How Editing is Like Sleep: ROW80

My husband received a Fitbit® for Christmas. At first, I didn't think I needed one. I'm active, I told myself (and him). I exercise at least 3-4 times a week. 

Not good enough according to Fit Bit. And a lot of days I sit for long periods stuck at a computer. Seeing how hard it was for him to meet his goal (30 active minutes and 5 miles a day of total walking), I decided to jump on the bandwagon.

Man, I didn't realize how hard it was to hit those targets on days where I needed to keep my butt in the chair. But I've made little tweaks to my daily routine to include walking my daughter to school and taking a run after. Overall, I feel less stressed and more eager to hit the computer when I get back.

Another feature of Fitbit® is measuring your sleep pattern (both total sleep and restlessness). My last report...


When I saw this, my first thought was no wonder I'm so tired when I wake up. But my second thought... that's how I feel when I'm editing.

I start off raring to go, then I hit a spot where I can't figure it out. Frustration and a need for sugar often result before I find my groove again. That was today. Off and on emotions... 

I rocked that scene.
I'm never going to get this scene right.
Why won't this character tell me what he/she is thinking?
Why won't another character shut up?
What's the word I want? ARGH!
That's pretty good. Did I write that?
Oh my God, did I write that?

Off and on. It can be exhausting. 

And that's my A Round of Words in 80 Days (ROW80) progress in a nutshell. Editing Chasing Shadows. As a side note, I filed my quarterly sales tax return and wrote a few blog posts during those "need a break" moments. Not too bad.

What's the craziest thought you ever had while editing?