When Madeleine Works She Doesn't Write

Not a big realization--or a new realization--but something I was thinking about today.

On days that I work, or, I should say, the nights before the days that I work, I plan on writing in the morning before I go to work. But this never happens. I make my lunch or I read or I listen to the radio. As I am doing these other things I am telling myself that I will write for a bit after I make my lunch or read or listen to the radio--or that I should be writing instead of making my lunch or reading or listening to the radio. Then I feel guilty and can't even enjoy making lunch or reading or listening, etc. etc. This makes for a sad morning.

Then when I don't write in the morning--and as I said, I never write in the morning--I plan on writing after work. This rarely happens. I was going to say that it never happens, but I think it has happened once or twice, so "rarely" is more accurate. But even though experience tells me that this rarely happens, I still expect to write every night.

In the same way--I think I've mentioned this before--I set deadlines (for finishing a story) and I fully expect to meet them but I never do. Actually, again, "rarely do" instead of "never do". So the deadline for story #1 was the end of august, then Labor Day, then the end of September, i.e., today. The story is not finished. Now my deadline is October 7th. Will I meet it? I expect to...

Also, I am taking a class beginning on October 7th. It's with a writer I like. Most of all, though, I am taking the class to help with deadlines. I think I'll be showing two stories in class, so I should have two stories finished by the end of it.

Anyway, I should definitely have two stories finished by then--the beginning of December, I think--if I want to meet my Mildred deadline. And I will DEFINITELY meet my Mildred deadline!!!