Sunday, September 14, 2008

Obsessing

by Tawny


Do you obsess?

I do.
I obsess over Johnny Depp (Yum)
I obsess over shoes (sigh)
I obsess over goals (lists, anyone?)

I obsess over tomorrow. I can't change yesterday, I'll do all I can about today. But tomorrow? I admit it, I do obsess. All the maybes and possibiliites and things I might not have done to get where I'm going (lucky for me, many of my obsessions tie in together so I can make a goal and list for this one. While wearing hot shoes. And looking at a picture of Johnny. See... tidy, yes?)

In Risque Business, my heroine Delaney obsessed over her image. In my current wip, Going Down Hard, my heroine obsesses over her past. I like obsessions, they keep things interesting.

Then there are my writing obsessions.

My friend Sheila Raye obsesses over process. Hers, mine, everyones. As long as she understands the process (be it writing, the handling of good/bad news, etc) she can take it in stride. And, of course, throw it in my face while I'm in the middle of one of my meltdowns. I think she and Beth conspire over this particular obsession, since they use "its just your process" on me way to often.
I don't worry so much about process (maybe because they are so good at pointing it out to me), but I understand their point. Because before I KNEW my process, I did wonder. Worry. Overthink. Were the characters on track? Enough sexual tension? Plot holes? Could I get from page 1 to page 280? I always think I won't have enough story to make my wordcount, then always go over. Always. So I've learned to set this particular obsession aside (okay, so not aside, but when it pops up I know I'll be fine). I admit even knowing my process, I have a whole host of writing and career obsessions. And I'm slowly coming to accept that they aren't BAD things, they simply are how I do my thing. They are a part of me- just like my automatic sigh when I see Johnny Depp.

How about you? If you write, do you obsess over it? And what parts? How about regular life obsessions? Not the OCD variety, but the other obsessions. Like office supplies and a certain kind of food. Or movie stars or bands. You know, things that are just so ingrained into who you are and what you do that they are simply a part of your personality?

67 comments:

limecello said...

Whoa - first? (possibly?) :D

limecello said...

Whee! Well - I obsess over many of the same things, Tawny - Johnny Depp and shoes are a good thing to start with. Food, Raoul Bova, other ridiculously attractive actors...
books to buy, things to do - but my attention span is relatively short, so obsession comes in cycles, or short bursts for me - so not long term, but short term obsessions. If that works.

Tawny said...

Limecello - yo have such wonderful taste :-D No wonder the birdie wants to spend his Sunday hanging out with you.

LOL about the short term obsessions. I've had quite a few of those too. But the majors -Johnny, shoes, goals, neruosis - they've managed to stick it out.

Anna Campbell said...

Limecello! Fabbo on the rooster! He's back to his flirtatious ways, I see!

Tawny, what a cute post. You, obsessive? NAH!!! Snort! Actually I'm obsessive too (I know you won't believe it!). I wonder if it comes with the territory of being a writer. I mean, we spend so much time in our heads, don't we? I must admit to a teensy weensy little obsession with that actor, what's his name, in North and South. Richard something... When I get a really great new writer I've never tried before, I obsess and start to collect backlist like it's going out of style. I obsess over particular pieces of music and put them on repeat play on the Walkman (yes, I know that puts me in the Dark Ages as far as technology goes!). So I can sit there just listening to the same piece for an hour or more and be perfectly happy. I'm sure there are more. Now I'll have to start obsessing about the fact that I have obsessing! You just can't win!

Minna said...

Chocolate, books... And right now I also obsess over yarn and knitting needles and crchet hooks. Yesterday my brother took me and my mother to the nearest town for shopping. Since he was the one with the car there wasn't much choise, but when I do have a choise, I never, never go shopping with him, because it's like shopping with a sprinter. I ended up buying yarn I probably wouldn't have picked if I would have had any more time to think and I didn't have the chance to find the knitting needles and crchet hooks I'm missing. Argh!

Tawny said...

ROFLMAO Fo. Hmm, you have this obsession thing down to a science, huh? I'm impressed.

btw, whats a walkman? *beg* (see, technology is a mini-obsession. I'm already drooling over the new iPod and mine's only half full)

Minna said...

