To Do List

So "Killer Robots" went underground for a few months, but I haven't given up on my literary ambitions, which still follow me around like resentful cat. I feed it little scraps of rough drafts, but most provide little nourishment and instead stink up my psyche like old fish heads. Sigh.

Most writers, of course, are familiar with the following vicious cycle, which nicely sums up my writing life over the last six months:

Act I

1. Set time aside for writing.
2. Make to do lists.
3. Read writing blogs.
4. Write in my blogs.
5. Actually put myself in front of a computer with time blocked out.
6. Discover I lack something vital: a file, a book, a set of notes, a printout.
7. Either find the item or work around it.
8. Get frustrated by the delay.
9. Finally give up.

Let's say I actually manage to get everything together at once and start working. then the cycle continues like this:

Act II

10. Work on writing. It's slow and awkward but I'm doing it.
11. Write regularly for a while.
13. Life intervenes: a vacation, an illness, a sick pet, an evil work project, etc.
14. Momentum breaks down.
15. Get frustrated.
16. Finally give up.
17. Brood about not writing
18: Repeat steps 1-9.
19: Repeat steps 10-17.
20: Go crazy.

So right now I'm on Step 7, and to prove I'm on Step 7, I have a To-Do List.

TO DO LIST

Project One: Completed science fiction novel "Killer Robots Never Work"
I've failed to find the analysis of the novel sent by the Pretty Nervous Writing Aardvarks (See Step Six) but will soldier on.
- rework synopsis and cover letter
- send it all out to the infinite array of markets for goofy science fiction novels with lots of geology.

Project Two: Completed short play "The Video Game."
The place I wanted to send this play closed its reading period April 30, but again, I soldier on.
- find new places to send my Video Game guys Frank and Ed.
- prepare "The Video Game."
- send play out.
- bonus: I found a playwriting group in Berkeley that meets once a month and I'm considering joining.

Project Three: Memoir in progress.
- keep writing all thoughts about memoir in notebook

Retired Project: Stealth Novel. Yes, I finished my NaNoWriMo novel last month! Read about it here.

So I'm sending out a play and a novel and writing a memoir, which seems a respectable To Do List. Feel free to place bets now on whether I'll be on Step 9 by July 4.