Lunch, take one.
Herewith, all of the non-book-writing things I did after sitting down with open book draft and pile of research books and plan to examine history of children’s involvement with sports, as copied from text edit document I created in hope that it would keep me from straying from appointed task:
Email to rachel (to get sports research article, so that totally counts)
Email to book-reviewing friend about Ayelet Waldman’s forthcoming book, which is never ever going to be referred to without the adjective “controversial” appended, because email was open and I remembered I meant to email her.
Amazon order: book I need for research. And some books I needed to fill out forthcoming book giveaway.
Two emails re book giveaway
Start writing
Start Facebook post—need advice about other books for research
Phone rings. it is expert I have been trying to reach (but not with the idea that he would just call me) for entirely different topic. Shift gears, do interview, realize thankfully that I know more about topic than I thought.
Start to finish Facebook post—no, wait, the study is here! reply to email
how do I attach the studies to the relevant scrivener chapter?
Interval of attempting to attach studies.
I don’t know. Will put them in a file and note that.
I better move a whole bunch of other files around too
Write
Paste section from proposal into scrivener.
Email break! oops.
Oh I forgot Facebook post! Done. Only scrolled down one page and commented on one other post.
Write
Can I get a cookie?
There are no cookies. Consider making cookies. Consider making dinner.
Read, take notes, write
Brief interval of rescuing guy here for annual service on generator from dogs get lunch and move to table outside where can more easily and pleasantly eat leftover gazpacho from Sunday dinner plus coffee.
Read, take notes, write
oops a text
know what would make lunch better? Cheez-its.
Read, take notes, write
I need another color of post-it notes.
Read, take notes, write
Go inside because FedEx truck coming up driveway and dog will chase it if he sees it
Finish last note, write another sentence
Time to stop.
Words actually written: somewhere in the area of 100
Books collected for research: 9
Books quoted thus far: 3
Sense of accomplishment: pretty huge, actually. I’ve done way worse.
.
You were tracking me?
I have spies everywhere. Get back to work!
Way too familiar. Sigh.
I’ve just started book number seven, and my writing process still pretty much looks like this. Fortunately, little bits really do add up!
Thanks for the post!
I did a little better today–I don’t think I wrote as many words, because I was taking notes, but I got up fewer times. I DID bake a cookie cake, though! but since it was my daughter’s birthday, I feel excused.
First of your stuff I’ve seen–will want to read more (new subscriber to NYT). Came across (possibly in Times) a piece on single-casting (as opposed to multi-tssking) that made me think of this. Great stuff–YOU!