April 16, 2017

Have you ever noticed that the harder you try to do something the more obstacles there are to trip you up? Persistence helps but more often stuff happens. The computer acts up because an upgrade has discombobulated everything; the Foundation needs award letters sent to recent recipients; a long-awaited email requires an immediate answer; a blog needs to be written.

Deadlines instill a fear in me. Push the panic button that awakens those butterflies in my stomach. Establishes a “zero hour” that looms over everything I do. Like the warnings from my parents to put the book down and clean my room “or else”; dates for my English teacher’s research papers or annoying annual reports for the library.

I have a manuscript that I am trying to edit for a second time. I want to pitch it to an agent at a writers’ retreat next weekend. It has already increased twenty pages and I still have seventy-five pages to get through. Seems the harder I try to get it done, the more someone or something sabotages things. I’ve finally decided that if I don’t get my editing finished by Thursday afternoon, I won’t go to the retreat. Now, as much as I’ve looked forward to this, do you think I’m going to let that happen?

My problem is that every time I read a paragraph, page or chapter, I find myself changing something. I guess it’s human nature to want to make something better. But at some point, you must let it go. Move on to the next project.

So, my deadline for this week is to get through the last seventy-five pages of Persistent Intruder. If anyone calls or emails me this week, I’ll simply tell them that I have a deadline and will get back to them. My reward will be to go to the writers’ retreat where I can network with and learn from so many other writers who share my passion. Maybe my prize will be that the agent knows an editor that will love my story. Better yet, maybe I’ll win the grand prize – get Persistent Intruder

I hope this has given you some food for thought if you have a project you’ve been meaning to get done. Do it. Then breathe a sigh of relief and move on. For those of you who have been waiting for The Key to His Heart, #3 of The Row series, my next deadline is to have it finished by July 4. If you want to push my panic button, send me periodic emails asking how I’m progressing.

Hope everyone had a Happy Easter!