More hours in a day, please.

We change back from 'daylight saving' to normal time on Sunday. Hurray! No more trying to get the kids to bed in broad daylight, no more getting up before the rooster. But I'm afraid it's not enough for me. I don't just need normal time back for my sanity. I need double time. There are simply not enough hours in the day any more.

I told you in my last post about the character who had popped into my head. Well, Josiah (that's his name) has become quite three dimensional over the last few days. I've got to know him quite well. I know his past, his personality, his abilities and his faults and I know the troubles he has right now. I also know he isn't my main character, or at least not my point of view character. But my problem is that I don't have time to do anything with him. I have another book in progress and two others that need polishing and sending off. I have a picture book I think would work better as a chapter book and a short story that needs reworking so that I can take up the chance to read it on the radio. I don't have time for poor old Josiah.

Suddenly I feel very old. If I were 21 again, all these possibilities would seem wonderful. Now though, as I approach half a century I'm beginning to wish I could turn off my imagination, or at least make it focus on one thing and one thing only. Josiah is going to have to wait as a quickly scribbled note in an exercise book for some time yet. I know he won't. I know he'll keep visiting me when I'm busy at something boring that I can't put aside or when I'm trying to sleep. He'll bother me until I flesh him out. My point of view character is going to start working on me too. She hasn't a name yet, but I know it'll pop into my head in the middle of the night, just as Josiah's did.

So what am I doing here?

See you! Off to do some real writing. Can't keep Josiah waiting too long. He'll go grey...