I need someone to hold me accountable for my personal writing. No. I need someone to manage my writing activity. No. I need a ringmaster to corral my thoughts. No. I need them all.
There are a couple of facts to remember. I love writing. I like traveling. I am not organized and easily distracted — oh, look a squirrel just jumped on the tree out the window. I am not the most extroverted person on the world.
This blog certainly gives me a chance to be expressive. It has spawned three books — a novella, non-fiction and fictional memoir — in this season of life. And as the miles roll by, my imagination has been unleashed, which has led to numerous writing destinations in the recesses of my mind. Do I settle down or keep the wind rustling through my snowy white, thinning hair? Do I seriously attack the potential works in progress (WIP) or just fit it in as the muse inspires me?
Oh, the pain of an unorganized procrastinator is real — very real!
Seriously, though, there are at least three WIP which should be either attacked vigorously or just abandoned. That’s why I need an accountability partner. I need someone to prod me forward — oh, look, the squirrel just returned.
The WIPs are in various stages of development. As a whim — with the wind rustling through my snowy white, thinning hair — I wrote a Christmas story for my grandkids/great-grandkids — Yes, There Is a Santa … And I’ve Met Him Personally Many Times, A First-Person Account. I read it to them live on Facebook Christmas Eve. They were, in a sense, my beta readers/listeners.
I learned a lot from the experience. I’m not sure I’m ready for children’s stories. It was too long — a 45 minute read with 10 pages missing! If I move forward, it really has to be condensed and — for want of a better term — “dumbed down” for an 8-11 year old audience. It would also need an illustrator. Did I mention I’m not sure I’m ready for children’s stories?
The second WIP — actually the first before Santa snuck in — was a second volume to the non-fiction Wisdom From a Father … one dad’s thoughts on life. It was originally intended to be a Black Friday release for the holidays like its predecessor. I hit the road and it was shelved to the to do list. The sad part is, a lot of the work is already done. The short stories from the blog — the emphasis of the book — have been chosen. They just need to be updated and the project edited and formatted for publication. And I need to just do it!
Then there are other random thoughts floating around in the head. Oceans. Mountains. Road trips. Special events. Nature — oh, that darn squirrel is back!
So, there you have it folks … a desperate soul looking for accountability, management, and ringleader {just to keep the circus running in an orderly fashion}. Any takers?
THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. — Amelia Earhart
The Light 
Hold his nose to the grindstone,
hold his shoulder to the wheel,
work his fingers straight to bone,
making Man of Writing Steel.
Lock his arms to reach the keyboard,
tape his backside to the chair
tilt him to be leaning forward
with a look of earnest care.
Lock the doors and close the windows,
close the drapes, turn off the phone
to ensure that where his mind goes,
it is not inclined to roam.
Ready for the book to move ahead,
now…wait…um, I think he’s dead.
LikeLike
😁
LikeLike
Hi Joe
Well. I’m an expert at procrastinating. Why do something today that I can put off until tomorrow. Or the next day. Or the day after tomorrow. Or the next….You get the picture. I am semi organized although. I know what I’m looking for is in one of the piles sitting on my desk.
No squirrel, but there is a little Gecko lizard in my living room. I tried to catch the lizard and put him back outside, but he was too quick for me. If my cat sees the lizard, she will probably try to catch him. What distraction ?
When asked for advice, I always tell someone to just be yourself. That Inner Person within you is who you really are. Don’t be concerned what others think about you. Do what you love to do in life. If you love to write, then write. Express yourself from your heart, and the words will begin to flow. Then go with the flow.
Bruce
LikeLike
Always.
LikeLike