Procrastination \proh-cras-tuh-NAY-shuhn\,
I love that word. It rolls around the mouth like a piece of chocolate deep-fried in batter. It's a word to play with (especially scrabble) or to toss casually into a conversation. But like all good things, the truth is usually a bit less... good. I am great at procrastinating - an expert in fact. I can procrastinate while procrastinating (try saying that fast five times!). But, I wonder - is everything that takes me from my writing procrastination or can it be justified as a vital piece of my 'artistic life' without which I would not function. Hmmmmmm......
Playing on Neopets - Really vital. After all I just must get some more points so that my 'pets' can stay in hotels. If I didn't they wouldn't eat and then they'd 'die' which would just be too cruel. Plus, Kou Jong helps to concentrate my mind on plots!
Watching junky chat shows - what can I say? It's life in all it's tackiness! Scandals, tears, tantrums - wonderful emotional stuff. Also, I'm waiting for the show entitled 'My husband's in love with another man!', which, of course, is research!
Lurking on the Richard Armitage fan site and forum - well, apart from being dead hot with the most gorgeous voice -he is my muse and inspiration for Hugh! So, yes, it's still research!
Watching Richard Armitage as Guy of Gisbourne on You Tube - see above! It counts as artistic inspiration (and the tight black leather trousers have nothing - absolutely nothing - to do with it at all!).
Coffee-breaks - I'm not just talking about the run-of-the-mill mid-morning cuppa, but an urgent, life or death need for coffee and a biscuit at any time the flow starts to dry up (often)! Obviously essential fuel for my writing muscles despite the fact it goes straight to my waistline!
The Gym - Now necessary because of above.
Shopping - also now necessary because of the need for new, larger sized clothes after too many coffee and biscuit breaks! Also - new clothes for the gym.
Cooking - not quite related to the coffee and biscuits problem but still in the same area. This is cooking required for supper so that my daughter and I eat 'properly'. Why oh why can't I be one of those mums who are totally happy with microwave meals?? Actually - thinking about it - I am. It's my daughter who hates them!
Looking for a reference I once saw long ago and now can't find for the life of me - just to make sure I have one small detail correct in a passage which will probably get edited out in the final draft anyway! - This is hugely annoying and can sometimes take half a day. I really must stop being such a perfectionist!
Browsing on Amazon - to look for more books in which to find bits of information that I will also lose later on (and then spend another half a day looking for!)
Surfing the net for one piece of information and then getting totally sidetracked by the mating habits of the lesser spotted mango chutney (or something similar). - totally un-necessary but I just can't help having such a huge curiosity (the size of which has nothing to do with coffee and biscuits).
Checking my Junk Mail folder - because I'm convinced that among the posts trying to convince me I need viagra (valium/penis enlargements/life insurance /an ocean-front villa) there will one day be something very very important!
With a bit more time I could probably think of a few more - but there again, that would only be procrastinating, wouldn't it? And finally:
"Procrastination is the greatest laborsaving invention of all time."
by Anonymous.
8 comments:
Richard Armitage. Richard Armitage. Richard Armitage. Drat! I was hoping by saying his name three times, he would magically appear. No such luck but I can dream. I used him for a muse as well -- in a short story I wrote called "Choosing Crispin".
Google is my biggest time-sapper, though I try to dignify it by the name of "research."
Lynn - I didn't know you were a fellow RA connoisseur!! I just read your story 'Choosing Crispin' - it's fantastic! I really enjoyed it! I could really see RA as Crispin (I wonder why you chose that name lol?). I hope you've had it published somewhere - if then you ought to.
Susan - yes, Google is also known as 'research'! I can concur on that ;-)
Thanks! I had fun writing it -- it's one of my "freebies" (something I doubt if I'd try to get published -- got plenty I'd like to get published but haven't tried very hard -- there are a few other freebies on there as well). Yeah, I discovered RA on ROBIN HOOD -- I'm sure you've seen NORTH AND SOUTH! Whew!!
Of course, googling is research as is reading other blogs. I think even the participation in Fantasy forums like Westeros and Malazanempire could count as research. And watching Sharpe is recreation, and that's important, too. It has nothing do to with Sean Bean's hot bum in those tight trousers. Nothing. ;)
Lynn - I discovered him on Robin Hood too. And to be honest, I probably wouldn't watch it if it wasn't for him. Can't wait for series 3! By all accounts this time it's Robin who exits in some way!
N&S was marvellous - loved every minute of it. Have you seen him in Sparkhouse? Very different type of role for him but he does it brilliantly - of course ;-)
Gabriele: Are you sure? *grin*
Phew - Richard Armitage and Sean Bean in one post - now I'm going to have to go and lie down for a bit!!!
Yeah, my hubby was watching ROBIN HOOD and I thought it looked pretty cheesy -- but I kept getting whiplash from looking at the man in black so I finally gave in. You just have to take RH for what it is, I guess -- mindless fun!
I heard that about Robin...I wonder if they will recast...sort of hard to have a show called ROBIN HOOD without, well, Robin Hood.
I haven't seen SPARKHOUSE but I'd like to -- I need to see if I can order it. Is this a series? And,if so, is he in all of it or just parts?
I think Sparkhouse was originally a four-parter on the BBC. You can buy it now as a DVD (2 disks - 2 parts on each). Although RA isn't the lead, he still has an important role throughout and it's great to see his 'make-over' from shy, frumpy farm-hand into something much nicer. The whole thing is a modern re-working of Wuthering Heights.
Post a Comment