New year, new rules

I mentioned, back in August (wow, that long), the idea of writing and following a sort of personal contract. Well, in the spirit of the new year, I have finally done so, and today is my second day of following its terms.

Drawing it up was a bit of fun. I got to use the part of my brain that likes to read and interpret RPG rules, and that kept me from being bored to death while I proofread municipal codes for a living. I tried to craft language that was airtight, only giving me wiggle room where I was confident it was necessary and wouldn't let me wriggle out of the commitment altogether.

If you're a certain kind of curious, you can see the text of what I signed

I intend, upon signing, to follow the terms set out in this contract. I will not act contrary to this contract without first amending the contract and re-signing an updated copy. I will not abolish this contract without printing and signing a statement to that effect.
In case of an emergency I can suspend this contract for no more than the current day. (The contract can be suspended on subsequent days by a decision made on that day.) Barring cataclysm, I will resume or amend the contract promptly and in good faith.
I. This section will apply while I am not employed at a regular job.
A. On weekdays:
1. I will spend no less than two hours pursuing work. “Pursuing work” in this case means:
a. Searching for or reading job listings.
b. Preparing job application materials.
c. Applying for jobs.
d. The aforementioned activities in regard to health insurance, if I have no health insurance or need to change it.
e. Searching for or arranging paid writing opportunities. This does not include the actual writing of the projects or their pitches, which would fall under I-A-2.
2. I will write or edit for no less than four hours.
a. “Edit” means to examine material I have written while making improvements, marking improvements to be made later, or taking notes of improvements to be made.
b. “Write” refers to the production of new words, whether drafting, freewriting, outlining, or rewriting.
c. Research, online or otherwise, is permitted, provided it relates directly to a question that arises during the course of writing or editing, and I return promptly to writing or editing when the question has been resolved.
3. I will not play video games or browse the internet recreationally until I have performed at least three combined hours of the work described in I-A-1 and 2. Before completing the entire requirements of I-A-1 and 2, I will limit these activities to one combined hour.
4. I will read for no less than one hour. This includes reading physical books and e-books, but not material read on a computer monitor.
B. On Saturdays I will write or edit no less than two hours, either continuously or in two periods of no less than one continuous hour each, before midnight.
1. If I have not posted to my blog since the preceding Saturday, I will do so before midnight. Time spent writing or editing a blog post will count toward time spent writing or editing that day.
2. The writing or editing requirement on a Saturday can be reduced to one continuous hour in the event of social engagements, church services, or other personal obligations that do not allow sufficient time before or after.
C. I will not require myself to write or edit in the manner of I-A or I-B on Sunday, Valentine’s Day, Easter, Girlfriend’s birthday, my birthday, Thanksgiving, or Christmas.
D. I will not require myself to write or edit in the manner of I-A or I-B while on vacation. “Vacation” refers to periods where I stay overnight somewhere other than my regular home, and the days spent traveling to or from the place of the vacation. Days spent attending a convention, such as PAX, will also be considered vacation days even if I stay overnight at my regular home.
E. On certain days (“half days”) I will reduce the time requirements of I-A by one-half for that day. The half days are Independence Day, Election Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day.
II. This version of this contract supersedes previous versions. I activate and engage the contract by signing below.





Now, I hope that I made that button right. It should show you the text of the contract and if it does then I get to pat myself on the back for finally figuring out a somewhat reasonable way to handle spoiler text on this blog. Which opens up so many doors.

Anyway, the upshot of the contract is that on weekdays while I'm unemployed, I have to spend at least two hours a day looking for a job (or publishing opportunity, although the latter is so much more fun that I may have to amend the section to keep myself on-task). I have to spend four hours writing. I have to spend an hour reading something that isn't a glowing screen. And, finally, no dicking around until I'm done.

That last part (Section I-A-3) is a hard one to adhere to, but I think it's important. Important enough, anyway, that I didn't amend it even if I wasn't able to follow it exactly to the letter yesterday. It kept me from getting irretrievably distracted, and everything got done. It looks like I'll be able to manage it today, too. I'm more productive lately than I have been in a long time (which was definitely not the case the last time I was unemployed).

You might notice that the contract doesn't cover any period when I'm fully or partially employed. I want to work out language to cover those possibilities, but I need to figure out something that will make sense in any situation. Trying to find the perfect language for that is part of what tripped me up back in August. Right now I decided it was more important to get something down that I would work right now.

It's exciting to have a large portion of the day structured and spoken for, even if it doesn't actually bring in any money. I hope I will be able to look back on this as a period of definite progress. I'll be sending out my first pitches to Paizo and Cracked this week, and I'm making actual progress on Nenle and Death.

It's a beautiful, freezing day in Hyattsville.