Distractions. If It's Not One Thing, It's Another.

The only sunny morning we had this week, I sat on the edge of my deck brainstorming plot ideas. I couldn't help but notice the grass, which was in desperate need of being mowed. Far from a perfect lawn like those found in the suburbs, my Vermont yard is made up of dozens of different types of grasses and weeds. A clump of grass near my left bare foot was a fuzzy variety and the dew stuck to it like a hundred tiny diamonds, glistening in the sun.

Of course, as I stared, the dew evaporated. The sunshine, the very thing that lit up the drops of dew and made the grass so beautiful, also destroyed the miniature artwork. There has to be a story in there somewhere.

The grass reminds me of burnout. I struggled a bit in July, having took on too much--even though it was all stuff I loved. Really, it was just life playing its tricks. I had an end-of-the-month deadline, and only had to cram because I had whooping cough for most of the month of June. I worked through the illness, but afterward, I wasn't happy with the quality of that work. So, July became utter madness. It all turned out okay, though. I submitted that book and while I wait for the edits to come back, I’m working on the edits of a different book. Round and round we go!

Distractions. If it's not one thing, it's another. One month it's whooping cough, another month it's a great new idea for book, but you have a deadline for something different. Some days I have to mow the lawn. Some days I spend with family or friends. Distractions come in all forms, good and bad, big and small. Good thing I’m a Libra—I’m good at finding balance.

Balance is key, not that you haven’t heard that before. For me, it’s very important that no matter how hard I work at my writing career and how busy I get, I don’t neglect my family and friends. It’s so easy to do. But, if my best friend wants to go out for lunch, and I have a deadline… I go out for lunch. I wouldn't have it any other way, and it all works out. 

What distractions, good or bad, have you faced recently?