Limecello, I have short term obsessions, too.

Tawny said...

Ahhh, Minna, I hear ya! I rarely shop with my husband for just that reason. Well, that one and the "do you really need that" question he seems to think is a necessary part of the shopping experience.

I do wish I could knit. I have always wanted to know how. I think its a fascination with the colors and textures of yarn. I obsess with texture :-D

Minna said...

I'm not great at it. I never got full points at handiwork at school. But I do a little better work now that I don't have a teacher breathing down my neck.

Minna said...

And all those instructions in the books about knitting are Greek to me.

Tawny said...

Minna, I've tried to learn a couple times but like you say, its total greek. I think Auntie knows how, I might corner her some day and beg for a lesson.

Margay Leah Justice said...

I am not usually prone to obsessing over things, but I do have things I adore like Johnny Depp, books, Johnny Depp, movies, Johnny Depp - okay, so there is that one little thing...seriously, if I was obsessing about anything lately (other than Johnny Depp), it has got to be the Twilight series of books by Stephenie Meyer. I don't usually go for the vampire story but between that book series and the now defunct Moonlight with Alex O'Laughlin (sigh), I have a soft spot for it now. Not that I read everything vampire - I'm pretty selective.

Helen said...

Have fun with him limecello

Great post Tawny I obsess over books more than anything else like Anna if I find a new author I have to have all of their books and hunt thru second hand book stores looking for out of print books and the full backlist I have a list that I carry around in my bag so if I find myself anywhere near a bookstore second hand or new I go in and look for books. I have this massive TBR pile and I keep adding to it then I obsess about having time to read them all see why I need to retire LOL.

I also love Rod Stewart as you all know and I have everyone of his albums (records and CDs) I have seen him in concert everytime he has toured Australia since I was 15 and I hear that he is coming again next Feb can't wait to see him again.

And of course I love chocolate and I suppose that is an obsession if it is I am guilty.

Have Fun
Helen

Marisa O'Neill said...

Oh Tawny - I obsess about obsessing. But mostly I obsess about my "To Do" List - which is always miles long and never done. I always put 1. wake - up. 2. get out of bed 3.brush your teeth on my to do list so I can cross them off the list and feel as if I've accomplished something at the end of the day. Recently I've started putting in this short hand phase PT on my to do list. It's short hand for Present Time. It reminds me, as I obsess over what needs to get done, that I should take a moment to breathe and enjoy the moment I'm in right now.

Caren Crane said...

Oh, Limecello, congrats on nabbing the Golden Rooster! I think it's great your obsession cycle is short - mine may be a bit longer.

Tawny, I don't develop many obsessions, but when I do...watch out. I can nurse an obsession like nobody's business!

Sometimes this can be a very bad thing. One year, it was Girl Scouts Peanut Butter Patties. You know, the exceptional vanilla cookies covered in peanut butter and wrapped in chocolate? I think I bought three boxes JUST FOR ME and kept them in my desk at work. One day, I may have eaten a whole box (it's kind of a blur). I got a bit sick and couldn't eat them for two years after!

I have also obsessed about a man or two - real life, not actors or singers. That, too, was sometimes a Bad Idea. One broke my heart, but I married the other. That was a good outcome, though I'm not sure the obsession was healthy.

My obsession with writing, though, compelled me to learn as much as I could as fast as I could. The tricky part was sustaining an interest in writing once the obsession faded. Then it became work and, like most jobs, was sometimes frustrating and tedious and hard. The obsession was a honeymoon. The work just goes on and on...

Caren Crane said...

Marisa, I love that you put PT on your To Do list! I often find myself spending hours planning for future events, then realize I haven't been "in the now" all day. Ack! So I have made myself pay attention to the present more. To turn off the music in the car, stay off the cell phone, not obsessively check e-mail. It's nice, because going slower helps me stay connected, especially with my family.

I called my grandmother the other day and you would think I had given her a huge gift by doing so. It made me feel terrible for being so negligent and not calling more often. So yes, Present Time is very important.

