I am impressed by your enthusiasm and dogged determination to produce a product that holds me spellbound until your next column is ready to view. I really mean it .... your columns are a highlight of my day and I enjoy each one! Couldn't get through a day without one so don't miss a single day please!
But, did you empty the dishwasher? I write for living these days, albeit the technical kind of writing, God forbid nothing that is even remotely intended to be entertaining. But I have the same problem my friend, when I sit down to write, usually early in the morning, there is ALWAYS something that distracts the 'creative' process and that dishwasher is one of them, or clothes in the dryer, or a dozen other things that suddenly are high priority. So, not much writing gets done before the 10 to noon slot!
At least when we die, we any don't have to pay taxes any longer. We increased our debt by 6 trillion dollars in 3.5 yrs. I would to pass a law, that we could only spend money that we have and never, ever borrow another dime. Wish full thinking.
Lol sounds like a bit of ADD going on Just wait till you get my age and in the middle of a sentence forget the name of your local grocery store or what the name of a street near you is. Oh and it's temporary. When you no longer need to tell the person you were communicating with, you suddenly remember everything. Ugh!! Fun times. Blessings
And sometimes, we close our eyes for a minute (it's OK, we still have 45 minutes until deadline). What is it about an impending deadline that makes writers sleepy? Must. Not. Close. Eyes.
I was a military company clerk. I had an Underwood typewriter, a mimeograph copier, a field phone, no windows, just screens, no air conditioning (one day it was 127 degrees), cold showers that stopped when the water ran out, and we didn't forget to bring toilet paper to the 4 hole outhouse, waited in line for a hole, but, you could read the Army times held by the guy next to you. My 6 man tent leaked right above my bunk but only when it rained. The monsoon season lasted for months. A new Sargent asked me when I had a day off. I replied. " Day off? No holidays, birthdays or doughnuts, just malaria pills. I had an easy part time job every night at the front gate with my rifle, loaded M60 machine gun on a tripod and of course grenades. No remote.
My big brother had a gig as a columnist writing for a local newspaper. Before that, he actually threw those newspapers into peoples' yards when he was a teenager. I hope Greg becomes a successful writer like you and my brother! Oh, and I'm sure glad someone milked and/or allowed the cow the time to give me "War and Peace"!
It’s not a whole lot different when a writer’s supposed to go to the grocery store, said a certain writer after making a second trip of the day to a different grocery store, one early in the morning to beat the chaotic masses at Walmart, and the second to a regular grocery store (sorry, but Piggly Wiggly just closed here for the second time), to get the two things that were at the top of his list on his phone’s “Notes” page. And there was something that needed to be written today, besides doing laundry and making sure the dog had a treat after making one of her trips outside.
Sidetracking was delightful in this humorous routine! Such creativity is the reader’s enjoyment…..how the typical norm can envelop into a great read is amazing! The precious dogs, gathered around the feet, are a sight to imagine! Hopefully Greg has pets, a dishwasher and a wandering mind!
Oh, Sean! As a reporter and obviously a writer, I can so relate. I am so very easily distracted. Oh, look, an email just came in. Maybe it's something important I need to post. Oh, dang! It's another political money request. [delete]. Back to that sentence I started. What was i going to say? Husband appears and asks a question. [Answer]. Then Nature calls because I've been faithfully drinking my allocated amount of water. Back to the keyboard. Oh, shoot, it's raining. Have to go close windows. Half an hour later, the half sentence is still sitting there. Since I don't remember the wonderful words I planned to say: delete, delete, delete, and start over. Until the next email pops in. Oh, maybe I should quit email so I can get something done. Finally, some hours later, a completed article appears that I then have to proofread to get rid of all the typos and grammatical errors. (and there are always plenty of them!)
“Stay Focused”…I love it! A good rule to follow if you want to be a great writer, and also for life in general. It brought to mind a cute song from 1944…
I worked on a dairy farm in 1958. The farmer said I had to milk this cow and I had 20 minutes time. Exactly 20 minutes later, apparently, I was too slow. because the cow kicked the pail of milk over. To this day, I don't know how animals can tell time. How do birds, animals, and fish migrate without a calendar or a GPS? Sean, you think you have 3 dogs, I think they have you. We have you and get to look forward to your stories. Thanks!.
I am impressed by your enthusiasm and dogged determination to produce a product that holds me spellbound until your next column is ready to view. I really mean it .... your columns are a highlight of my day and I enjoy each one! Couldn't get through a day without one so don't miss a single day please!
But, did you empty the dishwasher? I write for living these days, albeit the technical kind of writing, God forbid nothing that is even remotely intended to be entertaining. But I have the same problem my friend, when I sit down to write, usually early in the morning, there is ALWAYS something that distracts the 'creative' process and that dishwasher is one of them, or clothes in the dryer, or a dozen other things that suddenly are high priority. So, not much writing gets done before the 10 to noon slot!
At least when we die, we any don't have to pay taxes any longer. We increased our debt by 6 trillion dollars in 3.5 yrs. I would to pass a law, that we could only spend money that we have and never, ever borrow another dime. Wish full thinking.
