Ups and Downs, Highs and Lows

Coming in the 'top three' for Canadian authors at Harbourfront a couple of weeks ago was a definite high point in my writing career. It was a fantastic moment! What a high! ...and then I went home and cut the lawn.
All that week I felt really good about writing and pumped to carry on with my current project; "Dan, Time Boy". I got another chapter or two written and actually bought myself a laptop so I could write in places other than my office on my big desktop computer. Great!

Then I started doubting...

Maybe the story is too boring...

Maybe I need an extra character in there to balance things off between Dan and his family...

Maybe he should be fatherless and someone else should play a surrogate father role (I'm big on fatherhood)...

Maybe my son, the real Dan, won't like the character I created with his name on it...

So I start sorting out the things on my desk... (it always needs a clean-up).

Then I start thinking about the lawn. I think it needs another cut...

Maybe the story should be in first person...kids might relate better to a first person narrative.

I'd better check my emails to see if a publisher wants to publish "Escape the Mine"... Nothing. Maybe I'll check again in another half hour to see if there is a response then. I'll check also to see if the publisher looking at "Top Ten" wants to publish it... Nothing.

I cut the lawn. Vigorous exercise helps my brain to work better.

I finally put the new rear tire on the BMW. It takes a couple of hours because I don't have special machines to break the bead and separate the tire from the rim properly. (I do it with the help of two 2X4's and a parked car). The tire is on and it looks good.

I check the email for responses from publishers.

I notice the little arrow on the tire shows I've put the rear tire on backwards.

I remove the tire and put it on correctly. I do it at night so none of my neighbours will know I was so stupid as to put it on backwards the first time. (don't tell anybody) I check the email. Nothing.

The tire looks good and still holds 60 psi of air - no pressure drop.

I think the lawn needs cutting.

I check the emails. Nothing.

Maybe I should write some more of the Dan Time Boy story, except that my desk is messy. I'd better clean it up... maybe the grass needs cutting.

I get a letter from a publisher who is very interested in "Escape the Mine" - they say "if nobody has snapped it up" please send it along... Great! I send it.

Suddenly I get some new ideas about the Dan story and I begin writing...

Maybe the lawn will wait... my fingers are flying on the keyboard...