Tedious task

Meant to attend a local writers' group meeting this evening but decided it wasn't the best use of my time. Instead, I completed the task I'd begun earlier in the day: summarizing each plot point on an index card--an extremely tedious task. Index cards help me visualize and organize the story line without getting sidetracked by the actual text.

I'm considering transcribing story notes on index cards, though I'm not sure it's worth the effort. I need to sift through the numerous "what if" scenarios that popped up during previous revisions and accept or discard the scenarios.

Blank slate

Fear and anxiety creep in as I prepare to revise my ms. Even with a complete draft, I'm essentially facing a blank slate with endless possibilities. For me, fiction's creative infinity can overwhelm or cripple the writing and rewriting process. To succeed, I must approach revision as a process of defining limits. Once I've defined the limits, I can focus on refinement.

I'll consider this project my summer experiment; should the experiment fail, I'll adjust the parameters and variables and proceed with the next trial.

Worst case scenario: I'll dust my clips and revert to nonfiction.

Loose ends

I've nearly tied up all my loose ends--my paperwork is complete except the last financial report. The data must be transferred to the correct form, which I don't have--thought I did but it's not the right one. I'll take care of that on Tuesday.

Searching for the elusive form required cleaning my office further. I tossed a bunch of paperwork, shredded another bunch, and consolidated other bunches. I meant to organize the paperwork but quickly became frustrated. I'll tackle the shuffled piles another day, perhaps during an electrical storm....

While cleaning, I unearthed an old business plan that includes fiction and nonfiction action plans plus a list of goals, half of which I've since accomplished. I'll update the plan to include an editing action plan. As for the goals, I'll let them stand. It'd be nice to accomplish my existing goals before adding new ones. My current goal: join Mystery Writers of America. An affiliate membership will suffice until I qualify for active membership.

Dodging thunderstorms

Thunderstorms disrupted my work plans. The volatile summer weather makes me wish I had a laptop. I'm considering an AlphaSmart as a low-cost, bad-weather alternative, though I'm not sure it would increase my productivity given my atrocious typing skills on a standard keyboard. The limited display is another concern; I'd be less likely to overedit, but I'd be more likely to lose sight of the big picture. A cheap laptop might be a better option. We'll see....

Despite the weather, I completed a financial report. Big relief--everything balanced! I'm down to one financial report, several forms, a year-end report, and three chapters to edit. The paperwork will be complete by June 1, but the editing will take longer because I haven't received all the material. With exception of the editing, I'm on target to begin other projects on June 1.

Plan of action

My time is almost my own. As much as I'd like to procrastinate until my June 15 deadline, I'm imposing a deadline of June 1 for wrapping up loose ends and moving on. Bumping up the deadline gives me two months to work on pet projects before the insanity resumes. I'm tired of working on financial and year-end reports. A change of pace will be a reward in itself.

Brain Age

My latest form of procrastination: Brain Age, a Nintendo DS game purported to sharpen one's mind. I've yet to achieve the ideal brain age of 20, though I've come close.

On my first attempt I scored a brain age in the mid-50s; however, first attempts produce unreliable results for people with poor handwriting and poor enunciation. Even with practice I've had trouble with the software not recognizing my handwriting and speech. The software rarely recognizes my pronunciation of blue and often has trouble recognizing yellow. The software doesn't like fast readers or writers either. Even so, it's an enjoyable, although sometimes frustrating, diversion. No doubt I'll lose interest once I've unlocked the remaining games and solved all the Sudoku puzzles.

Frustration

I hate weeks like this--weeks where I'm stuck waiting for other people to act. I've kept busy all week yet haven't crossed anything off my to-do list. Forms and reports are partially completed. Several event plans are in limbo, which in turn delays a newsletter and the printing of event programs. Proofreading is on hold until an author verifies a transcription matter. And so it goes....

A self-inflicted computer problem caused further frustration...and wasted half a day. I hadn't downloaded digital pictures since I'd uninstalled my camera software, which had slowed my computer's start up/shut down process and conflicted with my antivirus/firewall software. Not thinking, I downloaded about 300 pictures into Photoshop. Big mistake! The download filled 12 gig of disk space and needed more, triggering a critical disk error. Not fun and not a mistake I'll repeat. As JPG files, the pictures required relatively little space.

Now I'm tempted to install a larger hard drive, but at this point, it would serve as a form of procrastination more than anything. It can wait until it becomes a necessity. By then I'll likely be due for a new computer instead. That's worth waiting for!