Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Writer's Squalor

Hi! What do you think of the new look?  I'm not sure.  I'll live with it a few days and then decide.

Today I'm going to give you a writer's tip.  I don't often do that because I don't often have any tips, but this one just came to me while I was in the shower.  By the way, do you resent the amount of time grooming takes away from writing?  I'm thinking of shaving my head so I can just get some hair tattooed on.  Had a friend who got her eyeliner tattooed on several years ago.  I've lost touch with her, though.  I would like to see how it looks now.  That could save a few minutes in the grooming department ... hmm, what else could we do to shave off a few minutes?  Thinking, thinking, got it!  Stop shaving legs and underarms.  That would save ten minutes or so.  Okay, maybe I'd better think some more.

Actually, saving time isn't really my writer's tip, but it does go along with it.  My tip of the day is this: When you are writing, don't stop!  Yes, I'm a simpleton.  But seriously, don't stop when you're in the zone~you know what I mean~unless it's for the day job, of course.  Can't always control those outside forces.

What I mean to say is, don't let everyday life intrude unless it's for a kid or an emergency.  Those two things often go hand-in-hand, right?  But the other everyday things can be pretty safely ignored.  I know, easier said than done.  You may have to disable FB, Twitter, email, Youtube, Google+, Amazon, your smart phone, the TV (the Olympics are pulling at me even as I write this -- something about the sound of raucous applause), anyhow, you get the drift.

What does that have to do with the title of this post you ask?  And if you've stuck with me this far, you have every right to be asking that about now.  Let's just say that my hubby, Dude, had a week off recently, and for once, we didn't go out of town and we didn't have any company.  So I took advantage of him (he loves it when I talk dirty), and together we dusted, mopped, and vacuumed the entire house.  Whew!  I don't think that is what he had in mind when I said I was going to use him while he was off.

Oh well, more on that later ... heh heh.

I suffered many pangs of guilt as the dust-bunnies sprouted wings and flew through the air like those proverbial pigs ~ but I assuaged the guilt with diet Coke and loud music.  The question is: How did I let it get like this?

Embarrassed to ask anyone else, I put the question to my author-daughter.  That's when she told me about Writer's Squalor.  Finally, validation!  I'm a writer, a real writer!  I let my housework go in order to finish writing a scene.  Then I let it go some more to finish the entire book.  Then came the edits.  And I totally forgot about it while I played around with that evil beast, promotion.  That's how I found myself in Writer's Squalor.  Whoohoo ... I feel better now.  Sometimes, all it takes is a label and a handsome hubby wielding a dust mop!

Afterthought:  Let me know if you like or dislike the new format of the blog~if you couldn't care less, just send me a smiley face!

8 comments:

Unknown said...

HA!! Writer's squalor, oh man, I suffer from that as well. :p I clean every weekend, because weekends are no writing days for me, Dh and the kiddos tell me I get the week, they get the weekend, it's worked so far. ;)

And yes, those flying dust bunnies can be quite impressive sometimes!

Ann Swann said...

Glad I'm not alone in my squalor! Sounds like you've got a good system worked out, though!

Katy Huth Jones said...

Yes! Writer's Squalor is real! And I first learned that almost 20 years ago when for an article in Marion Zimmer Bradley's Fantasy Magazine I interviewed SF/F author Elizabeth Moon at her home north of Austin (she's a Texan, too, even graduated from McAllen High School about 10 years before I did). It was a cluttered, dusty mess, and it made me feel SO much better! :D

Ann Swann said...

Well, there ya go. It's the dad-gum Texas dust that's causing all the problems. Ha! Thanks for stopping by, Katy. =) I'm feeling better and better ...

Unknown said...

I'm a tad dust-covered myself, so I'm right there with you! My approach has generally been to write as early in the day as I can, for at least an hour (more if I am in The Zone) and then do all the other crap. But I keep getting sidetracked from dusting/cleaning with other RLI (Real Life Interference). I have vowed that by next weekend I'll do a decent apartment-wide cleaning. I just can't stand it anymore! But I have to make time for at least one #writingsprint first! /Get your priorities straight, Aniko!/

(BTW, I probably out-squalor you. I'm still going through boxes from my move 2 years ago, trying to sort the stuff to keep from the stuff to toss. That's what happens when someone else helps pack and just dumps things into boxes! Never again!)

P.S. Dusting moves up the priority list when your eyes and nose start running! (Makes it hard to read.) :)

Ann Swann said...

Haha...so glad I'm not alone. I have to admit, I have boxes full of kids/grandkids clothes/toys I haven't the heart to get rid of. More stuff to shift around in pursuit of cleanliness. After I finish this chapter. =)

Unknown said...

Like the blog look very much, looks clean and attractive. As for writer's squalor - I've the boys well trained & we muddle through & Saturday's the day for a thorough clean. Dust bunnies don't eat much.

Ann Swann said...

Thank you, Julia. That's what I need to do...choose a cleaning day and stick with it!