Today’s Guest Blog comes from the wonderfully talented Bella Marie, author of the Time Well Spent series. Available at Amazon.com
How to Unplug the GIANT Funnel!
The Tin Man had the right idea! He wore his funnel hat the way that a person should have a funnel on their head if one were going to wear one. The hole on top of the funnel is small so maybe one, or two at most ideas will fit at a time, whereas the bottom of it seems to form a great seal so no stray thoughts leak out. Yep, pretty sure he was a genius.
I on the other hand the last few weeks have had so many things to do that I thought, well maybe it would be a good idea to turn the funnel around because too many ideas were coming in at once, couldn’t lose any! That way it would catch them and only one or two would come out one at a time so I could control the speed at which they bombarded me. Well it seemed like a good idea at the time, but it seems to have backfired on me.
Oh it started semi-slow with the normal stuff… Idea for vampire book, family stuff, idea to write book about family stuff, oh what do you know? More family stuff, then really, that is a great idea for this book I had worked on for a long time, got to throw that in there too. Then it really got busy… More family stuff, oh wait! Need to throw some life challenges in there too!! Can’t forget promotion, need to really work on my website and update it, not to mention my blog, oh really? Smashwords didn’t accept my book for premium status because I spelled “copyright” wrong and didn’t notice it? Got to throw that all in there, the rewrites, oh yeah, got to edit the book that I am getting published for hard copy. No I didn’t forget to do the review on the book that I have had no time to read, sorry, will get right on that. Life again? Are you serious? Three more story ideas flow in and can’t sleep because can’t write them because they make no sense, trying to come out all at once. Promotion again, edits, wright here and there, who needs a job anyway, I’ve been meaning to lose weight, who needs to eat?
Then I don’t even realize it but I am overwhelmed to the point that my funnel hat is totally flooded to overflowing and I am left standing in the middle of the room not able to even think of the next thing to do. I then get this revelation! Well dang it, no one can work under these conditions! I am going to fix this, just wait and see!
I lift off the huge funnel on my head, telling it the whole time, oh you can’t function all stuffed in there like that you poor thing, here let me fix you! I stick it up to my mouth and blow, (or yell as loud as I can at the top of my voice until there is no more voice left.) I imagine that the thoughts in the funnel are like a bunch of chocolate chips and when I blow on it, they go flying! Oh they not only fly, but when they finally become airborne, I flip the funnel over to get a good seal so they won’t all bombard me all at once again.
Then I sit down on a soft chair, taking a piece of paper, and quietly writing down all I have to do, in order and only let those which can’t wait be heard. The rest, well I tell them to be patient, I will get to them.
As I continue to write, I can imagine a calm settling around me, as if every thought is now in order and ready to be more cooperative. They won’t crowd each other because every thought wants to be heard. They will work together and there you have it, everything will get done and it will get done in the best possible way, a little slower than I had planned but accomplished nonetheless.
So my advice is, when your mind is on a collision course with so many “Got to get done right this minute rather you want too or not’s” it is time to just take a hint from the Tin Man and wear your funnel the way that it is meant to be, and just let all the rest fall into place, one thing at a time.
Happy Reading!
Bella Marie
Twitter: @Author66Bella
Stop in tomorrow for an interview with Bella Marie, author of the Time Well Spent series. Available at Amazon.com .