My summer break starts in earnest today. For the past two weeks I've had a host of meetings and houseguests, but today the summer stretches before me as a vast plain of time interrupted by just a few scattered hillocks of commitment. How shall I proceed?
I started this morning by surveying the landscape, looking through files to find just what lies ahead. My research agenda has been pretty much on hold for the past year, but I was surprised to discover six scholarly articles that need to be revised and submitted. Six! In addition, I found four drafts of essays related to pedagogy, three cancer-related essays, and a fiction project I've been fiddling with for more than a decade.
I need to sit down and start writing, but where do I begin? With the article I've worked on most recently or the one I've worked on way too long? Start with the one closest to completion or the one that needs the most work? Focus on the articles most likely to boost my scholarly reputation or the ones that give me the greatest pleasure? I'll need to update my research on a few of these topics, but wouldn't it be better to submit something first?
I need a strategy! Everyone knows that a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step, but right now I can't decide where that step ought to fall. I wish someone would just give me a shove in the right direction. After that, I can take care of the rest.
1 comment:
Go with the fiction first. It's the most surprising aspect of your writing to me. Yes, step outside of the box and work on the fiction. There - consider yourself pushed.
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