Tomorrow, NaNoWriMo begins. I'm a bit nervous about it since I have NEVER tried this before. I've been writing my entire life, I've started numerous books and novels, and I have been working on the same book for six years running. I finally decided to buckle down and get one done.
It's not the book I've been working on for six years... Instead, I am going to start a new one to slam out in one month. This is going to be an interesting exercise for me. I have to keep up with an average of 1667 words per day to meet the 50000 word count goal. I want to do it. But will wanting be enough?
Likely not. However, I have to admit that I finally caved and went to a novel writing software to help me. I ended up with Scrivener (they're offering a special trial through December 7th for NaNo writers) and I have to admit... I'm in love. For someone with ADHD, one of my biggest stumbling blocks are the several different documents I have to have open to track characters and settings or scrolling through the story to remind myself how I want things to go.
Scrivener keeps me in one program and flipping through the items is as easy as clicking a mouse. It even comes with a "corkboard" to place idea cards. It keeps my attention focused on the scene I'm writing, preventing me from scrolling through everything I've written to try and revise. I know better than to revise as I write, but I still attempt it anyway. Not anymore! Tomorrow begins a new writing dawn. A novel writing dawn one might even say... (how droll).
Showing posts with label ADD. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ADD. Show all posts
Monday, October 31, 2011
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Little Guy is Spirited not Strong-willed
I'm confining myself to the same strictures I put on my students and forcing myself to sit and write for 10 minutes straight. Well, at least as straight as a parent who is home with a 4 year old can make it. Right now, I'm up to about a minute of uninterrupted time. I'm seriously impressed.
Currently, Little Guy is ensconced in the hall with his cars. I can't get him to finish his "brep-fast" of a banana on a hot dog bun smeared with peanut butter. He asked for it and now he won't eat it. Meals have become a battle ground. Short of forcing him to sit, we're stuck with fighting him every step of the way to eat. This has become the new "potty" argument.
One of the things I have done recently is look up advice on "Strong willed" children. I immediately decided I didn't approve of the group who had take "strong willed" as their banner phrase and instead decided to go with the parents of spirited children. It may not seem to make sense, but I've discovered the advice on parenting "strong willed" children seems to advocate breaking their spirit and bending them to the parent's will. Advice on parenting "spirited" children seems to advocate working with the spirited child and encouraging them to keep their sense of self while working within the bounds of society.
I don't want to break his spirit or individuality. He's going to need it as he gets older. I want him to be able to make his own decisions and to be firm in his convictions. I want him to not be afraid to stand up for the right thing, even if most people disagree with him. I don't think that forcing him to follow a narrow path is the best way to do that. Of course, I also have issues with society as a whole right now. I don't want him to follow the path that so many people seem to follow and be apathetic and content with the status quo.
I think spirited children are our future and quite likely our only hope. If we're so keen to make them fit into the cubby holes that society has deemed appropriate, we will never improve the situation in our country. If Edison or Lincoln had done that which was expected of them, we would still be enslaving people by candlelight. And, unfortunately, he has me for a mother. I hate following the well-worn paths. I'd much rather poke around and discover what I can find on my own. I want him to feel comfortable doing that too.
What this means for me, however, is a long period of time where I will be frustrated and irritated because my son has a mind of his own. I just have to let him learn some things through trial and error. Right now, we're not going to go outside because he hasn't finished breakfast. Once he finishes breakfast, I will go out with him and turn on the sprinkler and let him play to his heart's content. But he's being his spirited self and I suspect that won't happen before I have to get ready for work.
Currently, Little Guy is ensconced in the hall with his cars. I can't get him to finish his "brep-fast" of a banana on a hot dog bun smeared with peanut butter. He asked for it and now he won't eat it. Meals have become a battle ground. Short of forcing him to sit, we're stuck with fighting him every step of the way to eat. This has become the new "potty" argument.
One of the things I have done recently is look up advice on "Strong willed" children. I immediately decided I didn't approve of the group who had take "strong willed" as their banner phrase and instead decided to go with the parents of spirited children. It may not seem to make sense, but I've discovered the advice on parenting "strong willed" children seems to advocate breaking their spirit and bending them to the parent's will. Advice on parenting "spirited" children seems to advocate working with the spirited child and encouraging them to keep their sense of self while working within the bounds of society.
I don't want to break his spirit or individuality. He's going to need it as he gets older. I want him to be able to make his own decisions and to be firm in his convictions. I want him to not be afraid to stand up for the right thing, even if most people disagree with him. I don't think that forcing him to follow a narrow path is the best way to do that. Of course, I also have issues with society as a whole right now. I don't want him to follow the path that so many people seem to follow and be apathetic and content with the status quo.
