Smokeless Slog

Posted Sat, 01/05/08

I spent another day ensconced with Collective Obsessions. I found an inconsistency in one section, which led to fixes in several other areas. I also had to rewrite about four scenes, two of which were fairly detailed, which took a lot of time in the early afternoon.

It was the perfect day for being stuck on the computer. We have a thickly falling wet snow without a break in sight. I made-do all morning with coffee and spotty cigarette breaks, finally having a bite to eat around noon. Since moving last September, I have stopped smoking in the house. This was a decision I reached after I cleaned out the insides of my computer prior to packing my belongings back in Washington, where I found tar and other muck stuck to the cooling fans and other components. I made up my mind then that I didn't want to take three or four hours out of my time every six months to clean the insides of my computer with cotton swabs and rubbing alcohol. I'll save myself the trouble by not smoking around my electronic equipment, thank you.

It's better for me in the long run, I know. If I'm working steadily, I don't want to stop and go outside in the snow to puff on a smoke. I'll tell myself: "After I write this scene, I'll take a break," but that can come about hours later. When I finally do go outside, I tend to keep my thoughts on the work at hand. I inevitably think of something else to add or subtract from the present storyline so I end up taking just a few puffs and then going back inside to work.

I did stop writing for a few hours in late afternoon, saving my files to CD and shutting off the computer, in order to take Rainee for a ride wearing her red sweater. I also prepared a batch of steamed ground turkey and brown rice – a dish Foofer used to love so well – that will provide five or six dinners for Rainee in the coming week.

Want the recipe? Click here.

Irish Eyes: Writing

Tags: Collective Obsessions; Rainee; Writing