The Perfect Storm

When I said I would really like to have a whole weekend to write without other chores to do, I didn't mean this. Maybe I should be more specific.

There are two good things about storms for me. First, I sleep well. In fact, storms are so soothing to me that I get my best sleep during a storm. They have the exact opposite effect on my poor wife. The second benefit is, there is nothing else that I can do, so I am free to write.

It looks like Hurricane Matthew is going to be the perfect storm for that. It will begin during the day and land on a weekend, so I don't feel like I'm missing work. And, it will be strong enough that I will feel completely released from all other responsibilities during the blow.

There is a down side, of course. There is always a huge mess afterward and we will be without electricity for days. Naturally, there is the risk of damage to our home and other possessions as well. There is nothing I can do about those problems in advance. I've made a ramp and have the mower safely sequestered in the shop. It will take about twenty minutes on Friday for the hanging plants and trash cans to join the mower.

Just like that, we're prepared.

Well, almost prepared. We still need to fill containers with water and get some extra ice. Then we're prepared.

Now my question is: Which book do I work on? I am well into Book 5 in the Kingdom of the Falcon Series. I am well into Book 4 in the Adventures of Boathouse Mouse. I need to do a final edit on The Valley of the Ten Gatekeepers. And, I was thinking of writing the next section of Time Zone, of which I shared the first section with the family last year on Christmas Eve.

I could go on with many more titles that are started, but you get my dilemma. I probably need a six-month storm. However, for numerous reasons, that would be unsustainable.

Ironically, I am left with having to schedule my spare time among the books. It will require some well-thought-out strategy as well as some tough love decisions. I might even have to resort to a rock-paper-scissors contest for those really difficult choices. This could actually warrant a written pros and cons spread sheet!

Yikes! Who knew a silly hurricane could be so stressful? I may need to reassess my definition of the perfect storm.