P is for projects and procrastination

So, this is procrastination at its finest. My study is in a mess; the shop is in a mess; and I have a deadline to get some kitchen tools made and send photos of them to a magazine.  I don’t know if the magazine will use them or not. Rather than tackle any of these things, I think I’ll write a blog post. Little did I know when I retired from teaching that there would be things to put off other than marking!

            I successfully avoided making any headway on these projects yesterday, but I had an interesting day. I read a book. I listen to lots of books these days, although I very seldom actually process one through my eyeballs. When it comes to books, I’m the ‘instant gratification’ sort. Nothing will do but that I get and read the book right now. With one handy click I got an E-book on how to write a book.

Besides the projects mentioned above I have another huge one on the go. I’m writing a book with Jake, luthier, musician, teacher, and composer to name a few of his various hats. I’ve never written a book, far less a book telling someone else’s story. Nothing like starting at the top. Jake is used to telling his stories under stage lights between songs.  I’m used to writing mine down in the quiet of early mornings or late nights. These are very different spaces but they both acknowledge the importance of story. The book I read yesterday was on how to write memoir, a bit of a tangent but it might be helpful to the current project. It was written first as a series of blog posts by Marion Roach Smith who has an impressive list of credentials. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marion_Roach

Reading too many ‘how to’ books is a trap. You can read forever and never do anything. On the other hand, if I get one thing out of a book that gives me a different perspective, it’s worth the read. Roach has clearly thought a lot about how she does what she does, and she has distilled this into a process with a series of steps. I’m not sure I understand exactly how she sees it and I’m not going to spend time trying to slavishly follow her steps. She illustrates her points by telling great stories and that will always garner my interest and respect. I’m not sure, at this point, how her advice is important. I need to put that on the back burner and let it sit for a while. That is so much of how I write: letting things sit on pause in my mind and returning to them, every once in a while, until I find I can take the next step.

Speaking of next steps, perhaps while all this is settling, I can actually tidy up my desk. It’s a small step and ‘a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.’ Stay tuned.