Paksworld

Distractions of the usual type are things that must be done–distractions not sought out, but imposed.   For instance, official paperwork that must be filed by a given date,  business mail that must be dealt with, scheduled maintenance of human, animal, machine, repairs of human, animal, machine, house.   Then there are the everyday distractions of friends, family, online places to socialize.

But then…then come the biggies.    For me, it’s something I don’t know much about, that comes to my attention in a time and way that creates an automatic pursuit response:  facts known to exist, that I don’t know yet, are like the squeaking of a mouse to a fox, or the scent of a fox to the hounds..and these are the hardest distractions for me to resist.

If they’re also related at all to the writing project in hand…and if pursuing the facts could be considered as research…my mind slips its leash and is off full-speed, racing on this new and fascinating trail.    Trying to catch and pen runaway predatory Curiosity is…not yet possible in the current instance of “Oh, wow look!  New! Shiny!  Stuff I didn’t know and want to!!!”   For one thing, it’s the best chaser-neurons involved in the original chase–the ones panting along behind, getting leg-cramps, are a low slower than runaway Curiosity.

Runaway Curiosity has an appetite–a very large appetite–for data.   Never mind that at the moment I’ve forgotten a lot of details eagerly learned in the past…like a basking shark, Curiosity’s mouth is always wide open to receive whatever swims in.   Already, in spite of attempts at restraint, I’ve galloped through Wikipedia pages (knowing they aren’t authoritative, but they’re a start and some of them list references) and learned things about not only the Great Northern War, but George I of England and his family (though that set of pages did not mention his involvement in the Great Northern War and some additional tidbits about central and western European politics…

Runaway Curiosity isn’t even a third satisfied yet.   One fact leads to another, and then to another, and then another…Curiosity’s rioting won’t end until it has a full belly, which–from my experience–takes longer than is convenient when I have both official paperwork and a book standing by.  Officialdom does not understand or sympathize with runaway Curiosity.   (Officialdom often considers Curiosity idle.   That pup is never idle.)  The plot daemon is not patient either.

And yet…one thing driving runaway Curiosity when I’m in a book is often the need for a specific bit hidden somewhere in the cloud of facts hovering around…it’s not just any rat-fact, but a specific rat-fact that my instincts tell me will make the book better.   It has a black nose, or a bushy tail instead of a naked one, or…something.

Today is a day of distractions from more than one source.  I  must deal with the official ones (not taxes yet–other stuff), and the prep for next week, my trip to A&M.   I must prep for the book release day itself.  And work on the book….and also find some time every day to let runaway Curiosity go find the thing I need but can’t describe.  (If I can describe it…I’m a good, fast researcher for finding it.   In this case…something is in there somewhere that, if I know it, will make the book better. )  I don’t know if it’s a person, a conversation, a political deal, a specific military encounter, a matter of trade or law or politics or what…just that Curiosity has the nose of noses, the keen ear, and a hunting instinct that won’t quit.