CHRISTMAS! A GLORIOUS DISTRACTION!Christmas is indeed a glorious distraction. It's fun and evocative of all Christmas Past and Christmas Future. It's also busy, frantic, hurry...and regular priorities can and do fall by the wassail side.
So what? Nobody wants to be a Scrooge the entire Christmas season, right? And working all the time is positively counter-productive. Everybody needs a break, what better time than Christmas?
The only problem I've found is too much time away from a work means much more work. Why? Because too much of a total break (as sometimes happens during the holidays) destroys my focus. Plus, I forget too much, drift from where I was headed, and can lose my way--as in, what was I going to write next? What does this note mean? What was the plot flaw and what was my solution?!
So I have to keep working, if only for a few moments a day. Have to stay in the work. Saves time later on, after the holidays.
How about you, dear readers? Can you set your current work down and walk away? Or do you regret it later?
6 comments:
You are much too close to the truth when you talk about losing focus and forgetting!
No, I actually find it refreshing. And, yes, when I do come back to the piece I usually see it very differently but that's the point.
Thanks, Dave! By the way, I've been reading your blog and enjoying the posts, especially this last.
You must not have a tendency for ADD, like I do, Jim. Even with short story ideas, I have to write copious notes. Otherwise, I'll look at it later and go "Hunh?"
Conda:
Funny you should mention work, and the problem of taking too much time away from it.
When I let a few days go by without working on my manuscript, not only does the unfinished pile get bigger, but I become more lazy. Pretty soon, I don't what to do anything but surf the net and checkout interesting sites. I literally have to snap myself back into the job of writing.
So now Christmas is over and it's time to get beck to it. There's no time for excuses.
Happy trails.
Ah Swu, the great joy and pull of the 'net, I know it well, too well. When I'm really working or on deadline, I have to force myself to STAY OFF the internet!
And you're right--back to writing!
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