End-of-Project Desk-Cleaning

When I’m working on something, especially when I’m running out of time, little things like clearing off my desk just don’t happen. I don’t deal with things as they come to me; I deal with what MUST be done now and set the rest aside. In a pile. To the right of my monitor.

At the end of each project, of course, I have a big ol’ pile of God-knows-what to deal with. Writing materials of various shapes and uses, with or without notes that may still be important. Expired coupons I thought I’d use. Magazines that might have been useful a month ago. (Case in point: In the bio for Lukas and Alan’s story, I stated that I “fervently wished” I’d had more time to research a bunch of things, including the Civil War and reenactors. When I dug into the pile on my desk yesterday, I found a National Geographic, still in plastic mailing bag, with the headline, “Eyewitness to the Civil War. Plus: The Curious World of Reenactors.”)

Mostly I don’t have dead pens. I toss them when they run out. But I do have limping ones, that I set aside because–I don’t know, I’m hoping they’ll recover? That if I stop using them, they won’t actually run out? Which is true, but not exactly useful. It’s not like they’re going to get BETTER with a little rest.

My daughter’s school pictures are on my desk. I should, like, deal with those. >_>

I have post-its on my hutch. Little reminders. Pick Something! refers to the way I tend to wander through an edit, deciding with every revision that the theme is something other than I’d thought, so I’m aiming it in different directions. Or rather, muddying everything beyond comprehension. It’s my reminder to do as Eve does–pick something, and if it comes out wrong, muscle it around until it’s right. Because I will never get ANYWHERE changing my mind all the damn time. Perfection is for perfect people.

There’s a note on blurbs, because I tend to a) flail a lot when trying to write a blurb, and b) not look for notes or anything on how to do it because I forget that such might exist. So it’s up there, reminding me to start boring, then look for metophors already used. Like “Rafe liked being useless” to “Rafe didn’t mind being baggage.”

I have a note full of tiny writing to remind me which bills I paid what last month (all of them and all of the amounts, thank you very much but I still keep track.)

I still have “GO DEEPER” on a pink post-it by itself to the left of my screen. Because if I’d remember to go a little deeper in the first draft, it would make the second draft SO MUCH EASIER. Not to mention there would be a lot less room for my “today I think the theme is this” habit.

One little yellow post-it reminds me of the words of a song I heard and wanted to get. I went and looked it up and decided not to buy it, but the post-it is still there. Maybe I’ll go get it after all. (It’s a Daughtry song–don’t remember which atm.)

Another has mostly useless notes–which draft of Joss is the most recent, how to position elements for the Queen’s Man cover, a phone number I needed once, and the words “flux capacitor.” It’s “flux capacitor” that keeps it on my desk. I don’t recall why I needed to remember that, and until I do…well, I probably will throw it away eventually. But I’m reluctant.

This is why this stuff collects, you know. The “what if it IS important?” thing. When I don’t have time to be stern with myself, it stays. But hey. I might actually need to remember “flux capacitor” for some reason. So it’s for the best.