Siren

It’s hard for me to focus on my own creativity if it’s already been distracted by someone else’s. If I read something, watch something, or listen to something new before I’ve gotten a chance to think about what I want to write, it tends to be harder for me to think of something interesting to convey. Sometimes even the ideas crowding social media websites push out the ones trying to sprout in my head.


But it’s especially hard to focus when there’s a really good reason for me to want to get back to those things. Like a new book featuring the latest adventures of my favorite private investigator/wizard for hire.


My kindle is calling me from my bedside table. “Forget about your responsibilities,” it calls. “You can do the dishes whenever. The laundry in the washing machine isn’t going anywhere. Breakfast is over and your kids just want to play. Come and find out what happens!” I can just ignore the dishes for a while. I really should swap the laundry over, though, and if I do curl up with the kindle, it should be near the kids so that I can make sure that nothing gets destroyed and no eyes get gouged out, accidentally or otherwise.


As much as I want to devour the book whole, part of me wants to take it slow and savor it. After all, it’s not like I’ll be able to read the next installment until it comes out next year, so there’s no reason to put off my life just to find out about someone’s fictional life.


In addition to that, my husband is in the middle of reading a different book series, and plans to get back to this one when he’s finished, starting either at the beginning or several books back from the current one. I love to discuss ideas about what we think is going to happen as I read. But since he can’t stand spoilers, I have to censor myself whenever I get the urge to share something, whether it’s exciting, confusing, or heartwarming.


I’m sure I’ll calm down once I finish reading it, and be able to more easily do the things that need doing. Or I’ll at least find my responsibilities less intrusive. I definitely will after I’ve reread it. And it’ll be super easy to ignore the siren call of my kindle once I’ve started from the beginning of the series and read all the way through them again.


But for now, I’d better go get back to reading doing the laundry.