Caren Crane said...

Helen, you are going to see Rod again next year? Lucky girl! I think it's great you have been a life-long fan. Rod doesn't know how fortunate he is to have you. We are, too!

MJFredrick said...

I absolutely obsess. My current obsession is Javier Bardem. This week I've watched 4 movies with him and am thinking about going to see Vicky Cristina Barcelona again.

I don't just obsess about hunks, either. Whatever happens to pop in my head and take hold at 3 AM can become an obsession. I'm obsessed with Bath and Body Works, and last month I was obsessed with buying wedge shoes.

It would be nice if I could obsess about something USEFUL like exercising or saving money or something.....

Buffie said...

Tawny, what a fabulous post!! Obsession is a part of my daily routine. Has been since I was a teenage. Back then I obsessed about Duran Duran. Oh, yes, I loved me some Duran Duran. Simon, Nick, Roger, Andy, and John. What's not to love!!! I would listen to their cassette tapes over and over and over again. To the point where I would pull out the old typewriter we had and try to type the lyrics to every song on the darn tape. A girlfriend and I took this to the next level when we watched (and taped) some MTV special about the guys and came up with our own test to see if a viewer caught all kinds of little snidbits.

Now that I'm older (and supposedly more mature - HA!) I seem to obsess over family stuff. I think everyone here knows I am a total list person -- down to the the Excel grocery spreadsheet. I obsess over my kids and school. Are their grades good? Are they socializing well with others. Who are the kids they befriend? Do I know their parents? Are they a "good" family? A lot of the time, it's about work too. Did I get in enough hours at home this week to meet my quota? Is the market going to pick up this year (I work in real estate law)?

Lately it has been really easy to obsess over blogs. Did I read every single blog I could possibly read today? Did anyone respond to my post? Do I need to respond to anyone? Have I checked the emails in the last 10 minutes. It's getting to be a little crazy :)

My darling hubby has to keep me grounded. He is the one that says, come on let's get the boys and go for a walk or pass the ball in the yard or sit on the front porch. He doesn't say anything about my obsession any more (we have been married for 18 years). He has learned to just grin, shake his head, and give me a kiss.

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Well, like getting the rooster two days in a row, I have to give the same answer two days in a row:

Oh, Lord Yes! Yesterday I could tell stories on my sibs and have 'em told on me..today, Oh, Yes, I Too Can Obsess!

SNORK! Usually its over my family or over something that needs doing (writing, anyone?) My DH says I'm obsessing over the Cadillac Escalade. I want one. I know, I know, it's a gas hog and a muscle car, but hey, I never said the obsession was PRACTICAL! Heehee.

I've obsessed over actors a few times, and books. There are books I have to read at least once a year. At least. :> Then, as Buffie said, there are some things I wish I WERE obsessing over, like exercise. Ha!

Fun post, Tawny and wow, who could wear those shoes?

Maria said...

I obsess over a clean house. If anyone in the house has finished reading a newspaper or magazine - then off to the recycle bin it goes. If you've finished with your coffee cup - it's got to be put in the dishwasher immediately...I know it makes no sense - I guess that's why they call them obsessions.

Joan said...

Oh, I love me some office supplies!

I don't actually obsess over them but it rivals the nirvana feeling I get when I walk into a bookstore.

I just NEED those 1000 count paper clips. 500 bubble envelopes. I really think it boils down to thinking I MIGHT get organized if I have that stuff.

I'm also obsessing right now on Kashi Trail Mix bars. I had one in SF (wanting to fit in with the healthy California mindset) and am hooked! Thankfully, my local Krogers carries them.

And right now I'm obsessed with Virginia Kantra's Children of the Sea series. I. Want. Dylan.

As to my own writing, I don't know that it is an honest to gosh obsesseion, but I do become fixated on getting...this one...sentence...JUST RIGHT before going on.

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Hey limecello! Congrats on the GR nab!!

Hey, Tawny! Great picture...er post!

