The Great Time Suck

A moment to relax; a deep breath.

This is one of few such moments I've had so far in 2012. For the most part, it's been go-go-go since the moment the ball dropped. The main reason for this is because I've taken on some freelance editing assignments in addition to my full-time job as a proofreader and copywriter.

Freelancing in and of itself is nothing particularly new. I've been doing it for a while now. What is unusual is the way the projects have stacked up. I just finished my third children's book already this year, to go along with a novel and small blurbs from another book that I polished off this past weekend. I've also done an issue of a magazine (for my "regular" freelance gig), and I'm getting ready to start another novel.

The children's book can be editing-intensive at times, but they're usually so short that they don't take very long. The magazine takes a few hours at a time, but it's generally in pretty good shape by the time I see it. The novels and longer works, though...those things can be beasts. They're exhausting. While my wife Brandi does her best to make sure I get some occasional downtime (she usually does this by bringing me a beer or glass of wine; she's a saint), I feel like I haven't had a weekend or evening off in quite some time.

I like the work, even when I complain about it (which I do, as some of the manuscript problems I've seen are frankly beyond belief). And the extra money it brings in is nice. The only real issue is the amount of time it takes, particularly time that could be spent writing my own stuff or reading for pleasure. In reality, I'm just glad my eyes haven't resigned in protest.