Poof

That post that just disappeared makes me giggle, but I thought perhaps it wasn't putting my best foot forward, you know? Eh, maybe I'm paranoid.

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Lots to do this week. Another short paper to write (hopefully not at the last minute), another set of papers to grade over the weekend, plus the usual reading and whatnot. I have no idea how I'm going to add writing two 20+ page papers to my already jammed schedule. Less sleep? Less going out (I only do it one, maybe two nights a week)? Less cooking, more takeout? Energy drinks? Less blogging (I hardly ever do that, either)? I don't know...

A friend and I were talking about priorities yesterday, and how we are not our old MFAish writer-selves in this new program. This friend has decided to let coursework drop down in importance so other, more writerly pursuits can have more time.

It seems like there's only two options: skip some of the weekly reading assignments to write, or write less and keep up with the reading. I have a really, really hard time with this. I came to grad school in the first place so that I could stop stealing time from other things for writing. But if I'm going to get my manuscript in the mail come May (my totally arbitrary goal), I need to make some time. If I'm going to do that Big Spring Submission I'm hoping to, I need to make some time. And on top of it all, I think both of the papers I'm supposed to be writing this semester could be a) conference presentations and / or b) the start of my exam lists--so they need some time and thought--not last minute, caffeine induced, muscle-cramping marathon writing sessions.

So: priorities. How to set them, how to stick to them. That's what I'm trying to figure out this week.

And discipline. Following a schedule. Being diligent. Just saying no.

In that spirit, since blogging is not one of my top priorities, I'm off to evaluate my to do list.