Avoidance Technique

Thinking about Thursday

   So, you might remember my RWA post last week where I mentioned I was facing a major rewrite on my current manuscript. Everyone offered such encouragement, I'd love to be able to tell you I immediately strapped myself to the chair and pounded out the revisions until fire flew from my fingertips. (A little Devil Went Down To Georgia reference for you this morning.)

Unfortunately, I'm a terrible liar.

As much as I appreciated all the support, I did anything I could to avoid opening that particular file.

Including, cleaning out my closet.

You can probably discern from the picture above, this task had become long overdue. My husband and I finally agreed. Just do it.

It didn't take days and days like I expected. We didn't argue. In fact, I knew the process was going entirely too smooth.

Until, I stood on a step stool to put a marble chess board in the top of the closet and dropped it on my foot. Yes, it is black, blue and, most recently, a hint of green. Thank you for asking.


In my delirious state of pain, with my foot up and an ice pack that hurt worse than the throbbing, my brain started making an odd connection between editing and my closet.

Just stay with me here.

The before closet was functional, but not good.
Too much that didn't belong.
(Yes, that is a hockey stick. Why do you ask?)

It was also overflowing with backstory.
The flowers at the top there are my wedding bouquet...from 14 years ago. You don't even want to know what kind of "keepsakes" were in that box. Let's just say, I don't think I still need the confetti from my high school senior breakfast.





So, we had to unpack everything. Lay it all out and decide what truly mattered to the story. Or, what actually fit and belonged in the closet. This what the point I wanted to cry. And, it was before the chess board attacked me. Seeing it all out there was beyond overwhelming. There was no way we were ever going get this done. But, since our bed is actually underneath there some where, there was no way we couldn't get it done.

 

Talk about goal, motivation and conflict! 

The basic framework needed more. Not much, just tearing down some old fixtures and installing new shelves. Just like my premise needs some tweaking and more inner conflict. 

Finally, we ended up with this. 

Which makes me smile every time I open the door. I can see what I need. I know what's in there and, best of all, I can breathe.

So, yesterday. I opened my manuscript and got started.

What's a few revisions after an accomplishment like that?

Cleaning out my closet

Tell Me Your Story Tuesday

 Please enjoy this 

Friends 

clip to get you in the mood for today's post. 

Just push play. I'll wait.  

Funny, right?

I would think so, too...If it wasn't my life.

This is my project for the week.

I must make all of this fit somewhere in here.

And trust me, this is a "good" picture of this room. There is so much lurking out of the camera range, it makes me want to cry.

Kind of like doing revisions.
I am taking a class from
Candace Havens .
I just finished what she calls
REVISION HELL.
  While avoiding the closet pondering ideas of great meaning, I was struck by how similar the process revision  is to cleaning out my closet.

Step One:
Feeling   overwhelmed
I walked by said closet probably ten times, opened the door, sighed, closed it
I opened my WIP probably ten times, changed two words, sighed, checked Twitter.
 ,
Step Two:
Planning
I have been researching closet organizational options, mentally deciding where things should go, giving myself pep talks: "I'm sure there isn't actually a troll living in there."

I made notes for my WIP, mentallyworked through scenes and dialogues, gave myself pep talks: "Candy is going to kick your butt if you don't get this done."

Step Three:
Going in
I made work on the room that the closet stuff needs to inhabit. It's like one of the those puzzles were you have to move everything else to move piece. I told myself I only had to work for 15 minutes. I ended up working over an hour.

I made myself sit down and do my Revision Hell process. It took a couple of hours a day, but it was worth it. I finished the whole WIP. It will need this process again. I know that, but I also know that I can do it. Hopefully, that will make steps one and two less intimidating.

So, what did I learn from all of this?

1. Eat the elephant one bite at a time, or if you aren't into pachyderms, the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. In otherwords, quit staring at it and get started.
2. Nothing can make you feel inferior without your consent. (I may have paraphrased a bit) or, plan your work and work your plan.  I needed to think and process what needed to be done. Stressing over it and dreading the tedious process  ahead did nothing positive for me.
3.  Rome wasn't built in a day.  I gave myself plenty of time to work on the revisions. I took breaks when my brain locked or my butt went to sleep from sitting in this chair too long. I am giving myself a week to complete the closet to playroom transfer. Burnout isn't productive.   

So, Tell Me Your Story:

What elephants do you have on your plate? 

Done any revising lately?

 

Side note: I am looking for authors to be featured on Tell Me Your Story Tuesday. If you would like to be interviewed, or know anyone who might, please email me!