Obsessions...hmmm...devouring really good books. Okay, the obsessive part seems to be my love of buying them! Yep, never met a book aisle at the store or a bookstore that I could pass without stopping in! My current TBR piles number 5 piles about 15 books high...EACH!

Movies...I do own my own copy of A&E's Pride and Prejudice, AND a copy of the newer release with Kiera Knightly. I also have my own copy of Austin's Persuasion. Then there's the whold Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday thing in Tombstone...Yeah, I have a copy of that, too!

jo robertson said...

Good topic, Tawny-Depp! My family calls my obsessions "catastrophizing." I always look ahead to see the consequences of a certain event -- often more than three or four leaps ahead -- and see disatrous results. And THEN I obsess about it.

I do worry that if I don't do such-and-such by such-and-such a time that this-and-that will happen. Is that obsession LOL?

Limecello, WAY TO GO!! It IS possible.

Marisa O'Neill said...

Hey Jo - I love this phrase "catastrophizing."

I too seem to be an expert at catastrophizing; I think I learned it from my mother.

Buffie said...

Joan, I eat those Trail Mix bars all the time. They are YummY! I think they are my favorite too. I also like the honey almond fax bars. Have you tried those?

Tawny said...

Margay... Like Limecello, you have great taste! Johnny is just soooo yummy.

My daughter had the Twilight obsession. Enough so that she HAD to be at the bookstore at midnight when it was released. Thats fine, we did that with the Harry Potter books too - but this last book was out of town so *I* got to obsess about all the 'what if's' while waiting for her to call and tell me she was back home with her book LOL.

I do like the idea of selective obsession, btw. I might start using that. It sounds so much healthier *g*

Tawny said...

Helen, a healthy obsession with books is a good thing!!!And I dont just say that as an author LOL. I say it because its like my family's thing. My aunt keeps an index file list of all the books she's read, she creates a database to track and then she fills in what she needs of certain authors.

YAY on Rod! Dude's got an awesome voice :-)

I'm sending you good retirement wishes ;-) It sounds like you have a LOT of reading to do.

Tawny said...

Oh man, Marisa!!! My long lost twin. I do the exact same thing. Sometimes, halfway through the day I'll even put things on my list that I've already done just to cross them off. It's a little pathetic, but it motivates me LOL

And YES! I love love love the PT. Its such an incredible message and so empowering. I wish I could stick with the "in the moment" mindset more. Is it working for you?

Donna MacMeans said...

Congrats limecello!

Tawny - I think you could have ended the blog with the first line and picture of Johnny Depp (very big grin).

I obsess over material things connected with my current WIP. Like when I wrote Mrs. Brimley, I collected anything resemblings a pink corset - mugs, gift bags, magnets. Then with Moonlight, it was anything with a moon image on it. This last book has a theme of the Frog Prince running through it, so - I'm at it again - green frogs with little crowns everywhere! Hmmm...I notice I have a lot of peacock stuff around here and I'm about to start a new WIP. Anyone want to make a bet?

Margay Leah Justice said...

Tawny, I have to admit I did the midnight release party with my daughters for Breaking Dawn with my daughters and it was so much fun! I'd do it again.

limecello said...

Thanks Tawny ;) - Minna, I had a knitting stint too - in college. I made about 8 scarves in 4 months while taking classes and never really got back into it. The same with beading and other stuff.
I get into actors, and get all the movies I can that they're in... and then either run out or forget about it.
My most recent obsessions is food. [This one comes and goes - one day I'm making cake and alfredo and more from scratch, and the next I'm eating microwave popcorn for dinner.] I pretty much failed at ice cream - but am game to try other things.

Marisa O'Neill said...

Tawny - LOL we are long lost twins. I do the same thing - put things that I've already done on my to do list so I can cross them off and feel like I got SOMETHING done that day!

The whole PT thing does work for me. I highly recommend it. Last week I even added 2 new things to put on my to do list.

1. GO OUTSIDE
2. Walk away from the computer.

And these two things are going on my daily to do list every day. They really help me do #6 on my to do list - Present Time (PT). It's totally obsessive that I have 2 other things on my to do list that remind me to do #6 on my to do list which is "take a breath". Obsessive much? Me??

