Fixing What Isn’t Broken

Image Source: Meme Generator

This will mark my first blog that I’ve published in about 4 weeks. Why? Well, there’s a short answer to that and a long one. The post today will lay out my reasons for the longer answer, but the shorter answer is simple: I fixed what wasn’t broken and now it’s broken. It’s that simple. I don’t mean technology broke, or even society (with the Covid-19 virus and the global Pandemic and subsequent “shut-down” and shelter in place status) going on.

No. I simply mean that I tried to fix my writing process (of which the blog is a part) and I fouled everything up. It has taken this long to untangle myself and work to get back to where writing is an enjoyable process and where I feel that I can create (no matter if it is for work, school, or play).

21st Draft

Yup, that’s right. This is draft number 21 and it (hopefully) will be the first post that I publish in a while. I have 20 other drafts in my drafts folder for this blog that are in various states that I need to either finish or delete since the first of March.

Now to be fair, about 8 or 9 of those pre-dated March 5, when I went to the conference in Boston, but I’ve tried multiple times over the past three weeks to get an entry out, but each time I’d either start it and not finish, or get some of it written, or (in one case) write the whole bleeping thing and then have the computer not save it to the WordPress server.

THIS is why it is so dangerous for me to get out of my routine/comfort zone. Not only do I not produce work that is up to (what I believe) are my standards, but I then go on long unproductive stretches where I can’t complete the things that I need to complete.

EDIT: And this post is an example of this–I started this post last Monday (March 30, 2020) and I’m just now publishing it on April 6, 2020 (assuming WordPress allows me to do so–it will let a draft sit in the compose window for only so long before it stops allowing updating. They really want you to close out the window and let it sit in the “drafts” folder.

Sidney

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Please consider supporting these fine small press publishers where my work has appeared:

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• Read Skin Deep for Free at Aurora Wolf
• Read Childe Roland for Free at Electric Spec

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• Purchase HawkeMoon on Amazon.com (Paperback) or eBook
• Purchase Dragonhawk on Amazon.com (Paperback) or Kindle
• Purchase WarLight on Amazon.com (Paperback) or Kindle
• Purchase Ship of Shadows on Amazon.com (Paperback) or Kindle
• Purchase Faerie Knight on Amazon.com (Paperback) or Kindle

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• The Independent  (Sci-Fi Short-Story)–
  3rd Draft of 3 Drafts 
  Revising Section 1 (of 3)
  Deadline = February 29, 2020
• Project Arizona (Fantasy Short Story–Weird West))
  Finished: Story Outline
  Next: Character Sketch
• I, Mage (Fantasy Short Story)
  Mythic Mag. Deadline = July 31, 2020
• Ship of Shadows Graphic Novel 
  Finished: Script, Issue #1
  Next: Script, Issue #2
• Ship of Shadows: Screenplay
  Finished: Script Outline (Rough Draft)
  Next: Script Outline (1st Draft)