Adrift in a Sea of Unfinished Stories v.2

 

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(Eight years later, not much has changed. Though this year I have submitted three shortie short stories with one rejection. David Mamet had a good take on writer procrastination: It's a way of avoiding the writing of a shit first draft. Interesting.)

Haven't finished a short story in over six weeks. Not even a first draft. Zip. I have no idea what I'm waiting for. Certainly not inspiration. Or the perfect metaphor. Or a really ironic Twilight Zone ending. I'm not even pushing the cursor around the screen, filling pages with swill that I'll edit later. Can't be fear. Whatever it is, I'm not producing.

Only a single short story remains under consideration with a magazine. Maybe I should switch to Flash Fiction until this malaise passes. "Death Honk" was fun, a thousand words, and still floating about online in Microliterature. I recall writing it very quickly. Could not other tales be written equally fast?

Back running and walking again, using my new chi running techniques. This morning, a friend called during my post-run stretch. I took the call and finished tasking my hamstrings, realizing that I'd become the person I swore I'd never be: one who combed physical activity and a phone call. At least this transformation took place in Griffith Park and not a gym, where those nearby would be hostages to my infernal chattiness.

Okay. Away. Keep it short.

 

My Writing Schedule. v2

 What now, big talker?

Eleven years ago, I was working this hard to build an ebook empire. So where is it? Still in boxes and boxes of first drafts, waiting for the author to stop screwing around and finish.

A few points: I didn't break each project into small enough pieces, so that completing it in bite-sized chunks wouldn't feel so daunting. 

Also, I failed to periodically assess my progress. Too much time on outlines? Not enough? Why did I allow procrastination to torpedo such excellent headway?

A finished first draft is an accomplishment, but only an initial step in the final product. I took the easy path of parking the draft "just for a bit" and starting on new projects, then "allowing them to simmer."

When it comes to writing, I excel at conning myself to avoid the hard work of pressing on.

I'll do it again if I'm not careful. 

CBT Psychology