On the days the words don’t come easily, you have two choices: you can whine about the fact, or you can get to work. If you’re in the former group, I give you permission to wail about the difficulty for two minutes. You’re not going to get anything done until you do. I know. I’ve been there, so go. Cry, scream, or swear for the next two minutes then come back. Are you back? Good. Now you’re ready to join the latter group, the one that yells “This is Sparta!” and gets to work.
writing
Playing the Waiting Game
The writing life is one of patience, a fact with which I struggle. I am not a patient person. If I see that something needs to be done, I do it. I don’t play games. I don’t wait around in hopes that someone else will do the task. I get the job done and move onto the next thing.
Returning to the Rough Drafts
I have a simple process for filing my in-process work: I name it by the keywords found in its title. If the work is on its way to the final stages in my editorial process, those keywords serve as a reminder of the topic and help me to figure out how it fits into my editorial calendar. If the work is still in draft stage, i.e., it isn’t ready for another stages besides the initial writing one, the file name demarcates that: word-word-draft.
Should I Have a Blog?
I can’t answer the question “Should I have a blog?” in a resounding affirmative. That may be a strange answer to some. I think, though, that many people and businesses have blogs because they feel or have been told they should have one. They then stumble their way around blogging because they don’t know why they have a blog or what to do with it.
How to Overcome Distraction
It’s difficult to write today. My mind already is cluttered. I haven’t slept well. I am distracted and distractible: the bill that requires a phone call, emails that require replies, people who need to be contacted, the lunch that needs to be made, the insulin reservoir that needs to be filled and replaced in the insulin pump, the conversations that have happened and have yet to happen. My mind is not quiet. It’s already churning with the things that need to be done and the things that await.
The Writing Basics: A Seven-Beat
I dance salsa. At least, I try. I wouldn’t say I’m very good at it, but I enjoy it. The trick with dancing salsa, as with any dance, is never to forget the basic. In this case, it’s a dance based on a seven-beat step. No matter how complicated a turn or shine (footwork) is, it’s based on that basic seven-beat.