August 28, 1998
6:34 a.m.
Tired ... tired ... tired. Yesterday was an open house at Brigid's school, and we ended up going to a place to get ice cream afterward and sitting around with two other sets of parents, just talking. It was a great deal of fun--but we stayed out late and didn't get to bed until late, and I'm paying for it this morning. Every time I go to a convention someone hears about the way I write--meaning that I get up at 4:00 or so and have at it. So they inveritably make comments about how they couldn't do it, or ask me something about how I manage to even get my body to function at that time. And I answer them as well as I can, saying something pithy like the fact that it's a learned reaction (which is true) and that my body knows it has to produce when it goes downstairs that early (which is pretty much true). The truth of the matter is that working at 4:00 a.m. is no more difficult than working at 8:00 a.m. it's just earlier. Work is work. But I admit that I operate on the hair's edge of "acceptable" sleep, and on days like today--where I've broken that barrier--it's tough to keep focused on the tasks at hand. So, how do I do it on days when it's not going so well? Pretty damned sucky is how. Honestly, though, I know there are days like this. I've been doing this for several years, and I know myself well enough by now. So I "prepare" for them. How? Well, I let all my cruddy little nits pile up while I'm busy being creative--you know, things like updating submission records and tracking databases, developing submission strategies for manuscripts that have come back over the past couple weeks, actually cleaning off my desk a bit, and etching out what I plan to write the next week or so. Things that don't tax the creative side too much. Things that need doing, but can wait until later. Lisa, of course, (or anyone else for that matter!) might argue with my earlier assignment of the word "prepare". She might look at it as merely being a slovenly male and not keeping up with things. But I consider leaving these things for such an occasion as this morning as "preparing" for days when I just can't get the creative juices flowing. And this is my journal. I'll call it what I want. So that's what I've been doing this morning. Heck, a guy needs a break every now and again, eh? A few moments to let things hang where they are. But watch out tomorrow. I've got two ideas for my next story.[ grin ] Have a great day.  Daily Persistence is © Ron Collins |
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"I don't know. I'm making this up as I go." Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones (paraphrased, I suppose) |
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