I think spirited children are our future and quite likely our only hope. If we're so keen to make them fit into the cubby holes that society has deemed appropriate, we will never improve the situation in our country. If Edison or Lincoln had done that which was expected of them, we would still be enslaving people by candlelight. And, unfortunately, he has me for a mother. I hate following the well-worn paths. I'd much rather poke around and discover what I can find on my own. I want him to feel comfortable doing that too.
What this means for me, however, is a long period of time where I will be frustrated and irritated because my son has a mind of his own. I just have to let him learn some things through trial and error. Right now, we're not going to go outside because he hasn't finished breakfast. Once he finishes breakfast, I will go out with him and turn on the sprinkler and let him play to his heart's content. But he's being his spirited self and I suspect that won't happen before I have to get ready for work.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Post-Holiday Blues
I have homemade chili bubbling away in the crockpot and Little Guy is (hopefully) napping. It's still a bit nippy in the house because I have to keep the heat set at 65 to avoid a massive heat bill. But I also recognize that I am dealing with post-holiday crankiness.
Post-holiday crankiness happens to a lot of people. The coming down from the build up and excitement of the holidays leads to depression and unhappiness. I get cranky after the holidays. Luckily, I recognize it and try to offset the crankiness. But, the whole post-holiday crankiness bothers me. Because it bothers me, it tends to make me crankier. This makes for an unhappy dpwnward spiral. One thing I know I need to do, that will break the spiral, is get back into a routine.
My current routine has flown to the winds. It used to be: Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays were teaching days; Wednesdays were my "at-home days", used to get chores and the niggly bits out of the way; Fridays were my days with my mom. Weekends were reserved for Big Guy and our activities. Then, two things happened. Mom's car broke down and eliminated the Friday routine for the time being, and the holidays hit. This event nixed all other routines.
As Big Guy will attest to, I do not do well with change. It is an unfortunate and unpleasant side effect of the ADD, but there it is. A change in routine throws me off and affects me mentally and emotionally. Even worse, the ADD also makes it that much more difficult to get back on track. And if I'm not careful, my distraction can really upset the balance in the household. Big Guy and I are not fanatic cleaners, and Little Guy, for as much as I adore him, is a hurricane and a tornado combined.
What this means is that if I get distracted, nothing happens until I throw a fit because now the house is a complete mess. Big Guy and Little Guy watch me in complete and total amazement while I start slamming things around trying to get things cleaned up. I know the easiest thing to do would be to pick up gradually, but it never seems to happen.
It's times like this that I wish I hadn't married a guy whose cleanliness threshold was so much lower than mine. On the other hand, if Big Guy is the way he is and nothing happened around the house with Crazy Ex unless he did it, what must her house be like now?
Post-holiday crankiness happens to a lot of people. The coming down from the build up and excitement of the holidays leads to depression and unhappiness. I get cranky after the holidays. Luckily, I recognize it and try to offset the crankiness. But, the whole post-holiday crankiness bothers me. Because it bothers me, it tends to make me crankier. This makes for an unhappy dpwnward spiral. One thing I know I need to do, that will break the spiral, is get back into a routine.
My current routine has flown to the winds. It used to be: Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays were teaching days; Wednesdays were my "at-home days", used to get chores and the niggly bits out of the way; Fridays were my days with my mom. Weekends were reserved for Big Guy and our activities. Then, two things happened. Mom's car broke down and eliminated the Friday routine for the time being, and the holidays hit. This event nixed all other routines.
As Big Guy will attest to, I do not do well with change. It is an unfortunate and unpleasant side effect of the ADD, but there it is. A change in routine throws me off and affects me mentally and emotionally. Even worse, the ADD also makes it that much more difficult to get back on track. And if I'm not careful, my distraction can really upset the balance in the household. Big Guy and I are not fanatic cleaners, and Little Guy, for as much as I adore him, is a hurricane and a tornado combined.
What this means is that if I get distracted, nothing happens until I throw a fit because now the house is a complete mess. Big Guy and Little Guy watch me in complete and total amazement while I start slamming things around trying to get things cleaned up. I know the easiest thing to do would be to pick up gradually, but it never seems to happen.
It's times like this that I wish I hadn't married a guy whose cleanliness threshold was so much lower than mine. On the other hand, if Big Guy is the way he is and nothing happened around the house with Crazy Ex unless he did it, what must her house be like now?
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