Thursday, July 15, 2010

I Had a Plan...



THE PLAN

  • Get up early.
  • Write.
  • Achieve stunningly large word count.
  • Prepare nutritious and delicious meal for family.
  • Spend evening planning tomorrow's writing.

THE REALITY

  • Get up at regular time.
  • Stumble down stairs to discover pet has thrown up something brown and lumpy on the kitchen floor.
  • Clean up brown and lumpy mass.
  • Whilst going to throw cloth you used to clean up brown and lumpy mass into the laundry, glance into hallway mirror.
  • ERROR. ERROR. Self-esteem plummets to new low. Resolve to: a)Remove mirror, b)Remember not to look at mirror in the morning, c)Wear sunglasses at all times.
  • Throw cloth into laundry basket. Idly wonder why children who complain about having nothing to wear are somehow able to achieve Mt. Everest in laundry everyday.
  • Grab cup of coffee.
  • Turn on computer.
  • Open document holding your manuscript.
  • Minimize document so you can quickly check your emails.
  • And Twitter.
  • And Facebook.
  • Make necessary replies or comments on all three sites.
  • Now for a few games (just to warm up your brain)
  • Children enter room and remind you it's lunchtime.
  • Feed and water children. Children retreat.
  • Drive one child to friend's house. Whilst in car, realize out of the seven ingredients you need for dinner, you have one in the house.
  • Drive to grocery store.
  • Buy far more than you meant to.
  • Return home and unpack groceries.
  • Realize you neglected to buy the six ingredients you needed.
  • Decide it's an 'eat the refrigerator' dinner i.e. leftovers.
  • Sit back down and reopen manuscript.
  • Type one sentence.
  • Get up and make tea.
  • Drink tea.
  • Play a few more computer games.
  • Dinner time.
  • Watch DVD with various household members.
  • Focus on the writing. WARNING: This could be another error - if it's very good, you will be discouraged; if it's very poor, you will be very angry.
  • Go to bed.
  • Resolve tomorrow you will have a new plan.



11 comments:

  1. Elspeth - Once again, you have this uncanny way of knowing exactly what my life is like. How do you do it? Isn't it amazing how we're able to have days like that, and still get up the next day, thinking it'll go easily? Says something for the human capacity for optimism.

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  2. Margot; If you knew me in life, you would know optimism in not my strength. My motto has always been prepare for the worst: if it happens, you're prepared, if it doesn't, you're pleasantly surprised.

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  3. Oh, yeah. Been there.

    I like your comment 'prepare for the worst' ... but always hope for the best.

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  4. Oh, I think almost all writers share this type of day and then beat ourselves up over it --like with chocolate or your favorite treat. *sigh*

    Giggles and Guns

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  5. Carol; Why, oh why do days like this occur? I had a plan...

    Mary; I don't beat myself up over it, but I confess it gets a tad frustrating after a while.

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  6. The Plan vs. Reality: you've got it! My plans always look much better (and simpler) than the reality turns out to be. Oh. and more productive, of course!

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  7. This is like every day for me. *sigh*

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  8. BUWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! This sounds SO MUCH like the weekends in my world. I am VERY glad for the hubby who gets the home weekday gig.

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  9. That's so true. I thought I would have a normal week of writing and my dad ends up in the hospital... why can't things go according to my master plan!

    CD

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  10. I don´t know how you always make your excuses sound so much more interesting than mine. My Thursday in one word: headache.

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