The good news about working from home is that I have no deadlines except the ones I impose upon myself and nobody to answer to except me. The bad news about working from home is that I have no deadlines except the ones I impose upon myself and nobody to answer to except me.
Bottom line: discipline is HARD.
I have the whole day to sit here at my desk, gaze out the window at the snow that is apparently never, ever leaving again, ever, and think up stories to tell others. That’s my job. You know what isn’t my job? Laundry. Shopping. Cleaning the house. Walking the dogs. Watching Netflix. Oh, they need to be done (with the exception of the Netflix one) and either I or Bonnie must do them, but they are not priorities. What they are is distraction. I’m stuck on a plot line? Hey, I’ll just run the vacuum instead. No idea how to flesh out this character? I think I’ll go grocery shopping. Haven’t written a blog in six months? Wait! I saw there’s a new cheesy horror flick on Netflix this week and I must watch it!
Discipline is hard.
I can write that line with great, all-knowing authority because today, I wrote those two beautiful words, the words every novelist loves the most. The End. So the next book (the beer book, which is actually titled “A Little Bit of Spice”) is that much closer to done and I’m feeling like a total rock star. Today.
Talk to me in three months when I’m in the early stages of the next book and instead of jotting story notes, I’m cleaning the bathroom…
I’m sure Netflix is a necessary household chore!
I find your glimpses into life behind the scenes of a popular author are not only revealing, but entertaining as all heck. And comforting too. I feel better knowing I’m not the only one who really ought to be editing or writing or whatever and yet spend time on Netflix instead. On that note, the video you made on the day of a romance writer still resonates. It’s good to know I’m not the only one who works like that. so thanks for being honest and funny and…you.