Shredding the Old to Make Room for the New

This weekend the shredder was my friend. I cleaned out old manuscript files, job search files, and files that I no longer need after deleting a certain online account. I filled two bags with shredded paper. I felt like I needed space both mentally and physically (old manuscript files), needed to close a chapter (job search files), and make room for other work I enjoy doing more (closed account). 

My goal was to create space for things that I enjoy working on most. Like a garden that needs weeding so more beautiful things can grow, my office needed weeding. No matter how hard you try an author's space is filled with LOTS of paper.

I also just wrapped up a project so it's time to choose a new one to work on. Some people have trouble coming  up with an idea for a new project . . . I'm not one of them. I have files filled with ideas and half-baked manuscripts. For me it's about which three or four ideas are speaking to me the loudest. "Pick me!" "Choose me!" "It's my turn!" I usually think about them for a few days while I catch up on other tasks that I've neglected like updating my web site or shredding papers.

 When I've finally decided which one I'm going to choose (the purple one of course) it feels like I'm opening a present and although I have an idea of what might be waiting for me inside, I know that I must be ready to expect the unexpected once I start to unwrap it. It's exciting and exhilarating and I look forward to spending sleepless nights with new characters whirling around my inside my head.

My favorite part of being an author is going to bed at night, usually completely exhausted, and being so excited about waking up the next morning like I'm going on that long-awaited class trip but instead I'm continuing on a never-ending journey of creating books for children.