Minna said...

Well, one obsession I have at the moment are...bats! Birds are moving away, but bats are still flying around in the evenings, eating bugs.
I just read from the paper that black widow spiders have spread to Sweden, so it's only question of time when we'll see them here, as well. Eeek!

Caren Crane said...

Mary, I hear you! What use is it to anyone if I get obsessed researching American Indians? I've been a bit obsessed with that of late. Why? I don't even write historicals. It's kind of personal, since LOTS of my mother's family was Native American and I would like to know more about them. But honestly, why can't I obsess about steam cleaning my carpet? Now THAT would be useful!

Minna said...

Limecello, I know a couple of people who are into beading. Actually, I traded some plastic beads I really didn't need for an entire bag full of yarn. One of them had gotten tired of knitting.

Caren Crane said...

Minna, we have black widow spiders here. They live in our backyard and you have to be careful when moving logs or tree stumps. They really are quite pretty - but scary. Not as bad as the snakes, but still!

Minna said...

Limecello here's one really easy recipe for -well, it's not really called ice cream, but it's a similar sort of product and I'm too tired to look up the right term in the dictionary:
Whip about 1 deciliter of sugar + 2 eggs and 2 deciliters of cream in separate bowls. Combine whipped eggs and cream carefully and add e.g. berries, jam, chocolate+peppermint sweets, lemon etc. Put in the freezer.

Minna said...

I'm not that old, and I remember Walkman. Hey, it's even mentioned in the Christmas song by Monty Python.

Minna said...

Caren, I remember seeing a documentary about them. I would rather deal with a haddock any day. At least they don't usually come inside and they are a bit easier to spot than spiders. I don't like spiders, such as it is, but so far there hasn't been any poisonous ones.

Tawny said...

Sorry to disappear, I had a critique call (one of my CPs insists on calling me with her feedback - I guess she likes to hear me whine in person) on a book that is due, um, tomorrow *g*

But... on track again and diving in.

Caren, hey, it sounds like your hubby obsession worked out pretty well. I've had guy obsessions before too and, yeah, they can be less than stellar memories. Fortunately for me, they usually fizzled out once I realized the guys in question - while quite yummy to look at -were total and complete jerks. Usually.

Isnt' it hard on the writing when we do go as fast and furious as possible, then see successes... but not THE success we're aiming for? And so much is out of our hands. I think thats the most frustrating part of obsessing over writing -the parts we have absolutely no control over.

Tawny said...

Mary, wedge shoes rock. Thats a good obsession. Tell me more about the Bath and Bodyworks one, though.

And man, oh man. I hear ya on wishing the obsessions would be healthy. I want so bad to obsess over eating healthy foods and exercising (reasonably - I'll admit, I do sometimes get into the thinking that if I just exercise for hours and hours it'll make a difference. Um, nope).

Tawny said...

Awwww Buffie. Your hubby sounds like such a great guy -and perfect for you. Mine is like that, he's the perfect balance for my (very similar to yours, actually) obsessive personality.

Its great that he helps balance with such healthy things, too. Mine isn't as good at the 'lets go for a walk' but he rocks at listening to me obsess and then jumping in to do whatever he can to releive the concerns.

btw, I so love the viewer snidbit test LOL -that is fun.

Tawny said...

Jeanne, I can wear all those shoes!!! Really!

LOL about the Escalade. For awhile now we've talked about a bigger house but I know we cant' afford it so I refuse to have anything more than a cursory lighthearted, somedayit'd be nice discussion about it. Hubby wants to talk places, look around -no. no no no. I'd start obsessing, wanting, nagging. Itd be ugly.

I can so see where it'd go over an Escalade. Of course, we have 6 vehicles here so I really really do understand the car obsession.

Tawny said...

Maria, can you come obsess at my house for awhile?

Please? We need to learn much better habits :-D

Fedora said...

Hi, Tawny! Of course I obsess! Like Limecello said (congrats on the GR, btw!), food's right up there... but the number one is BOOKS!!

Tawny said...

