I wrote the first official “Bits from Bekah’s Life” back in May 2003. Until I just looked in my trusty Bits binder, I had no idea it had been that long! That year – in my poorer days – it was my gift to Mom on Mother’s Day. I’m not sure if she really wanted to read my writing, or if she just wanted to see her hard-earned money go to good use in my degree. Either way, I promised her some writing every week, and along the way, my audience has grown to include you…and I’m glad.
The second week of that writing adventure, I talked about procrastination. About writers’ tendencies to write…after. After they’ve folded and put away the laundry. After they catch up on the scrapbook. After they mow and trim the lawn. After they clean the bathroom.
My challenge to myself that year was to write…now. To not worry about what is or is not done. To not wait for the perfect writing studio…or a lap cat…or the most perfect idea ever…or even the coffee to brew.
Just write.
This year I have a gigantic honey-do list. The worst part of it all is…I’m honey. Each room has a rundown of things that need to be accomplished, and unless I inherit some serious cash, I know parts of that list are still going to exist come the end of the year. But one of my first projects is (gasp) the swapping of two rooms in my home. The guest room and the office.
My Dad and I are brainstorming about some big bookshelves for the room that will be the office. And I decided to downsize the enormous desk I have for something that fits more appropriately in the space I have.
On New Year’s Day, Mom and Dad showed up with their spare desk they so kindly agreed to bequeath to me. (An act of generosity that increased the curtain budget.) Dad and I maneuvered it into the office. And by that, I mean Dad hoisted it up the stairs and I stood behind him and clapped. We deposited the desk in the middle of the mayhem that is the future office.
My futon (which will relocate to the new guest room) is still in there, covered in objects in need of a home since Christmas. The cedar chest, filled with out of season clothes, sits beside it, the spare dresser (in need of a good cleaning-out) stands opposite the futon, and on the remaining wall is the broken elliptical.
And right in the middle of the room…my “new” desk. Later in the day, I carried up the chair and plopped it down. I also carried up the little mason jar of inspirational writing quotes my sister and brother-in-law gave me for Christmas.
In my mind, I can see the potential that is the office-to-be. I can see the book collection lining the yet-to-arrive shelves. I can see the pictures and baskets of desk supplies. It would be pretty tempting to close the door to that room until “reveal day” and then enter with my mug of steaming coffee and my creative mind…and write masterpieces.
Instead I donned my warm new bathrobe (haven’t added heat to the room yet) and climbed over the futon to plug in the rescue mission lamp so I could spend a half hour writing. The cat who refuses to be a lap cat meandered in and crawled all over my writing surface. So I wrestled him while sipping chai and trying to type. It might actually be good for my focus…I refuse to allow myself to look far to the right or left, because I can just see clutter everywhere.
And yet I also refuse to allow the work in progress to keep me from writing.
You might not be a writer. But it is the new year…it is the time for fresh beginnings. And you might be tempted to postpone something you love to do…you need to do, because all things aren’t in order yet. Maybe this is your year to focus inward…to ignore what isn’t done…what is yet to be done…in order to simply do.
3 comments:
I think many writers are right when they say to set a daily page/word count goal and do that FIRST, then do everything else. I think that's pretty much the only way because even when you're published and on deadline, it's easy to put writing behind everything else on the priority list...there isn't that daily urgency.
The Peter Heck Show now has software that turns the spoken word into the written word. It produces his broadcast transcript which can be read soon after the show is complete.
I wonder how many writers now pace, think, and then speak into a computer microphone.
Good luck w/ your office!
Stephanie - you're right! I thought of doing the writing in the morning this year but that's pointless. I hate mornings and would fall asleep on my own work. Much better to do it later when my brain is AWAKE.
Chris - Hey that's just what I need. And how did you know I pace? :)
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