Getting serious about my memoir goals

Today, with the warmest day of the year so far, I felt myself drawn outside. The appeal of a beautiful day inspired me to do something meaningful. I’ve recently been immersed in a memoir writing course with Beth Trembley, and my goal for the year is to pitch my memoir to a publisher. I know it's an ambitious goal. But I feel like I've had enough of thinking about the memoir, and it's time to start drawing and writing. I get a lot of support from the SAW community, which is helpful, but the problem is that I'm not accountable to myself.

Naper Blvd Library, Naperville

I decided to drive to my local library during the brief window before today's class. I went downstairs and seated myself at a table. I appreciated how the library wasn't completely silent. Other people and children were studying, and there was some chatter in the background. I took out my index cards and began working with a timer. It was Beth who introduced me to the index card method for drafting comics quickly. She is a firm believer in a fast draft done on index cards that can be revised later, and I can see how this could help me overcome my procrastination and perfectionism while working on the memoir.

I had no idea that in 1 hour and 15 minutes, I would have created 26 index cards with drawings and text, which was more than I'd ever done in one sitting. This is what happens when you force yourself to sit in one place for an extended period of time with no distractions. It was a great use of my time, and I felt fantastic about my progress afterwards. That is probably how I'll spend my afternoons from now on.

So, I challenge you: What are you working on right now that could benefit from getting outside and working without distractions, even if only for one or two hours every week?