How to Write During Flu Season

Has anyone else gotten hit hard by flu season this year? Notice the large gaps in my blog entries? Yes. Flu. 5th Time for me since January 2011. Yuk. And here I was bragging it up that I hadn't had the stomach flu in 10 years. What-ev-er. I won't be opening my big mouth any time soon.

But this time was different. I actually had writing DEADLINES! Yes, the dreaded word of all writers. It's easy to deal with writing when you don't have deadlines ... don't write - be sick. But when people are waiting for your best work, and you're camping out in the bathroom ... it's not a recipe for the next Jane Austin.

Here's a few things that I discovered - accidentally - that got me through AND helped me meet my deadlines (which I did ... thank you, Lord!):

1. Crit Partners. I know. I've harped about them all last week. Threw darts at their poster faces. Whined about their abusive natures. They. Saved. Me. I had so many edits to do and frankly, they did about 75% of them for me. Now, let me put that into perspective. They did not write my stuff. :) They took my stuff and helped me read through it pragmatically and editorially. One crit had me slice and dice an entire chapter. "It's not necessary" - she states. "It needs to be culled". Who uses a word like "cull"? Ok fine. I CULLED it and what do you know - it read better. Gee whiz. My other crit highlighted a thousand hyphens that weren't em-dashes. Who notices that stuff? She does. And my third crit pasted about equal amounts of criticisms to encouragement comments. Ahhh ... I save her's til last 'cause she's like the doctor who slices the wound but quick throws a bandaid over it and asks if you need a doughnut.  - my point? Aw gee, I needed ALL THREE. They each brought something different to my edits and I was VERY confident when I pressed "send". Not confident that I just wrote the next best-seller, but confident that I'd written MY best.
2. Text Messaging. I needed txting SO BADLY this weekend. Again, enter crit partners. They texted and texted and texted. Let me WHINE like a 2 yr old, sob like an idiot, and they soothed my proverbial brow via "Lol's" and "U Poor Ba-B's". 
3. My Husband. I have a 2 yr. old. And I'm 7.5 months pregnant. And I had deadlines. And I have a full time job. And ... well, your life probably has it's own lists of "ands" so insert yours, and we all know how the flu just ruins that mo-jo routine we have going to keep all those balls in the air. And, I'm not a natural born juggler. Enter DH. Gosh he's a dead wringer for those movie/book heroes we like to swoon over. He entertained a 2 yr old for four days, made suppers, did dishes, laundry, plumped pillows, tucked me in for naps, and made sure my laptop was buzzing along when I needed it. And, people wonder why I take my marriage vows seriously? HELLO!!! 

So ... I'm back on my feet. Deadlines are met. Crit partners have new posters up and they're not marred by dart pricks. My phone is still buzzing with texts because - let's face it - once you start you can't stop. AND DH deserves a steak dinner. Now ... if I only knew how to cook ...