Branching out with my writing
Stay true to yesterday’s ‘watch your temper’ advice,
Yes, counter to August 27: Your reclusiveness serves no one. , today IS STILL a good day to be a shut-in. Your editor wasn’t in a compromising mood, so the embers are still smoldering and the deadlines still loom.
No, you don’t have to totally insulate yourself.
But give it another day before you get a handle on the workload.
image courtesy of gratisography.com
Yesterday’s merciless ‘overwhelm’ endures.
The editor shoots you a ‘Where’s your draft?’ email.
You want to show him what you’d like to do with the email.
But the garbage disposal isn’t disposing.
Can you find a tolerable medium?
How about–you’ll do the rewrite if he gives you an extra week?
It’ll at least give you time to get the disposal fixed…in case of future editorial spats.
Today, September 11, is a national day of service, as requested by people who lost family in the 2001 tragedy. Here is a link to publicgood.com.
So many ideas, so little time.
So many projects, so much self-doubt.
It will be tempting to let it wash all over you.
Go ahead, give it an hour.
Call it a short-term pity party.
Then pull out your notebook, audio recorder, laptop, hammer-and-chisel [and acceptable hard surface]–whatever!–and churn out a few words.
Even if it’s that chapter you finally finished yesterday, despite concerted efforts from a family member. If you finished it, that’s success.
Just don’t overdo it. A sugar-high can be an ugly thing.
Success is a journey, not a destination.
The doing is often more important than the outcome.
*Arthur Ashe*
A book I like on success and ‘getting stuff done’: The One Thing by Gary Keller. [No, I don’t always heed the advice, but it serves to get me back to the essentials.]
Image by Gratisography
This chapter is killing me!
A whine emanates from the other room. He knows…
A little he-and-I time wouldn’t hurt.
A deadly whimper-whine combination.
Stop right there! You know deep down once you leave that keyboard, there’s little chance you’re coming back, not even to turn things off.
Aim for a quick win, or at least a compromise. Set the timer for 20 minutes. You power through till the buzzer goes off and then Droopy-Eyed Ralph can get his walk.
Other anti-distraction tips:
http://published.com/magazine/how-to-create-distraction-free-writing-life
…and for those with family members who can’t read ‘Do Not Disturb’ signs and who claim to not understand clearly-stated boundaries: http://www.diyauthor.com/distraction-working-home-when-you-have-pets/ .
And, don’t forget the one writer you should always be competing with: the previous version of you.
***
photo courtesy of Gratisography
You face-planted on your last foray into a new genre. Critics cared enough to send their very best…jeers, barbs, and insults. [Remember, writers, everything comes in threes.]
Trust that you will find your voice. Characters will come alive. Plots will write themselves. [Again with the threes?]
It’s time to hop back on and start pedaling. [After some reassembly.]
***
photo courtesy of Gratisography
guitar player, or saxman.
Experiment with different working audio.
Even try migrating from digital to…
yes, vinyl. [Granted, if you’re under a tight deadline or you’re on a roll, you might have to hire someone to switch albums for you and nudge the turntable in the event of skipping. Talk about a narrow niche for a side-hustle…]
You might also consider background noise [not counting the barking dog next door].
***
photo courtesy of Gratisography
Word Inventions