Meredith Mansfield, Author

Spring cleaning and writing are not the best combination. I’ve been giving the kitchen a deep cleaning. Now, normally I can pace myself. But there are just some things that have to be done all at once.

I saved up a couple of the hardest tasks for the weekend–naturally. Yesterday I pulled to stove out and cleaned behind it and cleaned the grease out of the vent-a-hood above it. Wasn’t good for much the rest of the day. The stove’s on the list for today–along with more other chores than I’ll possibly get to (mowing, getting ready to paint the house, cutting that bishop’s cap vine away from the side of the house–again). Plus, I want to finish the chapter I was supposed to write yesterday and at least start the one that I was supposed to write today.

Writing an action scene while I’m still wiped out from yesterday. That’ll be fun.

So, I’m going to have to find a way to energize myself. Music.

Normally, I don’t listen to music while I write. I like vocals, mostly, and me singing along–off key, because I can’t carry a tune in a basket–interferes with getting the words down for some reason.It’s not that I don’t enjoy instrumentals as much as the story-obsessed part of me just loves the tiny stories encapsulated in songs. Usually, I just have a news channel on in the other room for a little background noise.

So, I’ve just raided my old CD collection for some marches. Think I’ll start with my Hollywood Marches CD (Raiders of the Lost Ark, among others). Maybe that’ll get the blood pumping.

I pulled out a bunch of other CDs, too. Maybe I’ll start using more music while I write if I queue up some instrumentals.