my first ever copy in the hand.

    Sue MacKay

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