Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Creature of habit...

I have learned I am a creature of habit.  My alarm goes off at the same time every morning, I hit the snooze every morning and curse that I'm getting up so early...every morning.  I take the same route into work every day and take the same route home.  I even park in the same spot and get darned upset when someone has swiped my spot!  I even have the same routine when I get to work, drop the lunch sack, login, check out the comics, then get to work.

But this week my daily routine got spun up and for a while I was not sure how to deal with it.  The ladies' bathroom is being renovated at work.  It will be closed for a month!  Now I have to change my routine!  I have to go down to the third floor!  I know I KNOW it's daring!  I mean what's to stop me from the third!  Maybe I'll go down and sneak into the OHSU bathroom (Oregon Health Sciences University for you non-Portlanders) - they have some of their business offices in our building.  I mean - this sudden break of routine is heady stuff!  I mean it's not like I'll suddenly go into the Men's bathroom or anything like that.

And today -driving home - I went a different way!  Yes yes I did!  I DID!  I was giddy with routine breaking!  It's actually kind of like my current WIP - ooo see I'm breaking my blog routine of NOT blogging about writing!  For over a year I'd been working on a historical novel...I was in the routine of research and write, research and write.  My critique group ( The  Always awesome Dead Bunny Club) were supportive, but I felt like I was stuck in the literary rut.

An idea had been festering in my mind for a while and so I decided to ... wait for it... break out of the routine... did you say it with me?  I shelved the historical fiction - no doubt my Main Character is spitting nails because of this.  I started brand new with the idea that had been festering and it's worked out great so far!  Where I felt like I was prying words and pages like a 19th century dentist pulling out teeth, I now feel like they're flowing from me like a quicksilver river!

So moral of the story - it's good to sometimes shake things up and not be such a creature of habit in life and in writing!

5 comments:

  1. LOL! I SO relate to this. I too am a creature of habit. It's just so easy to slide along in the rut without thinking.

    Hooray for breaking free! When your brand new book gets published, I think you should add the ladies room renovation to your acknowledgments. ;)

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  2. Two flights of stairs every time I have to use the facilities is getting old fast. :)

    Totally agree with feeling in a rut. Sometimes it's like I'm stuck in a NBA season and I am the Clippers...

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  3. Oh, the bravado! I am not sure I can watch.

    Congrats on the new WIP. I just did the same thing this weekend. I needed a change and wasn't sure what that was until I started in on the new manuscript.

    Good for you and try not to get lost!!
    Corinne

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  4. Linda - I just might have to do that. To the 4th Floor East Bathroom for going under construction - thanks for everything!

    Jason - oh that is just sad! The Clippers!

    Corinne - here's to new WIPS

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  5. I'm so excited about your new WIP. You seem so much happier with it, and it is awesome. Break free little bird. Fly. Fly down the stairs to the 3rd floor bathroom.

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