Am I lazy? Or, am I too easily distracted? Perhaps, I am prone to procrastination?

As my Uncle Tom Pelkington said when reviewing his hand while playing poker or pinochle, “Let’s check the books.”

The dictionary defines laziness as a ‘disinclination to activity or exertion despite having the ability to act or to exert oneself.’

To this, I plead innocent. Even when I’m resting, I’m planning what, how, and where and when.  Hell’s bells, during chemo at the infusion center, I was always looking for something to do – write, read, mingle with the other patients, learn by irritating the caregivers with a barrage of questions – while dragging a metal tree decorated with bags of heavy metal poisons dripping into my veins (btw, magnesium hurts like hell).

Google ‘too easily distracted’ and you’re presented with 40,100,000 results. My favorite is this one: “Easily distracted people may have too much brain.”

Stop laughing. It’s the opposite of what you think.

Still, what would distract a writer from working on his current work-in-progress (WIP in the jargon)?

Here, I’m guilty of two things – real life and additional WIPs.

OK, real life. As some of you know, to me, politics and economics are like fresh-baked red raspberry pies on a window sill. I can’t resist their aroma and taste. After all, I did spend an inordinate amount of time studying both at university. Especially intriguing is the current popular American sitcom – ‘The Donald J. Trump Show.’

Then, there’s hockey. And movies. And books. And Terri. And Pepper.

Second, additional WIPs. Two projects steal attention from Book 3, The Gathering Fails. They are Book 4, The White Lily, and a story that has no title but is labeled ‘horror.’ Its only page contains 372 words. Here are the first two paragraphs:

“The first time I saw her was from the second floor balcony where I usually write.

“I didn’t see all of her. Just the tips of her long nailed fingers, her nose, her deep-set dark eyes, and a shock of black tousled hair. And all of that for just a heartbeat or two.”

But we haven’t finished checking the books! Back to the dictionary.

Procrastination is defined as ‘the avoidance of doing a task that needs to be accomplished. It could be further stated as a habitual or intentional delay of starting or finishing a task despite its negative consequences.’

This is where I am most guilty. However, I do plead an extenuating circumstance.

As claimed by many writers, novelists, authors, I too have developed a relationship with this WIP, Book 3, The Gathering Fails. Nurtured during the past year, some parts with roots grown deep for months prior, this book holds a special place in my heart. It’s the longest I have ever attempted. It contains a host of characters I love and respect, all fighting for attention and a larger word count. I cannot deny them. I cannot let them go.

Esoteric as this may be, I find it painful to bring Book 3 to an end.

I must, and I will.

But first, there’s this trip to the eye doctor and Pepper wants to play fetch and I just spotted a possum strolling through the woods beyond the fence.

Yes, I am prone to procrastination. This time. With a heavy heart.