This morning when I got up at my usual early hour (made even earlier this week with the time switch), I had plans to work on the rewrite of my novel. Because that’s what I do when I get up early to write. It is my sacred time, devoted only to writing fiction. (Except for those times when I, ahem, devote it to reading blogs and interesting news articles.) It is part of my daily morning routine.
But this morning I awoke and the juicy bits at the top of my brain were for newsletters. (Which, if you don’t know, I send out every week–I post them here but you can get them right into your inbox by filling out the form to the right.)
So I did what any self-respecting writer would do–I argued with myself. Told myself I HAD TO WORK ON THE NOVEL AND NOTHING ELSE. But the newsletters wouldn’t let hold of my mind. And when I tried to connect with my novel, nothing was there. It was like a blank wall in my brain.
And so I grudgingly did what my brain was telling me to do. I ended up knocking out two newsletters (I’ll be out of town next week so I’m setting one up ahead of time) in no time at all.
What would have happened if I hadn’t gone with the flow? Knowing me, I most likely wouldn’t have gotten either the newsletters or the work on the novel done. Instead, in trying to force my brain somewhere it didn’t want to go, I would have ended up not doing either and heading off to my procrastination default of farting around on the internet.
And now, later on in the afternoon, I’m going to steal an hour or so to work on that novel rewrite after all–because I got everything else done. So sometimes it is a good idea to release expectations of what you should be doing. We should ourselves way too much anyway.
What do you should yourself about? Leave a comment!
Nick Garcia
Since July 6 my whole world has been turned upside down. I know change is intamate. Stubbornness has been my worst enemy. Your words go with the flow speak loudly as true.
My fight against change has made change more difficult than it has needed to be. Here is a short run down of the past few months . I don’t want to complain or whine but illustrate that if I would have followed life leadings,steadily walking I would not have had such a hard go of it all.
It all began as I was saying July 6. For some time my work wasn’t working right and I needed to leave that place . So I quit my job not real sure what to do next. I dreaded looking for another job but I knew my reserves couldn’t last for ever. So at the end of the day I decided on early retirement. It would cover expenses and I could supplement as need be buying me some time.
This whole transition would have been enough for a while you would think. But no. My landlord, they had just bought the property,informed me that after 13 years there that my lease was up and would not be renewed. This was a ploy to up the rent. And I could have gone with that if they had been fair and not deceptive. That’s another story they were both deceptive and unfair asking a 30% increase . No go, no problem, I had a month to work it out.
The rental world has changed a lot over the year. I found a place but there was a wait to move in. To make a long story short. So out of my apt I spent the next month sleeping in my truck which would have been okay for me but my cat didn’t want any part of move and especially any part of the going anywhere in that truck. I managed to exhaust friendship and stayed in a cheap motel till my apt was available to move in.
So now I sit here in retrospect and I must admit if I have just gone with the flow life would be easier .
Charlotte Rains Dixon
Oh wow, what a time you have had! I assume you are in a long-term place now? I sure hope so. And things like this affect our writing. Sometimes it is so, so hard to remember to go with the flow!