On Getting Work Done . . .

All right, all right, I know, I know, I'm supposed to be working . . .

I've offered advice to harried authors on the importance of being focused and determined--do you think I could take my own advice? Not lately.

Sure, I've done the "let's get my house clean so I can really concentrate bit"--but with three kids and a demanding husband, the house is never clean. Which means my concentration is shot on a more or less regular basis.

I've also done the "prepare the night before so your writing time is used wisely"--but rarely do I wake up to emails that don't demand my immediate attention--of course, this is completely subjective. Will the world end today if I don't rebutt the jerk who's running amok with neadrethal epiphets and obtuse deragatory commentary about every political and global issue? No. But for some reason, while I'm drinking my morning java, i believe it does.

Then there's the old, "work while the kids are sleeping." I work while the kids are awake--cleaning, cooking, teaching, chauffering, laundry, groceries, budgeting, paying the bills--you name it, I have more 'jobs' than I can count. Who want's to work during the only time you have to relax? Imagine a man, on every lunch hour, fifteen minute break, and in every hour before and after his nine-to-fiver, busting his butt on 'work'. Can we say homicidal maniac? :)

Okay, so all of the above are just dumb excuses--and isn't it funny how those excuses become MOST popular when the writing tasks ahead are MOST daunting?

Right now, this is what my immediate writing demands are:

Finish writing AND editing a manuscript by July 1st (less than 2 weeks away)
Write a 5-10K short story that is exceptional and exciting--a task given by my publisher.
Write press releases (at least two to begin with)
Write three parenting short stories for Chris Vogler, for free (don't ask, I was dumb)
Write the first newsletter for my author's yahoo group.

Not to mention the myriad other tasks: a column I agreed to write, advertising and promotional materials, letters to book stores, website content, etc. etc.

I'm a writer, so why am I not WRITING?

I need a chocolate fix, quick!
Jenny
Who just managed to meet today's deadline on the contest she volunteered to judge.