Obsess Much? Maybe....And That Might Not Be A Bad Thing

I'm the type of person that tends to obsess about things just a teensy bit. (Ask any of my friends - they can certainly attest to this personality flaw). But is this trait actually a flaw? Sometimes, I just don't think so. As a parent, I constantly think (obsess) about the safety and happiness of my two children. As a woman, I often think about my health/appearance and how to improve it (or just keep the status quo as gravity keeps doing its job). And as a writer, I am constantly thinking about how to improve my techniques, finding time to write on a regular basis and (gasp) get published. I often think about writing while I'm at work and have had more than a few epiphanies in regards to my novel as I have been standing behind my bar bantering with my patrons. In fact, one of my short stories was inspired by a single comment made by someone sitting at my bar one day.

Do I wish I had more time to devote to my writng rather than just obsessing about it? You betcha. My main project now is to finish the novel I started writing last year. At the beginning of April, I vowed to write 1000 words a day. Lofty? Yes. Impossible? No. Did I follow through with it? Again, the answer is no. BUT I did make some great headway that I'm very proud of.  As I stated in my last post, I have a cleaning schedule. (Don't laugh - it works for me damnit.) So it only makes sense to have a writing schedule. I work around 30 + hours a week and I'm a full time mom, plus I have a needy cat named Max. As I looked over my calendar, I realized the best time for me to work on my novel is early in the morning BEFORE the girls get up and we start our respective days. I have always maintained that I am not a morning person. However, I have found that getting up at the ass crack of dawn to a quiet house really is kind of invigorating  (after I've had some coffee, of course). And as any parent (and most writers) know - sacrifices must be made and sometimes we just need to get out of our own way in order to accomplish what we want in life.