State of the blogger: tired but recovering.

I’ve given twelve large presentations this fall, not to mention the high school visits, college fairs, and daily appointments I’ve attended or hosted. I’ve been doing tons of research for my next novel, along with lots of reading for fun. After running on empty for so many months, I decided I needed to make some changes to my sleep schedule.

Usually, I’m writing till about midnight, at which point I try to go to sleep and lie awake in bed for an hour or hour and a half before finally nodding off. I talked to my psychiatrist about this and he told me that the light from my computer screen keeps my body from getting the memo that it’s dark out and time to prepare for bed.

So now what I’m doing is writing till ten, then taking melatonin before reading in bed till about eleven, when the melatonin kicks in and I’m OUT.

It’s been pretty amazing.  I’m getting about 8.5 hours of sleep each night instead of <6.

I’m also taking magnesium and vitamin C and trying to eat healthier. Still seeing my therapist once a week.  It’s Project: Jackie time.

Things are about to get crazy again as I dive into writing a second draft of my next novel, which I call AVS or Ardor Valor Splendor.  I doubt that will be the name we land on, but it works fine as a placeholder.  I’m SO excited about this novel, and I have TONS of ideas for the revision, but I’m honestly stuck thinking, I don’t know how to write a book. Somebody help me! HarperCollins thinks I know how to write books!  HELP!

Okay, perhaps that’s a little hyperbolic, but I really am wondering how to attack my second draft of this novel. I figure that I’ll do it just like how I finished Truest: butt in seat, hands on keyboard. Show up, sit down, work hard.

Send chocolate FRUIT.

(See how good I’m being???)

P.S. I heard David Sedaris perform tonight and got an ab workout from laughing so hard. LOVE HIM.

P.P.S. Spoke about OCD this morning for a counseling class at UNW … doing another one tomorrow!