With great effort, and not a little wrestling with the Embodiment of Boredom itself, I have completed my novel's revision and laid the groundwork for its rapid completion.Hahaha! I kill myself with statements like that. As if somehow this will be my last stumbling block, and writing will be no more difficult than plucking dandelions from here on out.
What this does represent for me, however, is victory, no matter how small. As I have detailed over and over again, my cognitive issues are major obstacles for my writing goals. However, I have remained convinced that I can train myself via Cognitive Behavioral Techniques and sheer will to be a better, more productive writer. It's not as if I can pop a pill and make my troubles go away.
It has not been an easy task. My attention span is strung out thin over a wide chasm of distraction. For instance, have you noticed my flurry of activity on Twitter over the weekend with the new social photography app, Instagram? How typical of me to be seduced by something new, then bury my attention in it. However, this time I did not sacrifice my writing goals when faced with a new distraction.
Chapter Four was as tough to deal with as a garden filled with noxious weeds, and half as interesting to undertake as a project. The only way to overcome it was to chip away at it daily. Today the floodgate opened and washed all the obstructions away. Coming to the end of the chapter was an immense pleasure, made even more sublime because I knew I had overcome my ADHD, Depression, and Chronic Motor Tic Disorder to reach a goal.
Happily, I have earned an incentive I bought for myself: The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes: The Novels
. Unfortunately, my friend has absconded away with it, so immediate gratification will be postponed. But I am glad that I saved it for this moment. I will greatly enjoy reading that book, I am sure.My next goal is Chapter Five—a brand new and unmapped wilderness awaiting my footprints. My incentive to complete the chapter is Lifestyle Illustration of the 60s
, another long coveted book that I have purchased but not allowed myself to thumb through. I anticipate this will be a quick and fun chapter to go through. I am in high spirits and believe I can finish this novel before my birthday.Onwards.
Follow me on Twitter for my ADHD escapades at @SplinteredMind or my novel writing project over at @DouglasCootey. And if you're a glutton for punishment you can friend me on Facebook as well.
