We interrupt our regularly scheduled program to bring you...

Habits and plans: they say you shouldn’t try to make a change in habits if you don’t think you could do it forever (well, for the rest of your natural life).

For example, I don’t think I could go forever without eating pasta. I love pasta and rice. I am not sure I really love simple sugars per se, but it is more the idea of sugar -- I have it stuck in my brain that I need sugar in my coffee so the caffeine works better, I need the sugar in this cake so I think I am happy. I can be happy without sugar can’t I? Hmm, sounds like an addiction. Well, next week I will try to go 4 consecutive days without any simple sugars or pasta or rice. This is supposed to help reduce cravings “to think I am happy”. (This week’s planning is already shot…☺) Besides, I need some time to learn what I can eat that doesn’t have sugar! Salad dressing has sugar, so maybe olive oil and lemon juice instead. Steak and eggs do not have sugar. ☺ After those 4 days, maybe I will have to stop my cravings for fatty foods…

Oh, this is a blog about writing! Sheesh, sorry.

Habits and plans. Can I write each day 1,000 words? Apparently not -- other plans seem to get in the way. But I can set aside time to write for myself each day, yes, that I could do forever. Minimum 10 minutes, max 8 hours. Sure.

I write/edit/compute for my paid work and sometimes that takes precedence. But that work doesn’t “count” towards my creative endeavor or “hopeful” author endeavor -- to re-engineer myself into the creative writer’s life. In science or speculative fiction (yes, I’ve finally chosen a genre that I am happy with)!! So I need some time to learn what I can do in 10 minutes, always working towards my goals.

So what are some of my bad habits in writing? Procrastination seems to be the biggest one. I manage to play 10 minutes of games (Angry Birds, Scrabble, or something completely mindless) when I feel stressed about my work (which, apparently, is quite often!). So, why not replace those 10 minutes with something more “tasty” but less addictive, even if it is only for 4 days? Like learning some language words? Or a little exercise? Or writing for fun! Four days seems like a long time. If I can just mentally take one day at a time, that would be super duper. You think?

I seem to have an idea, get fixed on it for a while, then lose interest. How can I lose interest if it’s for the rest of my life, even when I take it one day at a time? Oh, never mind, this is me, and eventually I’ll figure it out. The process is just taking longer than I expected. It isn’t cut and dry as an “naïve painter from Appenzell” might think it is -- this disinterest or indolence that I find in me is what I have to fight in me everyday, whether it is the battle against “sugar addiction” or “procrastination addiction”.

Ahem, yes: my theme this week is to write about current events. Google Reader, here I come!!