I took this week off from work. Inspired by my success in the limerick contest, I wanted to try writing full-time. I thought if I could just repeat the focus I’d found for the limericks, I’d be able to accomplish something.
Habit’s difficult, though. A lifetime of procrastination is not so easily overcome, especially not without the aid of deadline pressure. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday flew by while I goofed off on social media.
By last night, I was furious with myself. I left a note in Scrivener so I’d see it first thing in the morning. It said in giant, bold letters: Put on your headphones. Turn on the music. Write.
It was good advice, and I thought I’d better follow it. So this morning I started writing about how I might take the lessons I’ve learned at work and apply them to personal creative endeavors. I accomplish so much for the sake of my employers. There’s no reason I can’t do the same for myself.
Next, I tackled the issue that’s been holding me up for a while: form. If you’re going to write a rhyme, it’s easiest to start with a form, because then you know exactly how many rhyming words you need and how they will work together. The problem was that I kept looking in books for a form, but I wasn’t finding it. So today I toyed around with different arrangements of rhythm and meter, looking for an interesting arrangement that’s big enough to include a cute visual for each rhyme without being overly long.
I believe I have found a working form. It might be too long. We’ll see. At least it’s a starting point. It gives me a direction in which to proceed. That’s all I wanted, and I’m calling today’s writing a success.