Losing Focus or A Change In Priorities?
I’m very good at under-simplifying and confusing the hell out of myself.
I’m guessing that my present novel is about 1/2 complete. As a goal, I’ve generously given myself until the end of the year to finish the first draft (not that there will be any penalty if I don’t make it, other than not reaching my goal and getting depressed). I figure that’s plenty of time. But lately I’ve found myself drawn to other things. As mentioned in my last blog, I’m working on a short story for a writing contest. That’s actually taking longer than anticipated (I’m actually having to do research – blech). Last night I became the vice president of the Minneapolis Writers’ Workshop (a great place for writers to get their work critiqued – see www.minneapoliswriters.org). Like Sarah Palin, I have no idea what a v.p. is supposed to do, but I’m sure that it will involve some amount of time. (For those of you that know me – yes – I was president of the workshop at two previous times, but I never really kept track at what the v.p. did.) There is also my book of short stories which I’m constantly reworking and editing (and will hopefully be published by the end of the year). What this brings me to is that I’m spending less and less time on my novel, which just a few weeks ago was the biggest priority in my writing life.
Right now I’ve got plenty of excuses not to be working on the novel. What bothers me is that when the contest deadline passes, and the final decisions on my short story collection have been made and sent to the printer and out of my hands, will I be able to focus again on the novel? Of course I’ll have to balance that with marketing my new book (as a loner and introvert, that thought scares the hell out of me). Will I be able to balance the two? Will I actually have to do anything as a vice pres. of a writers’ workshop? Why am I spending so much time worrying about it? What happens will happen, and hopefully I’ll make the smart decisions (yeah, right – that’ll happen).
I guess what it all boils down to is multi-tasking and setting a new list of priorities. For all of you writers out there, I welcome your feedback and advice (especially coping with the marketing part).
September 6th, 2008 at 2:13 PM
David,
Maybe having a penalty is a good thing. How about if you don’t finish the first draft, you will take all fo your writer friends out for a nice dinner
(Glad to help, as always.)
November 28th, 2008 at 2:41 PM
The only penalty is your own disappointment that you didn’t finish your novel. I have been making excuses for years and for awhile I had them, now it’s my own fault. I get a push ever once in awhile when I see a brief, uplifting story about someone who succeeded. But it’s never enough to send me over the edge to finish. Tomorrow is another day.