Zoom Zoom

I've learned over the course of the last year or so a thing or two about what motivates me.  I'm convinced I'm a great ball of rolling momentum the second I get started.  Push me down the hill and I will zoom away gathering ideas, completing tasks, creating my brains out.  If I am stopped by anything; a tree, a small child, a barfing dog - it takes me a while to get back on track.  The internet, to my surprise, is not a momentum killer for me.  Sure, it takes me away from what I was working on at that moment, but most of the time I return to my work recharged with a different idea of direction.

I don't recommend this path for everyone, just as I've had to disregard fantastic advice to others about working in quiet places.  The trick has always been to find what works for you.  It's not a bad idea at all though to experiment with ideas and try a few on just to see what you get.  Even the crazy ones that couldn't possibly work. 

Things that distracted me on the internet:

~  Massive distraction this morning.  Even my cup of tea is only half consumed.  Watched the brand spanking new Boeing 787 Dreamliner take off from Paine Field right here in Everett, Washington.  It's supposed to be landing after several hours of testing, likely at Boeing Field just to the south.  What a beautiful thing to witness.  My youngest daughter sat on my lap waving as it left the runway.
 
~  Spent lots of time on Chaotic Shiny creating characters for a novel I'm starting over.  I may salvage some of the previous work but it was one of my first attempts.  Even the plot is redone. 

Non-internet distractions:

~  The day is still early and I have a mound of laundry needing to be washed for the two outfits I am restricting my family to bringing on our trip East.  Those two outfits are headed for serious negotiations with the teenager.

Accomplishments:

~  Finished rough draft of short story and revised major plot points for starting over again novel.  Sticking to my promise not to look at newly drafted Wishful Thinking until I am settled in my coach 737-800 Alaska Air seat.  Then I can white knuckle the paper until we are cruising.
Brrr.  I'd like my typical wet western Washington weather back now please.  I promise to not complain about nine inches of rainfall in one month again if you, weather maker, promise not to blanket us with temps in the teens again this year.  Deal?

I'd been procrastinating putting the outside summer things away. *Looks up from December calendar*  So far this winter, we've gotten off lucky with few howling winds so I really didn't think much about it.  Funny how that works when things are flying around your backyard threatening your rather large window panes.

My youngest daughter's water play table was one of the items not yet stored and it was full of water from prior rainy days.  Temps in the teens means frozen water in the table.  That motivated me to get out there and dump the thing.  I took off a sheet of ice about half an inch thick and threw it to the ground.  It broke into a handful of pieces in the grass and I thought nothing of it.

Four days later...those pieces of ice are still sitting on top of the grass where they broke.  They haven't changed in size at all and we've even been sunny.  It's cold.  Real cold.  So cold, my family back East calls me to taunt me with their balmy 40 degree weather. 

So, I'd like our balmy 40 degree weather back.  I might even feel a twinge of guilt when I'm looking up hotels in Coronado in February to get away from the rain. 

Things that distracted me on the internet:

~  Done with holiday shopping.  I keep finding fantastic deals that I ultimately resist but keep sucking my time away as I browse and agonize.  
~  Add ons for World of Warcraft needed updating today and I've been dissatisfied with my current unit frames.  (I know, it's like a different language if you aren't familiar).  Suffice to say, I got sucked into the vortex of updating mods.

Non-internet distractions:

~  Beat Dragon Age as an elf mage.  Got as happy an ending as possible with that character.  Now working on a human noble just to be Queen at the end.  After that, I'm so going good mage gone very very bad.  Very bad.

Accomplishments:

~ About 20% to go until I declare the first draft of Wishful Thinking finished.  I'm still on goal to finish in December.
Happy December! That's what my middle daughter greeted me with this morning. I think she's just happy to be counting down the days to the biggest loot of the year, but I'm fairly cynical.

I successfully avoided both Black Friday and the new, more dangerous, Cyber Monday this year. Black Friday is never a worry on my rainy horizon; it would take an unbelievable deal to get me anywhere near a store the day after Thanksgiving. Cyber Monday is a whole 'nother issue.

I believe my biggest defense to this new shopping lure is that I had no idea it existed. I didn't see any hype until a day or two before and I was so busy furiously writing down the new climax and resolution to my wip, I missed the signs. I have to give a giant shout out of thanks to Absolute Write and the NaNoWriMo site for keeping me sufficiently distracted. My bank account thanks you as well.

Things that distracted me on the internet:

~ Checking on my writing buddies and cheering when they crossed the 50k mark. Go awesome valley go!

~ Following the sad case of the shooting deaths of four police officers in the Tacoma area. May their families find peace in the coming months.

Non-internet distractions:

~ Holiday decorations are up. Not playing with the wind this year - everything is inside where we can enjoy it and not stress about searching for the head of whatever decoration went flying.

Accomplishments:

~ New scenes for Wishful Thinking outlined. One written. Back on track for 75 - 80K first draft. Will be done in December and ready to revise for 2010. Have to start writing down goals.