Conversation with Miss Half-Empty

The weekend was a wash-out. You’ve failed.

So might say the little voice that nags in my head. The catastrophizer. I believe it prob’ly more helpful if I choose to see – not to pretend the weekend wasn’t a wash-out – but, instead, see that the glass, as it were, is half full. So I did not do all I planned, or hoped to do, this past weekend. Nor Monday – nor so far today, for that matter – those days, and today, so far, essentially used up by the job. Instead, I’m gonna celebrate what I did do. Am doing. It’s not like I’m hiding from my failings. Mister...no, Miss, 'coz I'll tolerate more barbs from a Miss – Miss Half-Empty is sure not to let me forget. She has her uses, to a point. So, let’s begin, shall…we?

Begin, Aye. You didn’t add to GodSeed Vector, and you were sure you would.

Work was busy. Is busy. I am thinking of possible ways to go. I call it, pre-writing. I feel whatever I add should be lighter, somehow. More...Saturday serial, like Buck Rogers. Keeping it light. Staying away from the angst’y character introspection: that only slows down the action. That’s slowed things in other projects, I have noticed.

Such as your clumsier adds to Mage Hunting, yesss. And You didn’t start on your next Mage Hunting add.

I did one...Friday. Tried it, minus the character introspection. Bolshe added, that morn. Am into more pre-writing. Also, praised Bolsheviki on her add. Gimme a break.

Actually, You did nothing over at Protag.

I praised Bolsheviki. Read some poetry. Read some new members. Peered about in the Groups: Flash Fiction, Editing, the Pub, World-Building. I’m calling that pre-writing, too.

There’s Pre-Writing. Then there’s making life’s work from it, from research, and notes, and endlessly thinking about…stuff, instead of getting on with it. The sixty-thousand worder you’ve been fiddling with since High School comes to mind.

Prob’ly right there, I’ll give you…er, me, that. Still, I’ve my notes. Years of ‘em. And 400 pages enthusiastically scribbled in a binder: a stalled early draft I'm long past, but the world there, and all one side of the story. True enough, endlessly adding nifty ideas and thinking about it all doesn’t finish any story. But, y’know, I’m not apologizing for wanting to do it right. I have a vision for it. I want it that way. I’ll do it that way. You’re right, sure, and I’ll make the effort to actually do the thing, as soon as I can wrestle the time for it.
Thanks, was helpful, that. Really.