A day in the life of a writer who is easily distracted…
Get up.
Avoid doing stretches.
Realise that doing stretches will postpone writing.
Do stretches.
Check that the to-do list on the fridge still says ‘writing/editing’
Look around for something that needs cleaning.
Decide that cleaning that strange ridge at the back of the oven and scrubbing all the utensils is something that you can’t put off any longer.
Get laptop, water, notebook and pens all in place on desk.
Decide pencils need sharpening and water bottle needs topping up.
Realise that the laptop is low on charge (80% is low, right?) and so if you plug it in and pop out for a walk then when you get back you can get to work on the editing without worrying about the laptop battery cutting out.
Go for a walk and stomp extra hard to work off the guilt you feel about not doing any writing.
Have a shower – can’t write when sweaty…well-known fact.
Have something to eat – can’t write on an empty stomach… well-known fact.
Stare out of the window at the bin lorry.
Get laptop onto desk and make sure the pencils are still sharp after sitting in the pencil pot doing nothing for 2 hours.
Investigate strange noise outside.
Sit at desk.
Remember to check emails and Facebook because there might be something important going on that needs attention.
Spend a couple of hours dealing with things that are unimportant online.
Check that pencils are still sharp and glare out of the window at the ripped boxes left behind accidentally by the bin men.
Go out and tidy up the boxes.
Check what time it is and realise that the Teenager gets home from school any moment.
Grill Teen about his day and run through usual nag topics.
Prepare for dinner.
Decide to get a take-away instead.
Tell yourself that although you didn’t get any writing done, you did get other things done and really tomorrow is a much better day for writing because you don’t have any cleaning to do so you can just get up and get on with it.
Draw a star next to ‘writing/editing’ on the to-do list and underline it.
Veg out on the sofa, watch true crime TV, go to bed.
Repeat to fade…..
Sigh! But actually, I have done some writing work – shock!! It’s not the editing I was meant to be doing but instead, I have edited and rewritten a 20-minute panto that we’re going to perform this Christmas so I’m taking that as a win. And tomorrow will be a much better day to do writing because…
The Reluctant Writer 