Planning My Life Away

by Caren Crane

I noticed something recently: I plan an awful lot. I plan things days, weeks and months away with enviable precision.

Right now, I already have hotel reservations, train tickets and a Metro schedule for the RWA conference in Washington, D.C. in July. It's more than 5 months away and already I'm stressing over what time I should leave my house to get to the train station. It's crazy!

I do this sort of thing often. My Girl Scout troop is planning a big, annual area-wide event for April. We have been working on it since October. So far, we still have no idea how many people are coming, so we can't do crucial things like order supplies or buy food. It's only a little more than two months away, so even though things are well underway, I am starting to have heart palpitations.

I know people who can go with the flow and simply let whatever happens happen. I have been that sort of person on occasion. Sometimes, in a moment of pure Zen, I can push aside last-minute concerns and let things simply occur, unplanned and unexpected though they may be. That's usually when it's too late to do anything about it anyway and I realize that any sort of stress is unproductive. But I prefer to do so much planning that the unanticipated does not have a chance to sneak up on me.

It occurs to me, though, that while I'm spending all this time planning, things are happening in real time that I may be missing. Sometimes it's things I don't mind missing, like conference calls and (yawn) meetings. Other times, though, it's things like watching a DVD with my family or going for a much-needed walk.

I haven't managed to convince myself that all the planning and anticipating if, whats and wherefores is not necessary. No matter what I may miss in "now time", I cannot give up my penchant for planning. I'm hoping someday to strike a lovely balance between planning and letting it be. A conscious balance. Like this meditating chick with the laptop, I guess. Not sure quite how I'll accomplish that, because I haven't managed it yet!

What about you? Are you a planner or do you let whatever happens happen? Or are you like me? Hyper-plan what you can, then let the rest fall into place as best it may? And most importantly, PLEASE let me know what your tricks are for stopping the obsessive/compulsive Google searches!

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?

Giant Spiders and Other Obsessions

by Caren Crane

Fear not, dear Banditas and Bandmates, I am not obsessed with spiders. Nor are there any scary bug pictures in this post. Phew! BUT, I came across an article (while following a rabbit trail of research I no longer recall) stating that Dominic Monaghan is heading to Africa in search of the rare Hercules Baboon Spider. You may remember Dominic from the Lord Of the Rings movies and Lost.

Dominic, it turns out, is an avid insect and reptile collector. He is also, apparently, a young actor with way too much time and money on his hands. The Hercules Baboon Spider, which is approximately the size of a dinner plate, is quite rare and has not often been seen. One was found by a biologist in Nigeria in the early 1900s and is now on display at the Natural History Museum in London. That was the last verified sighting. If Dominic finds one, he will earn a place in the Guinness Book Of World Records. Hm.

This made me quite curious about obsessions. Why this spider? Why now? It may be somehow related to his recent break-up with his Lost co-star Evangeline Lilly. Perhaps heartbreak has driven him to search for giant arachnids! Maybe it's simply an obsession he can't escape. The giant spider taunts him and haunts his dreams or something.



I will admit I obsess about things. Lots of things. I obsess about songs and play whatever is my current favorite over and over until it drives my family insane. I can get an obsession on like nobody's business! I drove 10 hours each way to see an indie rock band that I had seen several times before. I have foregone food, exercise and the company of loved ones because I didn't want to mess up my hair. I have searched for the past five years for the perfect black leather jacket - even searching Manhattan - to no avail.

So, I have a great deal of compassion and empathy for poor Dominic. That said, I am fairly certain I would never, under any circumstances feel compelled to beat the bushes in Africa looking for a giant spider. This spider, by the way, is a bird eater. Does Dominic really think his collection of insects and reptiles would be safe with this beast around? And really, is the mention in Guinness worth it? I'm unconvinced. But I bet you anything Dominic will let his obsession be his guide, whether it's good for him or not.

What about you? Have you ever obsessed for something (or someone) you knew was bad for you? If so, did you pursue it (or her/him) anyway? A lucky commenter will win a $15 Amazon gift card, so do tell!

Obsession

by Trish Milburn

I'm obsessive. No, not in the clinical obsessive-compulsive sense. Rather, when I find a form of entertainment that I enjoy, I tend to glom everything I can find about it. If I discover a song I love, I play it over and over and over until I finally tire of it and have to give it a break. This happened earlier this summer when I played my Pirates of the Caribbean soundtracks every day, multiple times. I would relive favorite movie moments when certain songs played, even when certain sections of those songs played.

When I fall in love with a new TV series, particularly if it's one that is now over but that I missed, I get a bit obsessive about catching up on the episodes. For instance, I'd heard writers talk about Buffy the Vampire Slayer for years but I'd never watched it. Then in the summer of 2006, I was bummed about my own writing, uninspired, and got sick on top of that. I decided to borrow the first season DVDs of Buffy from a friend, thinking I'd watch one here and there. Uh, no. I flew through that season, and had to get seasons 2-4 from her. I kid you not, I was watching eight episodes a day. When I exhausted the seasons she owned, I went out and bought the ones still left. In about six weeks, I watched all seven seasons of Buffy, all five of the spin-off Angel, and the first season of Supernatural, another show I'd missed (thought luckily only the first season) but now love.

A few months ago, I fell into the same pattern with Smallville. I watched the first five seasons as fast as Netflix would send me the DVDs. I get so hooked on shows and have to keep watching mainly because there's a love story involved, and I just HAVE to know how it ends up. (I still say Buffy and Angel are going to get together at some point.) I've just started this same thing with a Canadian show from the 1990s called Road to Avonlea. Through the wonders of YouTube (yet another of my obsessions), I know there's a wonderful love story between the characters of Gus Pike and Felicity King and I can't wait to see it unfold.

On YouTube, I love the fan-made videos about certain TV or movie couples. The ones I've been watching lately are for Gus and Felicity as well as some for Padme and Anakin from the newest Star Wars trilogy. Earlier in the summer, my passion was for the videos about Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies.

There are, of course, certain books that make me keep reading past the point I should be going to sleep and when I should be working. J.R. Ward's books are like that for me.

The thing is, I believe all of these things inspire my writing. I write romance and young adult novels with teen romance in them, so these shows, songs, and novels feed my muse as well as provide entertainment.

Do you have this same type of obsessive nature regarding things you love? If so, what things have you been obsessing about lately?

I'll close by sharing this YouTube video. I love the song, "Everything" by Lifehouse, and it's set to video clips of lots of wonderful romantic couples.