Saturday, September 10, 2005

scatterbrain

Sometimes I have trouble focusing. (My kids would tell you this is untrue - they claim I have trouble focusing everyday.) But I digress...
It would be nice to have a one track mind. However, I usually find myself thinking about three or four things at once, and doing at least two chores at the same time. It has something to do with a horror of wasted time - if I sit down to write, I have to know that the house is clean (or at laest on its way to clean) the washing machine is running, the dishes are put away, and my clothes aren't all over the floor in the bathroom.
Then I have lists running though my head. Dog food. Don't forget to mail the package for Alex. My editor is expecting the edits back from Paradise Earth - ASAP. What if the hero in my next book couldn't get it up? (OK, the thought did cross my mind - but I write romantic comedy, remember) etc., etc.
That's how my mind works on most days.
And then there are the blessed days, when I can close everything off around me - the TV, the neighbor's very annoying barking dog, my laundry...and concentrate on the story inside my head. On those days, I can write from dawn to dusk. I can sometimes write twenty pages when I'm on a good day.
I wish there were more of those good days. I'm writing a book now and it's funny and sweet and everything I love...but today is one of my scattered days.
The neighbor's dog is barking, I have to help my daughter clean her room, and my car broke down so I have no transportation. The village 'lawn sale' is tomorrow and tonight there is a barb-b-cue and fireworks on the village square - so they are setting up a tent and everything is happening right in front of my house. (And of course I have to watch.)
And I just realized I was blogging.

4 comments:

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Wynn Bexton said...

Hahahaha. you are not alone! wynn

Sam said...

Oh thanks Wynn - I have a feeling there are a lot of us scatter-brains!

Daisy Dexter Dobbs said...

Holy cow, Sam, you have no idea just how much I can relate to this! LOL In fact, if you pop over to my blog you’ll see why I was flabbergasted and had such a good laugh when I read your post. I must say that this is a classic case of great minds thinking alike! ;-)

I loved what you wrote here because I think it typifies the life and mind of the average fiction writer. We writers are, indeed, a sorry bunch of scatterbrained domestic pretenders. Thanks for the laughter!