Joannie, isn't it heaven walking into an office supply store? The bummer is while my family fully supports and understands the bookstore obsession, they get pretty impatient with the office supply visits.

You know, I don't obsess over sentences, more over motivations. I should probably pay more attention to the sentences though LOL.

Tawny said...

Heeheehee Suz. I know there are words around the picture, but they do sort of blur.

Ummm all I can say about your TBR piles is OMG!!!

I get the movie obsession - my daughters both do that. Any movie they've seen that they like, they MUST own.

Tawny said...

Oh Jo... I lecture my youngest on catasprphizing all the time. She's currently obsessed with black holes destroying the earth (don't ask). It worries me becuase I do the same - not black holes, but like you, the such and such by this and that time...

It tends to get me in trouble :-(

Tawny said...

Joannie & Buffie, I think I need to try these trail mix bars. I have tried some that are almond and honey. They were like bars of nuts all glued together with delcious sugary candy LOL I cannot believe they were healthy. but man, oh man, they were good.

Dina said...

Congrats limecello. :)

Me obsess, nooooooooooo. ;)

Yep, over Gerry Butler and this site. :)

Beth Andrews said...

Can't you just obsess enough for the both of us? Please? That would make my life much easier *g*

I do have many of the same obsessions - especially when it comes to writing.

Other obsessions would be Project Runway, decorating shows and recipes. I love to collect recipes - I rip them out of magazines, print them from the internet and I have stacks of cookbooks, both that I've bought and ones I borrow from the library :-) I'm so busy trying new recipes, my family teases me that I never make the same thing twice!

Louisa Cornell said...

Late to the party. I do NOT obsess about being late!

Great catch on the GR, limecello!! Have fun!

I do, however, obsess about a great many other things. Like La Campbell, once I find a new writer (and they must just be new to me) I will not stop until I have acquired the entire backlist.

One of my current obsessions - cataloguing all of my books on LibraryThing plays into that. I now catalogue each new book as it comes in the house, but the backlog of books I had before LibraryThing is massive! I try to do a few a day. The only problem is once I start it is hard to stop.

Of course I am completely OCD about my bookshelves, music room shelves, vinyl collection, CDs, VHS movies and DVDs. I have shelves for all of these items. (I am in the process of having more shelves built!) BUT, all of these collections MUST be on the shelves in alphabetical order by author's last name / composer's last name.

I am so terrible about this that my niece and nephews will move things out of place when they come to visit and see how long it takes for me to find it.

I do have a shoe obsession which is very sad because the only shoes I wear to work are tennis shoes. Once I leave Wal-Mart, however I have an entire wardrobe of fabulous shoes which I fully intend to wear!

I obsess about certain male movie stars and have collected every film they star in as a result. A few of my men include - Johnny Depp, Val Kilmer, Matthew MacFaddyen, Timothy Dalton, Hugh Jackman, Alan Rickman, Ralph Fiennes, Clive Owen, Gerrard Butler. I could go on, but that would be obsessive!

In my writing I am trying very hard NOT to keep going back and obsessively edit myself as I am writing the first draft. It is SO hard not to do that! The other thing I do is compare my work to the debut novels that are coming out in the historical genre these days. SIGH! NOT a good obsession!

Tawny said...

Donna... A picture says it all, huh? And that is one mighty fine picture *sigh*

Awwww I think your obsession is adorable. I love the idea of collecting items around a book! Thats cool.

Tawny said...

Margay, my daughter had fun at the party and I admit, we loved the Harry Potter ones. Like you, we'd totally do it again :-)

Limecello - I do the food thing too - I go through these Betty Crocker stages, my husband calls them. I think he wishes I'd go through one soon, though. This deadline hasn't been making any of my family happy at dinner time LOL

Tawny said...

Marisa, I love that you've added such positive things to your to do list. I'm going to copy you, if thats okay.

Tawny said...

Ick Minna!!! I hate black widows. We have them all over here and they creep me out.

Bats don't bother me though LOL. I think because they aren't poisonous? Or maybe just because they aren't hanging right outside my door.

Tawny said...

