Sunday, November 04, 2007

Getting Ahead

I appear to be on a roll as far as writing is concerned. I have one column finished for tomorrow’s deadline, one nearly finished for next Monday’s deadline, and one half-finished for the 19th. I have one other idea that is getting formed, and one that is formed only in as much as I have thought about it in the past. For the last few weeks I have been racing against the deadline, with nothing in view, and that is quite unsettling, so I determined to get ahead.

My son sent me an article about self-handicapping. I think I am the grand champion at self-handicapping. I get things written when someone asks me to write and gives me a deadline. My five novels have been published under those circumstances. Now I have eight novels in a semi-finished state, no one goading me to finish them and send them out to a publisher, and I procrastinate. Why is this? Fear of rejection? No, I don’t think it is that. Fear of bad reviews if they get published? No I don’t think it is that. Sloth? No, because I am quite diligent about most things. Perhaps it is because I have no reader, no one to bounce the thing off. I read bits and pieces to the two writers’ groups I belong to, but they can’t really criticize the thing as a whole, just individual details.

3 comments:

Zhoen said...

Not having feedback slows me considerably. I wonder if I am going the right direction, if it makes sense, when I can't see it anymore. I want a guide, and not waste a lot of energy floundering.

S. Kearney said...

Oh yes, deadlines! I have lots of those in my job. I'll be glad when they're gone! :-)

Anonymous said...

Are you a nurse job seeker? Oklahoma is one of the country that need more nurses. Find your desired Nursing Jobs Oklahoma now.