One Writer's Life

Writing should be an easy task as I sit at my desk, but I suffer from declutteritis. I know God is not a God of confusion, but of peace, and He wants things to be done orderly. I want to think lofty thoughts, but mountains of unread magazines and books steal my creativity.

A most complicated task stares me in the face. I am sure I left it neat, but mysterious Mr. Messy slipped in and created chaos on my desk. The muse will not visit this scrambled, jumbled corner.

Starting with the book pile, I divide and conquer. Several piles grow on the floor nearby. I make a pile of already-read-to-be-returned to the library books. Next I stack the already-read-need-to-put-away books.

I group the how-to-write books beside the already-read books. I might need those. A mound of economics and history books crowds the how-to books. Lastly, I heap the miscellaneous books – how to read faster, biographies, computer for seniors and fiction – near the history books.

With multiple mounds of books on the floor, I attack my magazines. Three months of Christian Communicator. Every Christian writer should get this. Keeps us focused on what is important. I hope I get time to read these soon. They go near my Bible on the floor opposite the books.

Other writer magazines are next. Three months of two different ones. Wanting to get my money’s worth, I cannot part with any. Sometimes I share them with writer friends or tear pages out and file them away. Scanning them into the computer to save in computer files works – saved for another day. These are useful, and I cannot part with such treasures.

Voila! The desk is clear. Let the muse appear.

Doesn’t help. Words still don’t appear on the page. I fret. I stew. I type. Just anything until thoughts start forming. Words start appearing and the muse starts doing whatever muses do.

Like anything else in life, we must take the first step, then the second. Type the first word, then the second.