I’ve been intending to start writing my next play for a few weeks, now. But the siren call of the TV or dirty dishes keeps luring me away. I have a deadline to produce a first draft in about a month, so I really have to get moving on it! I also have to submit a ten minute play (that I have to write, as well) in about two weeks. Mama mia!
I’ve been telling myself that I need to commit to two pages a day. With a daily goal of two pages and the likelihood of writing more than that on a few occasions, it shouldn’t be too hard to meet my deadlines. However, with each day missed, that goal seems less and less attainable.
Yesterday, my wife told me about a weight loss website a coworker showed her: myfitnesspal.com. I had seen it before, but I decided to sign up because there’s only two months left in the year and I still have 13lbs to lose if I want to meet my New Year’s resolution. Remember yours...?
Anyway, it’s a free website (so far) that allows you to log what you eat and how much you exercise. I remember reading somewhere that the fact of recording your activities is more effective to weight loss than any diet. It’s about awareness. A lot of calories are consumed through mindless snacking. You’re watching TV or bored or whatever.
Myfitnesspal.com also encourages you to get some family or friends involved. For example, as I bit into a homemade brownie last night, my wife asked: are you going to log that brownie? Of course, I was. Damn. Busted. Later in the night, after my wife had gone to bed, I saw the pan of brownies. The thought of biting into that gooey chocolate goodness, started me salivating. But then I thought, “I’d have to log that. Am I really that hungry?” The answer was no, so I didn’t eat the brownie.
Anyway, it’s time to do the same with my writing. Again. I need to log my output. Instead of having a page count, I think I’m going to go for a word count. I want to have a daily minimum of 500 words. 250 of those words need to be playwriting related, but blog writing and journal writing will be included as part of my daily total. I am expecting to exceed those goals but I want to keep the minimums attainable and not too scary. 500 words a day translates into 3500 words a week.
I can do this. This blog is approximately 450 words, so now I only have to write 250 words of script and I will have met today’s goal. Let the writing begin!
