Distractions abound! Everywhere I look they are there. Even if I keep my eyes closed, they are there. Whether it's going to work or being invited to lunch by grandchildren, sticking to my schedule is really tough.

Writing requires blocks of time to sit down and get it done. These are difficult for me to find. There always seems to be something that 'needs' to intrude. Trying to prioritise what's important and what can wait is not the easiest task in the world.

I always want work to wait, but because I enjoy eating and sleeping indoors on a regular basis, it cannot. I never want my grandchildren to wait, but I know that delayed gratification is an important character building exercise they must learn to tolerate, and they must wait.

Living as a disciplined person, writer, or whatever, is too hard. It makes me want to whine. Even though whining can be gratifying, it is never productive. It boils down to making the right choice. Doing the hard thing. Placing my bottom in the chair and getting the writing done.

Now that I've said that, I must act accordingly, say goodbye and get back to work. See ya.

J

Well, I guess the holidays are officially over. Bah! Humbug! Time to pull down all of those decorations, put away the Christmas cards, stop eating things I shouldn't, and get back to work.

I've been trying to catch up on my revised chapters at the same time I write new ones. There's something about working from both ends of a novel that is really helpful. I can point the reader toward the end much more efficiently. And, it's easy to see if there are any inconsistencies in the characters.

Even though this is a helpful process, there is still a part of me that rails against it. I somehow think I should be able to write the perfect chapter the first time. I can't tell if that's arrogance or laziness. Maybe it's a little bit of both. I have been really working on my attitude. I hope I'm making progress. Who knows...

Discipline is the watchword for the year. Discipline to keep myself in the chair writing. Discipline to re-write until it's the best I can get it. Discipline to listen to the words of wisdom offered in critique. These are the hardest parts of writing for me. Lord, help me.
J