Things I've Been Doing When I Should Be Writing:
1. Doing Logic PuzzlesFor those that aren't cool and don't know what a logic puzzle is, they are the "box puzzles" where you have to match an attribute to a place/thing/person (usually) based on clues listed below. (Here:
this probably explains it better than I could.) Back in grade school, these were my shit. (Also: word searches.) Screw board games (except for chess) and jigsaw puzzles, give me a logic puzzle any day. Sometimes I feel like I'm an elderly woman trapped in a 24-year-old's body, sitting at the kitchen table, doing my logic puzzles, while eating my dinner at 5 o'clock.
2. Marathoned HomelandThoughts on that to follow later. In a sentence: FNARR! I am going to die waiting for an episode on a week-to-week basis.
3. Following all the Goodreads/Authors Behaving Badly DramaEvery week (although now I think we're on a daily basis) there's something new and I just cannot look away. There's too many incidents to list, going all the way back to January and involving self-publishers and traditionally published authors alike. The big take away I'm getting from this: the safest thing for authors is to never,
ever respond for a review. Even if the reviewer got something wrong, authors should not respond as the delicate string between the author and reviewer is stretched so tight. Just no.
(I've also gotten a not-too-favorable view of self-publishers...but I'm not going to stoke the flames of that fire.)
4. Watching the Drew Peterson TrialWe're on Day 20; the end is near. Given the evidence already presented, I believe he killed his
ex-wife. (I strongly believe he killed his fourth wife, Stacy Peterson.) He's guilty of
something, and I'm glad that I'm not on the jury because I'd convict him solely on that--and that his lawyers come off real slimy. I mean,
come on, it's bright in the Mid-West but it isn't like the sun parked itself in the courthouse parking lot. Meanwhile the prosecution keeps getting censured by the judge. I want to shake them and say, "Stop it! You are going to lose this case for us!" I know it's a hard case to prosecute; but seriously, Prosecution, get your shit together. Anyway, I think--and I hate admitting this--it's highly unlikely the jury will convict him. And if he does get convicted, I wouldn't be surprised if the conviction gets overturned for some reason.
5. Research, Research, ResearchI'm glad there is no internet police (yet) because I can only imagine the sort of trouble I'd get into when my internet history reads like Anarchy 101: "temperature to keep nitroglycerin" + "locks and lock picking" + "Haymarket Riot, Chicago" + "freight tunnels, Chicago". I've also got "Ada Lovelace" + "Analytical Engine" + "Edwardian fashion" inter-laced between my flirtations with anarchy, so maybe I'm okay. A couple days ago I got ridiculously excited that Google Maps can calculate how long a trip takes in walking time, driving time, and biking time. Currently, I'm living on the Chicago Historical Society's Encyclopedia of Chicago
website.
There's a point, I believe, when researching starts hindering the writing aspect. Especially for someone like me who thinks they have to know everything because the fear of getting something wrong makes them break out into a sweat. Sometimes you just need to stop, close down Google, and actually get words down. I think I'm at this point. Which is where the title of this post comes in. All of these things have morphed from procrastination to avoidance. I'm purposefully finding
any excuse that keeps me from the computer, from writing. I had this epiphany a couple days ago. Maybe recognizing my habits will help me focus and sit down and actually write. One can only hope.
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