In a fit of pure procrastination, I surfed over to Slate.com and saw that they’re featuring information on memoirs this week. Their critics are reviewing memoirs and memoirists and discussing the writing of and reaction to their memoirs. Authors include Mary Karr, Frank McCourt, and others.
I will not rewrite them all here, but you must head over to Libba Bray‘s livejournal blog and check out her procrastination techniques which so mirror my own and those of nearly every writer I know. The list begins . . .
10. Floss
9. Do Google search for various disease symptoms. Become convinced you have every single one. . .
8. Each chocolate chips straight out of the bag. Use several to make semi-sweet morsel replica of Stonghenge.
Read the rest here. Scroll down to the post for December 6, 2006.
Yesterday I finished writing up thirteen pages of notes in an attempt to analyze Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking. The paper I need to write on the topic will be between two and five pages. Hmmm.
This morning, after walking the dog, I started highlighting Anne LaMott’s Hard Laughter. I also checked my email six times, did some insurance paperwork and ate lunch. I’m considering going outside to begin pulling weeds in the yard. Hmmmm.
Think perhaps I am procrastinating? Um. Yes. Okay. Here’s my promise to you. Before tomorrow, I will actually edit two scenes from the memoir. That may not sound like much, but it’s more than I’ve done in five days.
Scout’s honor. See you tomorrow.
Does walking around the neighborhood thinking about how nice it would be to turn your neighbor’s house into a studio so you could really get some work done count as writing?
Guess not.
