Writing in Super Typhoons With Sick Kids

With Super Typhoon Mangkhut approaching the Philippines Jerry’s classes have been cancelled today. The typhoon will make landfall tomorrow much further north than Iloilo City where we live. But like most of the Philippines, we will cop a lot of rain and most likely more floods.

Please spare a thought and some prayers for the millions of Filipinos who are in the direct path of the Typhoon and the women and children who are always the most affected by natural disasters.

The typhoon is certain to cause the destruction of much needed rice crops in a country that is already experiencing a rice shortage and significant increases in the costs of basic commodities especially rice.

As for me I’ll be working on my freelance writing projects for my clients as Jerry has free reign on Netflix. He hasn’t been allowed TV or access to the cell phone for more than a week so I probably won’t have too many interruptions from him (for the first few hours anyway).

I’ve loaded up my mobile devices from two different carriers and am charging up everything in case of power outages so I can keep working. The biggest challenges to my writing career this year have been managing unplanned interruptions to power, managing a flooding house, and managing a little kid with chronic health problems. I have so much respect for all you writers out there that have navigated all these issues and still managed to get that book published or not missed a client deadline. I’ll let you know when this happens to me.

Allergies.

Allergies, poor Jerry.

My little man (and me) are in much better spirits than when I took these photos last night of his outbreak of hives. In fact today you would hardly know he was sick.

All this week Jerry has been experiencing allergic reactions and I’m not sure if it’s to the TB meds or something else. He missed a day’s school earlier in the week and last night we visited the emergency room as his whole face and body was covered in hives; this morning his right eye is still affected. We have an appointment with his paediatrician tomorrow and he is scheduled to undertake a precautionary liver test at the hospital tomorrow.

So it’s back to the client work, still deciding whether to explain why the work I promised my client last night isn’t in his inbox yet or just send it later this morning (when I finish it) without comment. Ahhh another freelancing decision.

Happy writing friends, wishing you (and all of us really) clear writing time, healthy kids, and super-fast signal.

Mel xx