8 Not So Easy Things

Yesterday I read an article from Chuck Sambuchino - 8 Easy Things to do BEFORE You Start Your Novel. And, I realized - they're not so easy. Maybe it's because I'm a little whacky, who knows. At any rate, here's my take.

Timing - Buy a timer, set it & work until it beeps. The second I read this, I thought, do I need an egg timer? Can I use the one in the kitchen? Should I buy a new one? How many times do I get to look at it while I'm supposed to be working? Will the ticking drive me insane - um, that might not be as far a trip as I think.

Mrs. Lonely - Use a 'do not disturb' sign. Of course, I have to make one. This requires tools - paper, markers, crayons, stencils. It might be easier to bury my head in my laptop & ignore anyone else in the room. Besides, my sign would never be perfect enough for use, so this ain't gonna happen.

Silence - Turn my phone off. What?? I can't do that. Someone not from an 800 number might be calling & I would miss it. The wondering would kill me more than the ringing. Phone on.

No Internet - But, I need it - for research! Sure, I do. That & solitaire & e-mail & oh my grapes, I could have won the PCH millions. Nope, gotta have my ether connection to the planet. Don't want to miss the reports on those birds falling from the sky. Hello, this is important apocalyptic stuff here & I need to know if the end is near so I can back up my WIP.

Same Bat Time - I don't write at the same time every day. And why not? Because the muse is a fickle imp that shows up on her schedule, not mine. I cannot be expected to maintain consistency when she's laughing at me from the bookshelf.

Read Don't Watch - Read more novels; watch less t.v. This is just not conducive to my middle of the road life style. The Mentalist, Castle, SVU - these are research not entertainment. How else will I solve the case, catch the bad guy or discover the nature of that sticky substance? Oh wait - I only play a detective in real life. Darn the socks!

Life Rafts - AKA - friends. Writer friends. For those days when the timer is broken, the sign fell down, the muse doubled over from the laughter & the Kindle went on the frizz. But, I looovvveeee the solitary nature of this profession; that's why I picked it right? Uh, okay we'll go with that theory. So, ya, I guess this one makes the cut; besides, I like all you peops.

It Doesn't Hurt; Much - This is supposed to be fun. Pick the day, I say. Fun is relative to the amount of writer's block in my sinus cavity. Oh wait, I have nasal spray for that. Crap. Fine, I'll just have to fun my way through it. Jeez.

While this list didn't work for me in its entirety, it just might work for someone else. Whatever the case, laugh, dance, write then laugh some more. Not hysterical laughter though, that just gets the 'men in their nice white coats' unleashed.

Happy Writing,

Patti