Fedora-- books are a HEALTHY obsession. Keep it. Really!!!

;-)

Tawny said...

Dina, I know a few Gerry Butler obsessors LOL. They are quite, um, devoted to their idol, huh?

Anonymous said...

Great blog Tawny -- it's so fun to read about everyone else's obsessions! :-)

I would say I'm moderately obsessive about a lot of things -- a tidy house (not necessarily clean, but tidy -- I also steal people's coffee cups, Maria!), my exercise routine, worrying about my kids' health...but really for the past five years or so, my obsession has been writing. This obsession far outweighs all others.

I recently set a (for me) very ambitious goal of 7000 words per week, which basically translates into no TV/movies, no blog surfing (okay, a little) and very little of anything OTHER than writing, in the limited period of time I have between job, kids, and sleep.

Anyway, I generally carry on this way for a little while, work like a maniac, finish a book, and then collapse for a few weeks. So that's what I have to look forward to! :-)

Hope everyone is safe and staying out of the thunderstorms and Ike residue -- we're broiling in 90 degree weather, which I find entirely unpleasant. But nothing compared to what you folks in the Gulf have gone through. Big hugs and we will send prayers your way.

Becke Davis said...

First, my middle name is Obsession (my mom just put the wrong name on the birth certificate). And Donna, that is exactly what I do! I'm working on a story with a Wizard of Oz theme and I had to run out and buy a little snowfall of Dorothy in those ruby slippers.

One of my stories had a recurring quote and I found it on a card -- had to buy a bunch of them. I think it's one way to "live" the story.

The biggest thing I obsess about is the dreaded Conflict Box (and, right now, queries). Plotting is definitely not my strength but every damn time I end up writing these long, complicated stories.

I obsess about different things at every stage of writing -- my obsessions are the only constant!

Tawny said...

Beth, I love recipes. I just wish I loved cooking more. I need to work on that, along with Mary's suggestion of obsessing over being healthy.

Tawny said...

Louisa, tell me more about Library Thing. It sounds like something my book-cataloguing obsessed aunt would love.

ROFL on your niece and nephew moving stuff around - how long DOES it take for you to notice?

and hey, shoe obsessions are a good thing!!! I'm usually barefoot and that hasn't slowed me down at all ;-)

Tawny said...

Kirsten, can't we categorize writing as a healthy obsession though? I really want to LOL.

I think its working well for you - and am so impressed at everything else you get done in addition to the writing.

Echoing your wishes for safety!!!

Tawny said...

Treethyme, ROFL on the name mix up. I do think that visuals help us write. I think your snowfall had to be a great boost, right? Some people create collages, some people make plotting charts. I like your way - it sounds more fun!

Sometimes I think these obsessions, as with plot or conflict, really do pay off in the long run. Because we tend to learn more if we're freaking out. I really really believe this LOL.

Louisa Cornell said...

See! I TOLD my brothers the fact that I only wear tennis shoes NOW doesn't mean I won't need those cute shoes! I brought ten pair of cute shoes to Nationals with me and I wore most of them! So THERE!

LibraryThing.com is a site where you can catalogue your books and access it anywhere - including bookstores so you don't buy books you already have. LibraryThing has a community. You can discuss the books you like with like-minded people. Other people can browse your library to see what you like. I love it because I can access it when I am in a bookstore. I am terrible about buying books I already have. I think you can join and catalogue 250 books for free. You can join yearly to catalogue an unlimited number or you can pay @ 25 bucks for a lifetime membership with unlimited books. I LOVE it! Can you tell?

The thing about my niece and nephews is that it has become our own private little game. I call them as soon as I discover the things that have been moved. They bet each other on how long it will take me. The shortest time - before they left! The longest - almost 24 hours!

Unknown said...

Minna - thanks - that sounds really interesting. [You... don't cook the eggs?] I have an ice cream maker - it's the custard or freezing process where I'm going wrong - but I think it's the recipes. I haven't had time to try the new ones I got.
And Tawny - I know how that goes. (And your poor family!) I found myself eating microwave popcorn for dinner twice last week :X - no time to make "real" food!