Now that the studying is out of the way, I'm turning my attention to other things.... like the third and final volume of The Automata Wars, a new musical collaboration, a new literary collaboration, and a host of other ideas. Of course, it isn't always easy switching from a particular style of painstakingly researched writing to something that demands completely different styles of productivity. I thought I'd share my top tips on how to make it all work.
- Try writing individual ideas on post-it notes. You can either stick them on a large piece of paper to see where they might fall in the grand scheme of your idea; or preferably stick them to the cat and treat the order in which they fall off as the intervention of fate.
- Ensure cats are well-fed before you start, ten minutes after you start, and then at 30 minute intervals. Either that or don't feed them, and treat the results of them rolling on the keyboard as the intervention of fate.
- Do not be tempted to open the windows. This will only admit insects for cats to chase. Either that, or do open the windows, and treat the results of cats charging backwards and forwards over the keyboard as the intervention of fate.
- Make sure your working environment is comfortable. Sitting on a cat's tail can be detrimental to your comfort.
- Do not forget to check social media sites regularly. It is very important to keep in touch with your friends, colleagues, potential readers, and their pictures of cats.
- If your creative endeavour includes any artistic medium, ensure that the design calls for cat fur in both strategic and non-strategic places, because you know it will end up there anyway.
- Ensure all electronics you are using, including surge protectors, are protected from surges of cat vomit.
- Do not pause to stroke cats even if they look cute. It is difficult to create with a stone of cat hanging from your finger by its teeth.
- You may wish to consider shutting cats out to ensure you remain undisturbed. If so, ensure your timetable allows for refitting carpets/ repainting doors/ making good external woodwork that has been damaged by cats attempting to regain entry.
- If you are getting stressed about your project, remember that cats are excellent for helping reduce stress (it says here). Why not take a break from your project to feed your cat? Just don't leave anything drying, unless you're happy for it to have footprints in it...
Just before signing off for this week, I wanted to say a big thank you to A. Stuart Williams and to Amy and Scott of Southcart Books, Walsall, for hosting and coordinating another fantastic writers event last weekend, and to all the wonderful writers for their various talks and readings. I hope everyone else enjoyed it as much as I did!
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