For the last few weeks...ok, if I'm honest the last few months...I have been Distracted, and haven't gotten near enough writing/editing done.
What has me so Distracted? Let's see how many I can list...
- books, mostly good - I do LOVE to read (see my 2013 Reading Journal if you have a doubt)
- children - yes, well...I chose to have them LOL
- eating - enough said
- sleeping
- TV
- going to the pool
- rewiring the underground electric dog fence
- Candy Crush
- selling my horses
- produce from the garden - someone has to freeze and/or can it
- a rejection early in the summer, and the most distracting of them all...
- my self-made pity party
Yep, I'll be honest. I spent most of the summer feeling sorry for myself, or feeling like I wasn't meant to write. While the rejection letter was one of the "good" ones, it still sent me reeling. Sure I can compose a few well-written sentences, but if my plot is unbelievable and my characters are shallow, and repetitive, how good is my writing?
So that's what I've been Dwelling on all summer. It Devastated me more than I realized at the time. I don't know HOW to fix my problems, and to be honest all the books in the world aren't really going to help me, despite my attempts to read a few of the good ones. I don't learn well that way--never have.
BUT...well, I'm tired of Dwelling on it. I'm attempting to rewrite a different manuscript that was requested at the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writer Conference. When that's done, I'll find someone to help me work through whatever problems it has. That prospect is Daunting, but, with God's Divine help, I can and will prevail against the lies the devil has been speaking to me all summer.
So, enough about me. What types of things Distract you when you have something to do that seems Daunting?
Blessings,
Ginger
Oh my gosh. I have the attention span of a gnat. Everything distracts me, especially when I'm stuck on a tricky plot point. You're not alone!
ReplyDeleteI didn't know you were at Blue Ridge. This was my first year there. Loved it!
Re: BRMCWC - I was the rose on the wall (aka the wallflower).
DeleteI am a TRUE introvert. It was my first year as well, and I tend to stand back and watch A LOT in new situations. :)
I loved it as well. God really spoke to me through the classes I took and the keynote speakers. It was an awesome experience. I will definitely be going back next year (as the Lord wills).
Hope to see you there!
DeleteI know where you're coming from, Ginger. When I received rejection letters for my first ms, I'd toss everything into a closet. Then, a few months later I'd pull it all back out, look at the letter with fresh vision, and roll up my sleeves and get back to work. Don't give up, Ginger! Take that rejection letter and make a short list of what items were mentioned, then you'll see how close you really are. Hang in there!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the advice, Dora. When I finish editing this current MS and get it out to the agent who requested it, I will go back to that other MS and see if I can work on the things pointed out to me.
DeleteBlessings.
D is for DON'T quit. That's what the DEVIL wants. Just put it away for awhile and get it out later and you will see it with fresh eyes and heart and hear God's voice for it. I agree with Dora. Make a list and give the devil a black eye!
ReplyDeleteI'm all about giving the devil a black eye. I like that analogy. It's a fight to the finish, and I know I've already won. :)
DeletePraying for you, Ginger and like Karla said, don't quit. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm the introvert too, so I can relate. A lot of times those rejections are more painful then we first realize. I'm so thankful that God knows and understands, even when we don't.
As for distractions... I guess for me, it's the many things that pull at me throughout the day. It can be my 'to do' list, or spending too much time on social media and email. You name it, the list seems to mount from time to time. I guess the key is asking our Heavenly Father each morning - "What and where should I focus my priorities today?"