I've crossed the 50000 words threshold today. Yippee, no more stress, no more pressure. Only the pressure I put on myself, which obviously continues. 'Diary of a Female GP' is well underway and half-way to completion of the first draft, I estimate.
So, now my target has changed. 50000 is no longer the target I work towards, after all I have already gone over at 52553 today, but I aim to complete this novel this month. So, all the words this novel will have eventually I want to be written. I also want to have a first edit of the book done, so I can look at re-edit and second draft by the end of this month or December at the latest.
And then? Then I will need to find some beta-readers for advice and then re-edit, final draft and publish. Perhaps this can be done by the end of January.
Of course, 'Growing Love' is still waiting to be completed as well. I'm working the last few chapters of the book and hope to be done with the first draft by the middle of November.
Now, for those of you who are waiting for another peek, here is another little excerpt from 'Diary of a Female GP', the work in progress for #nanowrimo2018.
Claire agreed and left and after signing a few new electronic prescriptions and grabbing the box of prescriptions I already signed, I got up to leave my room.
At that moment there was another knock on the door and Carly walked in, "Can I have a word?"
What now?
"I'm so sorry, Dr J, but I have just had a call from Dr K. Dr K won't be in this morning due to illness. We have a problem. All Dr K's appointments for this morning are already fully booked, what should we do?"
That indeed is a problem, the nightmare already starts before the first patient even enters my room.
"It can't be helped, we'll have to do what we can and cope. If you girls try and rearrange the appointments you can, I'll see the ones who can't be rearranged or turn up before you have had a chance to reschedule them. We'll just have to fit them in where we can. We've done it before and have managed. We'll do it again. I'm sure we can cope if we just work together like the great team we are."
Yes, I hope we will. Personally, I am not so sure, but I have to keep the morale up. A lot of the practice lays on the receptionists' shoulders. Without them doctors would be nothing and could do nothing. In reality it is not so much the doctors who keep the practice running as it is the receptionists. Well, we really need the entire team. Together we can be strong and deal with the pressure put on us, unless that pressure becomes too much. Will it be too much today? Time will tell.
"But I'm so sorry for you, Dr J, it seems like you always end up with these situations."
I'm sure that's not entirely true, it must happen to my colleagues on occasion as well. Although I don't call in sick very often. In general, I will even get to the surgery if I have to hold myself up on the walls to make sure I don't fall down. I hate letting anyone down and will drag myself in to work even if I don't feel well. On occasion I have had patients tell me, "You don't looke well, doctor. You should see a doctor." Which, of course, I do every day. Either at work or at home.
I hand Carly the prescriptions and make my way upstairs to get ready for the nightmare that will be today.
Joni
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