What about these alternate activities? They are the ones that come to mind when I
think about writing and seem so important that they have to be done first. Once I’ve got (insert alternate activity
here) then I’ll get at the writing, I’ve told myself. Doesn’t work.
At least not if it is my habitual approach. Having said that some days are chaotic and
the writing has to get squeezed into the day’s corners while the other things
take over.
But for the writing to be a priority, it
takes some effort. I have in the past
maintained a journal titled Writing as a Priority Action Plan. It got opened first. It got notes added to it as the day
progressed. It worked. So have other methods that I’ve used. Such as the objective file mentioned in
another posting. And I am sure that I
will return to this theme in the future.
Writing on this subject helps to focus my ambitions.
Again though, I have to ask; What about the
alternate activities? The soup building
morning is one example, the catch up with the accounting, the dinner
invitations that I extend which means I’m cooking and cleaning, these are on my
noble list. My not so noble list has
computer games, dithering about (usually begun by not making a decision about
the writing or anything else), plus the occasional dip into mewing and puking
into a blanket of doubt.
Neurotic behavior aside, the alternate
activities deserve time too. Once the
priority – writing - has been advanced, other things fit in. Why?
Knowing that the dream is being advanced makes it easier to face the
drudgery.
