Yesterday I was exhausted. Today I'm in overdrive. What gives?

I decided after I ran out of steam yesterday that I had to just let go, go easy on myself or else I'd get sick or depressed and all my deadlines would get sabotaged. And doing that was the wisest thing I could have done and strangely, by relaxing, it all worked out. As of yesterday my pressing article still needed one more person's quotes to flesh it out and I was feeling a bit panicked, actually. So I stopped. Walked away, thought about who I could get to respond and emailed someone I thought of at the last minute. He sent back what turned out to be the perfect answers that rounded out the article just as I had hoped. I firmly believe it was the getting up and walking away that allowed this to happen.

Today I got up early today, before 6 a.m., because I really intended to get the article done and polished and turned in. I acheived that goal by 9 a.m. to my surprise.

Then I had a lovely conversation with my friend Emily in NY, who has had recent successes for the NYTimes and will be flying out to CA for an article in the Chronicle. How cool is she?

Then I made some starts at articles that are due in the near future and exchanged some emails about two writing conferences that Becca Lawton and I have been invited to present at, both in Mendocino county, CA. This feels really good.

But of course, before I could truly relish in the delightful effervescence of a deadline completed, I had an edit session with my producer of the CA Report at KQED. My review needs some radio-friendly work. It's hard to make the transition from print to radio. It's almost a 360 in terms of style. Words and sentences are better off shorter, less grandiose. I have to move from eloquent to conversational, make sure I've really let the reader into a slice of the book. It's harder than it sounds for something that will be on the air for 3 minutes or less. My producer is eternally patient with me. I've got a draft or two left to go, before tomorrow!

And speaking of tomorrow I head back up to SF for my second interview for the article on writers in their writing spaces, and then record at KQED. I dread the drive, but please send me good non-trafficky thoughts.

I'm just glad my mood improved from yesterday or I don't know how I would have gotten all this done.

Sigh

JPR