Interruptions

One of the books I’m reading as a guide to my writing suggests, “Don’t ever stop. Even if you can only peck out a hundred words a day (anybody can peck out a hundred words in a day – and if you say you can’t then you really don’t have what it takes, so quit now).” James Scott Bell in Revision and Self-Editing for Publication, Second Edition.

Well, I’m not about to quit work on Cat Skinner: A Story of Lust, Love and Loss in the 1930’s, but there are days when I don’t write. Fortunately this same author also advises that if you hit a wall (His is around 30,000 words. Mine is every 2,000!), take one whole day off.

Truthfully, my days off are for reasons other than hitting a wall. Sometimes it’s plain and simple procrastination. Some days, it’s because I have other passions to pursue, people to care for, and coffee klatches I can’t miss!

This past month there have been plenty of excuses to skip writing days: A radio interview with Dorothy Wilhelm about Friends At Your Metro Animal Shelter (FAYMAS), a FAYMAS Board meeting and taking photos of the animals at the Metro Animal Shelter.

Then there was Thanksgiving at Scott’s niece’s home near Key Center, a fabulous wedding rehearsal dinner in Tacoma, Scott’s son Steve’s wedding (at which Scott announced to all attendees that my daughter, Kendall, is pregnant with her third child, as part of his toast to Steve and Kelli. That man! He said it just came out.)

Seattle doctor appointments for Scott filled two full days. By the way, he’s doing great which means I have to endure bad jokes all the way to and from his appointments and have my driving corrected every three minutes. (He’s driving the next time to keep from driving me crazy).

To assuage my guilt for not writing every day, I did attend a Plateau Area Writers’ Association meeting to hear Donna Seebo speak, my writer’s group monthly get together that always results in rewrites for me, and I stopped by the Sumner Library to hear Dorothy Wilhelm talk about her newest book, Better Every Day. It’s a compilation of some of her 25 years of humorous Tribune newspaper columns.

Coffee klatches certainly have their place in interrupting my writing. Had coffee with my photographer friend, Jessie; lunch with friend and VP of FAYMAS, Chris; coffee with neighbor Janine; breakfast with all my WIT (Women in Transition) friends at Charlie’s Restaurant; and just had coffee this morning with friend Shelly (she makes the best eggnog!).

Can’t forget to mention - babysitting my two grandchildren, Micah and Gracie, a number of times this month.  I just found out this week that they have an “incredible” cobweb hanging from their ceiling light. It told Kendall she has definitely trained them right – to see delight where others might see need for a broom.

Interruptions? Not really. How blessed I am to have such a rich and rewarding life.