Because the world did not end today....

So I didn't really buy into the whole world will end thing today thing, I feel like hoaxes like that are started and spread by people who really just like drama, not the singing and costumes one but the one caused by boredom and lack of self esteem.

Anyway! I lost my submission virginity today. Just a few minutes ago I sent in a short story to Weird Tales magazine...and no it was not because the world did not end, but it is a nice correlation, don't you think?

So yeah, if you pray, pray for me? If not, then just send loving thoughts into the air to the Weird Tales Staff so they feel warm and fuzzy feelings when they read my story...well actually...those are not the emotions they should be feeling, but you get my drift!

Aah! So excited!

"It's part of my process"

Panicking. Complaining loudly to anyone within ear shot. It has happened exactly three times today, so far anyway. This morning I wanted to work on some of the comments my writing group made on my only almost complete story and did not know how to begin, but, after grunting in frustration and stomping around the room and sending a few complain-y texts to one of my friends in the group I managed to make the additions I’d been meaning to.

Later on, while studying I went off on a rant with the friend who was studying with me and again complained and sighed and was oh so dramatic about it for a few minutes, and then sat down and got it done.

The same thing happened in terms of this post. I do my very best to post at least every Sunday, but this morning I told myself that I had too much to do and if I was going to devote time to my story I would have to sacrifice time for my blog. 

Is it an innate rebellion, where if I tell myself I don’t have time to do something I make time for it? Or is that once the added pressures are gone I feel more capable of accomplishing what needs to be accomplished?

I find this works even better with my writing: "Okay you just have to write this scene, or just 2,000 words today." It’s situations like this where I go beyond beyond what I expect from myself.

Do any of you experience this? Do you make deals with yourself, allow yourself to slack off only to surpass your daily quota?

Follow Up

Originally I had planned on not posting this week, just from the sheer amount of work I have to do, and because three lit analysis papers won't write themselves--damn them!

As I was poking around the interwebz, as one is wont to do while procrastinating, I came across this quote by Stephen King:

Stephen King in The Atlantic:

The thing that happens is, say you're working on something and it's going along pretty well, and two or three ideas occur, and they're all yelling "You should write this! You should write this!" It's almost like being married and all of a sudden your life is full of beautiful women. You have to stay faithful to what you're working on.

Two weeks ago I posted one of my angsty little rants about writing, called Overwhelmed, that was about what King describes here. I'm rewriting/revising my WIP and all these wonderful ideas just burst into my head and scream "I'm here" and usually don't leave. A few nights ago I actually got out of bed to write one page worth of notes on an idea because it would not let me fall asleep.

Now I can't say that I've been keeping faithful to my manuscript, but I'm trying and I keep in mind that I should.

Just thought I'd share this, and it especially makes me feel better knowing this is quite common, and the fact that Stephen King deals with the same issues makes me feel slightly cooler...don't ask me how that works.
Thanks for reading!