Prompt Pre-emption

Well, I hate to do it to ya. But tonight's prompt has been pre-empted by my need to sleep. :-) Actually, that's only partly true. Let's see:

1 - It's after 11 p.m. right now and my challenge is to do one prompt every week night. After midnight is a new day and if I start before then and finish after midnight, then fine. But this close to it, I'll be up until 2 a.m. easily. Reason number 1 why no story tonight.

2 - Tonight my time was interrupted by me telling my son where babies come from. After I asked him what the physical difference was between girls and boys, I began to tell him how the puzzle connected, if you excuse my obvious metaphor. He started smiling a bit, squirming a bit, I told him only the beginning of who is "connected" to whom and he's smiling again.

"What," I ask. I can't help smiling myself.

"I'm just wondering is this really necessary?"

"What? What I'm telling you?"

"Yeah."

"Well you asked me where babies came from."

"Yeah, and I want to know."

"Well, THIS is how it physically works, Son."

Squirming and smiling.

"You still want to know?"

"I want to know."

So you see, I told him some basics and went all over why it's not for him and I know this is a conversation that we'll be having for a while as he comes up with more questions. Later, after he was supposed to be in bed, I'm on the phone with a friend. Son is standing in the doorway staring at me.

"What is it, Son?"

"Um, if the penis is in the vagina, how do they get it out again?"

"He takes it out." I can't go further than that. I'm on the phone after all.

"Does it hurt?" OK, much can be said to this, but not now.

"No."

"OK."

Reason number two why no story tonight.

3 - I was on the phone with that previously mentioned friend who just celebrated her 40th birthday by going to Bermuda with her husband. Their marriage is in dire straights but she was going no matter what and he could go or not. He went. She had a blast. Our talk leads to Twitter and I start telling her what the point is. What to do. How to do it. (I really should consider tracking all I know and writing my own primer. Lots of people write about it but I know people personally who are asking me to explain it.) In all we talk for 2 minutes short of 2 hours. Reason number three why no story tonight.

4 - Returning to reason number one and going from there, I am one tired sistah. The fact is I am having big fun writing these things. (I'll blog more about all that later.) I am having even bigger fun hearing from you all via here and my personal email that you like what you are reading. I can't tell you how much I appreciate that feedback too. It gives me the fuel to keep going, especially since I am writing way more than I intended in length. But I've always been verbose so I shouldn't be shocked. Still, it takes a lot out of me because I can't really get going until I have a prompt to start with, which I don't choose until it's time to write. And then I can't really sit in silence until about 9 p.m. when the kids are completely down. Then it takes me a good 3 hours usually to do one. And as I said, it's already after 11. The time change didn't help here but going to bed at 2 a.m. tends to cause one to yawn a lot the next day. But don't get me wrong. THAT is not a huge reason why I'm not doing it tonight. It's the late start more than anything else. Reason number 4 why no story tonight.

5 - I'm not getting any other writing done. I have an assignment to revise and mail for my children's writing course. I have at least three greeting cards to write copy for. I have a bio that's been waiting on me forever to get together. I have revisions to make on a book proposal so I can mail/email it. Don't get me wrong. I love writing these little stories for me AND you. But I'm busy at work all day, come home to get the kids together and then off to bed, and then it's the prompt for the rest of the night. But I'm not going to stop. Just gotta figure out when to work in the rest. It all matters to me. Reason number 5 why no story tonight.

Now, I did not do a prompt last Friday because, though I was hoping I'd do it anyway, I really hate doing ANYTHING on a Friday night except getting my hair done and that's not every week or even every other week sometimes, so I live with it. (My hair being done is a necessity for me, like food. Yes, it is.) But basically, Friday night is my sweet night to do not a blessed thing. So I already know I won't do a prompt tomorrow night for the same reason - plus there will be additional noise tomorrow night. However, I picked out the prompt already so that means I'm thinking about it and you just never know when inspiration will strike.

Thing is, Son's birthday sleepover is tomorrow night. No sleep for me.
The kids will leave by noon so I can get Daughter to choir practice by 12:30. No sleep late for me.
Son has his first baseball clinic Sunday afternoon after church and I still need to do Daughter's hair. No sleep early for me.

So you see, my next prompt may take me from now until Sunday night to write it, and I want to write it so there are at least four per week this month.

But I am tired, ya'll. Need to actually get in my bed before midnight tonight.

"But Monica, by now you could have written the story!"

Naw. I write until I am inspired and I know how to end it. Then I go back and REALLY write it. I know nothing until the story reveals itself. That all takes time.

So I'm sorry no story tonight but something is in the works, I promise. And now I bid you goodnight. I plan to sleep tight.

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What's this about, Monica?

You don't know? Why, it's my own March Madness!

While you're here, the Start Up Nation Leading Moms in Business 2009 Competition is wrapping up this month and we are sure we're close to being in that top 200. Winning means major publicity - major for us, anyway. Have you voted for us today? Check it out here. We'd REALLY appreciate it if you vote and you can do it every day until March 31, 2009 PT. There's even a new meter there now to show you how hot we are! Go ahead. Vote! We wanna be hot, hot, hot! Thanks for your support!