Remember daydreaming? That old creativity-inducing distraction? I do–if just barely.
Now, even our distractions are automated and customized and curated by an algorithm that seems to know what we should be daydreaming about before we can even get to it. What’s more, the rabbit holes we find ourselves distractedly falling down end not in a constructively weird place–but all too often in a place that might be weird but probably will cost us money. So, a destination that leaves us both distracted and poorer. Happy 2020! From a fun piece by Kathryn Schulz from 2015 in The New Yorker. She saw it coming:
How did “rabbit hole,” which started its figurative life as a conduit to a fantastical land [in Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland], evolve into a metaphor for extreme distraction? One obvious culprit is the Internet, which has altered to an indescribable degree the ways that we distract ourselves.
Thank you for Internet-ing right here, this Monday morning, when there are so many rabbit holes clambering for us, desiring to drive us to distraction–to forget our intentions, our destinations, our worth, even ourselves.
Can I tell you I’ve been distracted?
While others have been setting down their 2020 resolutions, and even committing them to blog post (and, as such, according to the court of blog, making them treaties never to be broken!), I’ve been distracted. While others have been new-decade-to-do-ing and vision-boarding, I’ve been distracted.
Two weeks of 2020 in the crapper already, and I’ve made a word cloud. (See above.) Well, not me, but a website. OK, I plopped in the words–from my novel-in-progress–and out came a word cloud. I did pick the shape and the color scheme: blue.
Here’s another thing: I found a website, literature-map, that will show me (in an attractive visual-thesaurus web sort of way) which authors are most like my faves. A new-to-me fave:
Hold up! You haven’t visited the visual thesaurus? Inconceivable! Here:
Which reminds me of The Princess Bride. What a movie. Inconceivable! Who was that actor? He’s still alive, right?
You see what I mean? This exercise in rabbit-holing isn’t to say that there’s anything wrong with distractions, or daydreams, but that I might be better served by being a little more intentional. You know: dreaming with intention, design, volition, even, dare I say, a goal.
So, I’m goal-setting-lite, meaning with enough wiggle room for constructive rabbit holes and even breaks. (Like, “intention” comes from the Latin intentus, meaning “a stretching out,” also “a leaning toward, a strain.” I mean, that sounds like exercise, which is never supposed to be easy, right?)
I’m reading with intention–right now Elena Ferrante’s My Brilliant Friend, the first of the Neapolitan quartet of novels by the highly-acclaimed Italian author–to inform my historical novel about an Italian family in WWII America. And I’m back over at Goodreads, where I’m going to try to keep better track of what I’ve read–outside of Rust Belt authors.
I’ve also been taking some lovely reading detours–having read over the last month a children’s book, a literary thriller, and a sci-fi screenplay–for friends and fellow bloggers who are highly-acclaimed in my eyes. And reading thinker-blogposts, like this one “On Breaks and Connections.” And next up on the ol’ TBR is a book of poetry–because poetry is the best kind of distraction.
Writing? OK, I didn’t use my Christmas break to gain great headway on my novel-in-progress (outside of the groovy word cloud)–what with Christmas and Christmas carols, cookies, and more cookies. However, I did get another chapter down. And then, in response to a call from a journal I admire, I wrote a thing–a creative nonfiction piece about Ordinary Time and ordinary time and making the everyday a holiday worth singing about and feasting over; and finding the blissfully mundane in a holiday. It’s a working rabbit hole, anyway. And the novel draft will be out of my brain and on paper, come June (wish me luck).
And editing. I wore that hat a lot over at Parhelion Literary Magazine, last year. My 2019 saw me shepherd three book reviews, five essays, and an author interview into the world, plus I conducted two interviews, and penned a piece on finding “twin skin” and solace in the essays of Randon Billings Noble. I adore this PLM gig and hope you’ll check me out over there, too. More good stuff to come in 2020.
Of course, it’s publishing that’s considered to be the big win, the brass ring, the dream destination for us writer-types. The agent querying continues, but I did have a couple short stories published last year in journals I love. And, lest I forget that this writing thing is about the path, and not the destination, I read this post for a different kind of “Resolution,” today.
Goals. I’ll get on it. I will. Right now, you’re here and I’m here, which means we’re in the very same rabbit hole (#bloggoals), if for only a few minutes–and that’s a win these days. As was being nominated for the Bloggers Recognition Award by one of my favorite blogging friends, Silvia, from Italian Goodness, who, when I told her I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to hop on the nomination train, said these wise words: “Life is busy. Family comes first. Never stop dreaming, but prioritizing is the secret of happiness.” Truer words, folks… Thank you, Silvia! (And go make one her Italian recipes and make yourself so happy.)
