Having a hard time getting started this morning, due to a bit of a fragrance hangover from my outing yesterday. I went to OKC to see The Time Traveler's Wife with a friend, and while I was there I did a tarot reading for her. The movie was good, the reading I'm not sure about. I'm very rusty doing readings in front of a live querant, because I haven't had a real-life hang-out buddy in a long time. Years, even. It's kind of weird, hanging out with somebody just for the fun of it, with no obligation attached. I guess that may make me seem like a real loser, but I'm sure we've all gone through periods of time where we put ourselves last, and that's just what happened with me. I've never been one to collect friends like knick-knacks, and when you add in family obligations, moving around a lot and fatigue from health problems, it's easy to lose touch with people. I'm happy I have the energy now to direct toward new friendships.
I finished my long synopsis for reals on Friday and sent it off to my agent. Thanks to all my beta readers, I'm extremely happy with how it turned out, which in case you didn't know is pretty rare for me. I think the synopsis is tight and readable and, most importantly, informative--I just can't imagine how it might have turned out better.
So now I'll switch over to another project on the merry-go-round, which is editing these short stories from Eternal Press. One is almost finished, so my mini-goal for the next few days is to finish that one and get a good start on the next one. Then I plan to get the notes for my novel in order and work on that till I get stuck, and after that devote a day or two to a friend's critique, then finish the second Eternal Press story. This merry-go-round method is really working for me. Instead of thinking about how many things I have to get done and becoming overwhelmed (and possibly frozen), I can focus on one thing at a time. Although I have the same amount of work to do, it's more maneagable in smaller chunks. Duh.
Happy Monday, people!
Monday, August 24, 2009
I gotta thank you for the merry-go-round method idea. I've got so many ideas, and a short attention span, its been frustrating trying to make myself work on one thing when I'm stuck.
ReplyDeleteI think this method will help me produce stuff, once I get over this general "stuck-ness" and resistance to working.
Well, glad I could help! It's obviously not a new idea, but I never applied it to writing before. I used to think the only way past a block was to barrel through. It only took me about 20 years to figure out that doesn't work for me. :) Let me know how it goes. Hope you get over the hump soon.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I should hop on the carousel too. I only have a couple of other ideas brewing, but maybe I can work on them both at the same time and toss in my edits and my WIP and see if something breaks loose.
ReplyDeleteThen I start thinking about it and it sounds like an awful lot of work. *Sigh*
That's the point, silly. If you only focus on one tiny piece of one project at a time, it doesn't seem like much. Silly. :)
ReplyDeleteI saw The Time Traveler's Wife last week. The book was better in some ways, but it was still a nice movie.
ReplyDeleteSorry about the fragrance hangover.
Sounds like you are making some kind of progress over there! Friends, working, projects - you're on a roll! Or should I say, "round"? ('cause, you know, merry-go-"round." Okay, I'll stop now!)
ReplyDeleteGlad things are going so well for you!
I rarely just hang out with a friend anymore--and it feels weird when I do. Almost like I'm doing something irresponsible. Gosh, I can't even remember the last time I did such a thing...
ReplyDeleteI used to read tarot cards too. Oh, maybe one day we can hang out.
I liked the movie, but you're right, the book was better. The movie did a very good job of showing the relationship, but they couldn't quite go into all the character traits that made the people interesting for me, so it was a bit superficial. If I hadn't known the ending already, I'd've cried. Almost did anyway.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Fal. It seems like I go through periods like this every so often. I don't think it's seasonal, but I haven't looked closely to see if there's a pattern. Maybe I should.
ReplyDeleteIt does feel weird, absolutely. When I shirk my home duties for half a day, spend money, drink caffeinated coffee in the evening...Yeah, totally irresponsible. I have to remind myself that it was six weeks between the first two visits, so it's not like I'm breaking the bank. I'm like you, it's been so long I can't even remember the last time I hung out with a non-familial person not for the kids, not for the in-laws, just for me. One of these days we'll be in the same city, and then we can be irresponsible together and just hang. :)
ReplyDeleteSooooo... how was the movie??? I can't wait to see it :)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you found something that works for you. I read a lot of motivational / get-it-done books and they're almost all the same thing. I found a book that told me that my type of organization is to take important papers, put them in a box, and label them "important." I was like, 'That is totally ME!' I create this elaborate filing / organizing system and then can never find anything, but give me a pile and I can tell you right where the paper I need is hiding. I love piles.
Good for you for hanging out with a friend, too! You deserve to do fun stuff! :)
I do, I really do! lol The movie was good. Well-made, easy to follow, beautiful lead actors, tragedy...everything you could want in a movie.
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