Changing My Weekend Routine

First off: I am now a member of the OneFour KidLit blog for 2014 YA/MG debuts. Come check us out here.

I can't believe it's Monday again. It's not that this weekend went by so fast. They usually do. But lately, I feel like I can never get what I want accomplished. Friday night, I make my to-do list, and once I get all my usual weekend errands done, I'm either too exhausted to write or I just don't have time for it. I used to be annoyed that I wasn't writing enough, but I think the problem goes deeper than that.

I once blogged about how my writing suffered from the SIFS, the Save It For Sundays. I've learned to set manageable writing expectations for the weekend. (I'm no Taryn Albright, unfortunately.) Yet even those aren't being met. After this weekend, I realized that my non-writing life has been infected with the SIFS. I make big to-do lists, and it's usually the same culprits: grocery shop (I shop at multiple stores), gym, clean the apartment, call my family, make my lunches for the week. I work full-time, and so I always feel too tired on weeknights to do anything. I know I'll have more energy to do EVERYTHING come Saturday. Every Friday, I never believe those regular errands will take long, and that I'll have loads of time to write. And every Sunday, I am proven wrong.

So new goal! From now on, I will try to check off some items of my weekly to-do list during the week. I can push myself to do a little when I get off work. A little grocery shopping, a little cleaning, a little phone time, and other items that need to be done. That way, I'll have more time -- and more importantly, more energy -- on the weekend to write.

Any routines you're looking to switch up?

BOOK DEAL

Big news! THE BREAK-UP ARTIST sold in a two book deal to Harlequin Teen!! Here's the Publishers Marketplace announcement:

Philip Siegel's THE BREAK-UP ARTIST, pitched as Mean Girls meets My Best Friend's Wedding, in which one girl's mission to even the dating playing field will turn her whole high school upside down, to Annie Stone at Harlequin Teen, in a two-book deal, by Becky Vinter at FinePrint Literary Management. 

If I knew how to use gif's, I'd put one here. So I'll share my feelings old school style with jpegs, Oscars edition.

I've read so many posts like this from my years of stalking following authors in the kidlit world. It was five years ago that I turned to writing YA, and I feel truly lucky and grateful that I got this far. I can't believe that in 2014, people will be able to get into their flying cars, teleport to a bookstore (or click onto Amazon), and be able to buy my book. And then trash it on Goodreads

I am so pumped to work with my editor Annie Stone, who has been nothing but super excited about BUA. It's still weird to think people actually like what I write. I have to give a huge thank you to my agent Becky Vinter. She fractured her spine and she still looks like a rock star. She worked on this deal while she was technically on vacation. Talk about dedication! And Michelle Krys and Ruth Lauren Steven, who dug my query letter out from the slush for their Xmas in July contest. Yes, contests and slush work! And the L.A. city bus driver, for taking a chance on an unknown kid. Without which, I might never be tardy. 

I'll be back with more details as they come. (And I promise not to be one of those authors who only tweets about their book!) Thanks for reading!