Here’s to more connecting and dream-making in 2020–by a little luck and a pinch of intention.
Have you recovered from the Christmas cookie coma? New Year’s resolution-failure guilt getting to you, or is that just me?
Care to social media rabbit-hole together? You can find me at FB, on Twitter and IG @MoonRuark, and at Goodreads, where it appears as if I’m just getting the hang of this whole literary thing.
Rust Belt Girl 
So many things to consider – but don’t let anything slow you down – whatever you decide to do in 2020 is what the plan was: no more, no less….
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I love that logic, John! Thanks for reading, and Happy 2020!
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Slowly recovering from taking a break and trying to remember it’s time to work again and not just sit around 😅. Good luck with 2020, Rebecca!
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I feel that. Good luck with 2020 to you, too! I’ll be following you…
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😊
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Phew! My head’s spinning! You’ve got a lot going on. Good stuff, though! Best of luck this year with all your goals! 💕
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Thank you! I think I need to pick a focus and work toward that. Don’t want to just spin out! Good luck with your 2020 goals, too!
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Thanks!
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Whew! Just reading all going on with you, makes my simple goal setting seem silly. Good luck in 2020 achieving whatever goals you set.
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I seem to be a whirlwind of lite-goal-setting–not the most efficient way to work, but I get it done, somehow. Simple goal setting is smart, Barbara, and I hope you’re having a productive start to your 2020!
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Thanks!
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You don’t need new goals. You have an enormous amount going on already! All the best with your novel too!
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No new goals–I love that concept. Of course, I also love the feeling of making a check mark on a to-do list. Seems little is ever really *finished* in this literary world. I suppose I should embrace that! Thank you for reading, Aggie!
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Happy new year and all the best with your goals. I really have to finish writing my novel this year, but I’m at the stage where the story is finished and I need to add 10k words somehow. I’ve been getting distracted by a lot of things but trying not to stress myself out over it 🙂
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Thank you for stopping by! Happy 2020 to you! We both have novels to finish–looming large on the old to-do lists. I’m sure those 10K will come after some time away. The break after writing can do so much good–as does the reading, and I know you’re always doing that!
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I dare say you have enough to do that adding resolutions would be redundant. It’s just time to start rolling again (not cookie dough). I’m off to a slow start, but look out February, here I come!
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Yes, I need to get rolling. (Tho, I am still eating cookies.) I think February is our month, Eilene. I’ll be looking forward to your writing in 2020!
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Wow! You are one busy lady! Sounds like you’ve got the right attitude for 2020! Best of luck to you regarding your goals and your aspirations! Keep us posted on your progress, if you feel like it! 🙂
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Thank you, Lisa! I’ll be sure to look to your blog for 2020 inspiration!
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Awww…how sweet! I hope I don’t disappoint! 🙂
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That’s my kind of map, too.
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What a poignant and relatable post! A new saying I’ve noticed in my family is “lost my rabbit” when we lose our trail of thought as we are speaking, which is often the occurrence. How do we juggle it all, the dreams, the responsibilities, the thoughts, the alluring distractions? You said it prioritization, something the ladies of my church group just discussed yesterday morning, and are continuing our discussion this evening. Thank you.
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“Lost my rabbit”–I love that and just might have to borrow! Ah yes, prioritization. I seem to always prioritize too much, though I must strive to do better in 2020! I wonder where your ladies in your group came down–I’m always up for suggestions on how best to do that! Thank you for reading!
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I’ve set as a goal reading Elena Ferrante, two of my writer friends have raved about her work and now your recommendation cements it. It’s such a challenge to balance reading and writing!
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It is a real challenge! Since I try to devote my bigger chunks of time to writing, my reading is done in fits and starts and in-betweens. The first of Ferrante’s Neapolitan quartet is very interesting–and quite dark. Not sure if I’ll find the time to read them all, but the quality of writing is impressive. And it feels so natural, where sometimes translations fail at that. Thank you for reading and commenting!
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Yes, I prioritize writing too, sometimes feeling guilty about the stacks of books near my bed!
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Your creative mind is a beautiful thing! Thank you for sharing it with us :-)!
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You’re the best, Shelley. Thank you!
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Ditto to you – You’re welcome! 🙂
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Sometimes it works best to just go with the flow.
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Yes, and I have one of my blogger friends to thank for telling me, basically, you’ve got enough going on, you don’t need more resolutions for 2020. Here’s to developing a good flow, this year. Thank you for reading!
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Ah, yes. Distractions! It’s so easy these days, isn’t it? 🙂
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Yes, too easy! I try to stick to one task at a time but fail all too often. Good luck to you, and thanks for reading!
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