Tomorrow
by Tom Bentley
Last night's nightcap: a dollop of guilt, a squirt of optimism, a shake of
renewal. Resulting resolve: you WILL write tomorrow! You completed your search
for cricket remains behind the toilet, you already bought the milk for your
morning coffee, you've read the article on lead paragraphs twice. By God, you
will write.
The next morning begins with promise: the coffee hot and strong, your writing
goal foremost in your mind. But it makes perfect sense to read some good writing
first, doesn't it? Learning by example and all that, yes?
Not a delay--it's a quick mental stretch so that your own writing workout will
proceed apace. But my, what you're reading is good, isn't it? Makes you wonder
if you've got anything else by that author. Better check.
Goodness, you have so many books by so many fine authors. No, you steel
yourself--you have an obligation to produce today. No shilly-shallying about the
shelves. Besides, your writing assignment is an opportunity, not a burden. Isn't
that what Anne Lamott said? Or Natalie Goldberg? You could do a quick scan for
that quote. No, a trap! Resolute, to the computer.
Of course, you've got your browser set to open with CNN. But doesn't it make
sense for a writer to know what's going on? Engagement, you must engage.
Discipline: you'll confine yourself to the headlines, maybe a few other stories.
And you'll peek at Salon too, but just the Books section. Besides, it's only
mid-morning; the day's horizon is far off. And writing isn't a track meet, you
know. More a leisurely steamship ride, with far-off vistas, pauses, and
reflections. Plenty of reflections.
You reflect that you're getting a hunger pang or two, though lunch is still an
hour away. But there's the mail! You can go through that quickly enough, though
you really should look through that seed catalog now, since you're late for your
spring vegetable plantings. Just looking at those vegetables confirms it--it's
lunchtime. No problem; you'll have the whole afternoon free for writing.
Lunch a tad heavier than you'd planned. But even writers eat, don't they? A
quick nap, and you'll wake up refreshed. Maybe you'll block out a character or
two while you snooze.
Whoa, that was one long nap! Better grab a quick cup of coffee, check the e-mail
and GET WRITING! Ugh, look at all those e-mails. You hate when you don't get
quick replies, so better work through them. Besides, it's writing, isn't it?
Where has the day gone? You're flagging a bit--time for a brisk walk to clear
the mind and re-assess today's goal: perhaps just 500 words. Back from the walk
and feeling peppy, but how did this house get so messy? You can't write with
such disorder screaming at you from every corner, can you? Well, cleaning's
done--and so are you. It's much too late to try and begin anything, how could
you? But tomorrow--tomorrow you will write.
Copyright © 2002, Tom Bentley
Tom Bentley lives in the
hinterlands of Watsonville, California, surrounded by strawberry fields and the
occasional Airstream. He has run a writing and editing business out of his home
for the past seven years, giving him ample time to vacuum. See his lurid website
confessions at http://www.tombentley.com.
