Kimberly A. Cook

Military Romance Author

procrastination

Summertime Crazies?

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Face sleeping. When you know it’s a long holiday weekend.

by Kimberly A. Cook

Its been a weird week. Since I’m not watching the news, can’t blame it on that. Mother Nature is acting up all over the place, but it seems odder, like dragons are waiting in the wings. Or I need more chocolate. Or both.

Saturday morning decided to wander over to the Farmer’s Market to get some asparagus. On my way down the sidewalk an apparition appeared at the market driveway. An adult-sized chicken was playing the violin. Doing a rather nice job of it too.

Of course, the one time I didn’t have a camera on me. We’ll see if he/she shows up Saturday.  I’ll be poultry paparazzi. Maybe it was the holiday weekend nutties.

Did bag the asparagus and bonus strawberries, their first appearance. Go fruit!

Decided to work like a maniac on the house and yard on Saturday and Sunday, not sure why. Then went out for lunch with family on Memorial Day. Filled up on pasta and bread sticks and that shot the rest of the day. Carb overload.

Tuesday I ventured out for an appointment and to run errands. In quick succession this is what happened; someone cancelled my appointment – not me – so they worked me in. Driving to the store some brat threw mud or something at my car and a shopping cart had attacked Subie when I came out of the store. I drove home and my driveway was blocked by the roofer’s trucks.

All minor things, but I was pretty sure I needed to hide under the bed. Went into my home office and found Spec Ops Cat sleeping on his face. Obviously, the cat had the best idea all along.

I did watch the Las Vegas Golden Knights kick butt on Monday night at the Stanley Cup playoffs, so all ended well. We will not talk about last night’s game. Ate way too many “Goobers” trying to help the team score.  They look like pucks! Kinda. (Dollar Tree store. One dollar a box.)

All of this is probably a way to admit I’m procrastinating working on my big tech project; moving and consolidating the web site and blog and redesigning it all. I’ve even been writing to avoid doing it.

If the blog suddenly goes missing, don’t blame me; it’s the dragons.

To quote the plaque on my desk;

“I have flying monkeys and I’m not afraid to use them!”

Writing, Cats And Glitter?

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by Kimberly A. Cook

This week I’m determined to get the final edited copy of my military romance fiction book “Mission: Tinderbox” out to my beta readers. What are beta readers? Dedicated hardcore friends/readers/fellow writers who take a final look to make sure it all makes sense and perhaps find a typo or two.

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Spec Ops Cat helping me not edit my manuscripts. How could I move this cute guy? 

 

On my non-fiction book, I had eleven beta readers. They each found something different. Pretty amazing. Also amazing was taking the eleven printed manuscripts in binders on an editing retreat in the wilds of Goldendale, Washington to cat sit for my friends Gate Girl and her hubby. Three days, three cats, sixty acres, visiting deer and one biblical thunderstorm later I had all the edits compiled. Worked out great.

But it appears all those distractions I handled back then are nothing compared to the challenges of one Spec Ops Cat at home. Somehow he manages to show up at the right time to make the maximum impact on what I’m trying to do.

Whether he is napping on my manuscripts to edit, stepping into the bead box during play time or suddenly appearing from the mist to stand over my keyboard putting fur in my mouth, he arrives. Then he proceeds to actually step on a key and mess up the manuscript with a long line of zazazazazazazazaza that he did yesterday. How can one small cat be such a diversion?

With these challenges I’ve taken to rewarding myself before I complete goals these days, since that improved my motivation cleaning out the family home last month. I’ve discovered a new addiction too; glitter. So the glitter drawer is now full in the office/craft room and I still need to get this manuscript polished.

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Notice whose paws are in the craft container on my lap while I try to sort dice beads.  Fur gives him away.  Can’t even tell you how quickly this can all go bad… very bad.

 

Perhaps by confessing in public I can make myself grind it out. Bought the three-ring binders and mailing boxes yesterday, so now all that is left is the final read, edit work,  making copies and mailing.

Piece of cake.

Must be a glitter sale somewhere? Right?

 

Is Procrastination Part Of The Writing Process?

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by Kimberly A. Cook             (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

Of course. At least that’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Spent last Thursday night through Monday morning snowed and iced in at home. Late start at the day job Monday and my trusty Subie got me safely back to that job. Let’s review what I accomplished over the long weekend.

Perfect procrastination by taking pink flamingo pics. Yes, I have a heater in the bird bath. A.k.a. birdie spa is very popular with my feathered visitors.
Perfect procrastination by taking pink flamingo pics. Yes, I have a heater in the bird bath. A.k.a. birdie spa is very popular with my feathered visitors.

Cleaned out my front room and rearranged the furniture in it, tried on all my dresses and will be donating a bunch, cleaned and organized my linen closet, took snow pictures, cleaned the kitchen, purged my magazines, watched a movie plus lots of Olympics coverage and some non-stop tv snow news. What did I not do? Write or clean my disaster of an office/craft studio.

So if I am literally snowed in and I don’t clean my office or write what does that mean? It doesn’t feel fun? Sorting paper is never enjoyable and that is what I have to do in the home office. Since I crammed the craft room into the home office banker boxes have exploded out into the hallway and taken up residence.

They are really bugging me, but obviously not enough. One of my favorite bloggers/artists www.susanbranch.com says Mark Twain said procrastination is part of the creative process. Well Holy Cow Cakes I must have a dozen novels backed up in my subconscious.

I’ve decided to whittle away at the boxes by dragging one over to the LaZBoy each night and sorting during Olympics coverage commercials. Maybe that will do it. The writing part? Half of the office/craft room feels fun, the craft part, the other half is cluttered and feels like work. My muse is not happy with the environment. It can get snippy.

Clutter does cause stress and creative chaos. So maybe when I finish the gargantuan paper sort and get my creative craft nest organized my muse will be happy. We shall see. If not, I can always blame Mark Twain!

See the snow was one thing, but when the freezing rain showed up on top of the snow, everything stopped; except my cleaning binge!
See the snow was one thing, but when the freezing rain showed up on top of the snow, everything stopped; except my cleaning binge!