Oh look….a squirrel.
Hahahahaha
Lol sounds like a bit of ADD going on Just wait till you get my age and in the middle of a sentence forget the name of your local grocery store or what the name of a street near you is. Oh and it's temporary. When you no longer need to tell the person you were communicating with, you suddenly remember everything. Ugh!! Fun times. Blessings
I’m glad I wrote my columns in the newsroom, far from household distractions!
“Someone brought doughnuts!”
“Who took my pages off the printer?”
“Does anyone have the key to the supplies closet?”
“What’s the custodian’s extension? A toilet in the ladies’ room overflowed.”
“I don’t know William, but I heard it’s his birthday and there’s cake.”
“Did anyone order coffee this week?”
“Where’s the remote?”
😫, oh, dear. So true, love ur tongue-in-cheek, Sy Anne! 😂
Some people don’t get it, LOL.
I’m glad you do, Susie.
We’ve on the same wavelength.
Sean was discussing distractions at home — I was discussing them at the office.
Lots of things interfere with the creative process!
But we persist.
Some people don't get a LOT of stuff. 😒
And sometimes, we close our eyes for a minute (it's OK, we still have 45 minutes until deadline). What is it about an impending deadline that makes writers sleepy? Must. Not. Close. Eyes.
I was a military company clerk. I had an Underwood typewriter, a mimeograph copier, a field phone, no windows, just screens, no air conditioning (one day it was 127 degrees), cold showers that stopped when the water ran out, and we didn't forget to bring toilet paper to the 4 hole outhouse, waited in line for a hole, but, you could read the Army times held by the guy next to you. My 6 man tent leaked right above my bunk but only when it rained. The monsoon season lasted for months. A new Sargent asked me when I had a day off. I replied. " Day off? No holidays, birthdays or doughnuts, just malaria pills. I had an easy part time job every night at the front gate with my rifle, loaded M60 machine gun on a tripod and of course grenades. No remote.
Apples, oranges.
My big brother had a gig as a columnist writing for a local newspaper. Before that, he actually threw those newspapers into peoples' yards when he was a teenager. I hope Greg becomes a successful writer like you and my brother! Oh, and I'm sure glad someone milked and/or allowed the cow the time to give me "War and Peace"!
It’s not a whole lot different when a writer’s supposed to go to the grocery store, said a certain writer after making a second trip of the day to a different grocery store, one early in the morning to beat the chaotic masses at Walmart, and the second to a regular grocery store (sorry, but Piggly Wiggly just closed here for the second time), to get the two things that were at the top of his list on his phone’s “Notes” page. And there was something that needed to be written today, besides doing laundry and making sure the dog had a treat after making one of her trips outside.
Sidetracking was delightful in this humorous routine! Such creativity is the reader’s enjoyment…..how the typical norm can envelop into a great read is amazing! The precious dogs, gathered around the feet, are a sight to imagine! Hopefully Greg has pets, a dishwasher and a wandering mind!
Haha! Good one Sean
That's about the most eloquent description of a writer's job. LOL - great fun.
Oh, Sean! As a reporter and obviously a writer, I can so relate. I am so very easily distracted. Oh, look, an email just came in. Maybe it's something important I need to post. Oh, dang! It's another political money request. [delete]. Back to that sentence I started. What was i going to say? Husband appears and asks a question. [Answer]. Then Nature calls because I've been faithfully drinking my allocated amount of water. Back to the keyboard. Oh, shoot, it's raining. Have to go close windows. Half an hour later, the half sentence is still sitting there. Since I don't remember the wonderful words I planned to say: delete, delete, delete, and start over. Until the next email pops in. Oh, maybe I should quit email so I can get something done. Finally, some hours later, a completed article appears that I then have to proofread to get rid of all the typos and grammatical errors. (and there are always plenty of them!)
What about the dishes? Did they find their way to the cabinets?
“Stay Focused”…I love it! A good rule to follow if you want to be a great writer, and also for life in general. It brought to mind a cute song from 1944…
🎶“You've got to ac-cent-tchu-ate the positive
E-lim-i-nate the negative
Latch on to the affirmative
Don't mess with Mr. In-Between!”🎵
There's an oldie, but goodie. ☺️👍
Here's to "thematic elements" and the distraction of cleaning them up (along with putting away the dishes).
This. This is exactly the kind of distraction we so desperately need right now to keep us away from the daily news cycle. Thanks, Sean.
Ya, stick your head in the sand, E. THAT'S exactly what this country needs right now. 🧐. Oh, brother, what a patriot. Lol 🙄 🧐
I worked on a dairy farm in 1958. The farmer said I had to milk this cow and I had 20 minutes time. Exactly 20 minutes later, apparently, I was too slow. because the cow kicked the pail of milk over. To this day, I don't know how animals can tell time. How do birds, animals, and fish migrate without a calendar or a GPS? Sean, you think you have 3 dogs, I think they have you. We have you and get to look forward to your stories. Thanks!.