Ever Wonder Why that happened?

Most people tell me I think too much. It's the nature of the beast in the writer. Writers DO think too much, if they didn't they'd have nothing to say on paper... But something about this "thinking too much" phenomenon is not right...


Thinking too much is useless unless you can categorize and compartmentalize in your brain! I have sooo many thoughts inside my head sometimes that I become stymied by them all, and then, I have to start the real work: categorize; compartmentalize.

This is how I start. I take a look at all the words and images in my head--REALLY! Then I tell myself, which ones are worthy to be put in the Catalog of Potential Stories folder. I proceed with those first. Next, a thought may be pressing, and so I write a poem into the Poetry Catalog about something that urges me to tell someone or something about someone or something. After I do that, I write down any potential short stories that I want to get to as soon as possible, but can't right now, and these go into the Catalog of Short Stories folder. After that, my thoughts are beginning to boil over all over the place: Catalog on Screenplays vs Plays folder; Haiku? Or, Poutoum? Lists (of projects to finish) and on and on, and...

Then I have an inkling to eat: red or green chile poured over a cheese enchilada, or a green chile spicy turkey sandwich with lots of lettuce, spinach, and onions...or just someone to eat with in the morning! (I think my brain gets hungry!)  OOOooops (wrong image):

 Okay, that's better...

After all this catalog-ing, I look back into my Novel folder, and pull out the novel I've been working on (this YEAR!) Whatever I dreamed about last night somehow makes its way into my novels, coinciding better with one story as opposed to another. 

About this time I'm getting overwhelmed so I drop in and out of Facebook, Yahoo, Gmail, YouTube, or whatever, perusing, interjecting, laughing, just your usual need to interact with human contacts... intermittently writing and surfing... 

By this time, it's about 2pm, my dogs want to go out again, after twice before this morning, and after some bone throwing for exercise (theirs, not mine), and I have to wonder around out back on the hill so they can acquire the necessary smells to afford them the instinct to "do business." 

After we return inside, it's hard to get back into the groove of writing, so I tend to either want to eat an apple (with cheese), or have a yogurt, or sip a glass of wine....or DANCE!!!

Or, maybe I get into my melancholy mood (because of the part I'm writing about in my novel, who knows!) and instead I go to the keyboard and start writing a song:

I have to tell you right here: I have music playing throughout the day anyway, but it may suddenly hit me to listen to it, and if it's a somber, moving piece, I'll dance to it awhile....(Thank goodness, no one can see this fiasco!) 

......And then I saunter back to my little office, sit at my desk and return to some semblance of normality, still mulling over some of the avenues I want to take my writing, and then.....BOOM!!!

Something terrible happens...I start to think about publishing! I need help!!! I go through the Writer's Digest website, looking for who I should try and get to know, or I go through the websites I have saved in my favorites, to see which conferences I'd like to go to, who I'd like to try and obtain some favor from, to grant me a "ride" to one of those conferences, and, and.... It's no easy job choosing to write for a living.... How do the others do it?? (My butt hurts!)

And then I go back to the OTHER stuff I already have: edit, re-edit, do some more, again, edit, and re-edit....Am I procrastinating the inevitable marketing aspect of this business? I think, yes. 

I don't want to sell my work myself: I sold all my life as a broker in real estate, I just want to get all these creative demons out of me that have been brewing for over 20 years...(oh, dear!)

..and finish reading the hundred and one books to which I've been dying to relax on the couch, and relish....

So there it is, the making of a writer (with training wheels, obviously). I WILL become accomplished, yes. But don't think it ever changes, I've spoken and read about a number of GREAT writers: they have the same kind of day (and LIFE!) Bon Appetit! Ciao!