Sleep is for the Weak

If you've been writing for any length of time, insomnia is inevitable. One of these days, you'll be in the middle of a perfectly wonderful dream, and your brain will wake you up. "Hey! Hey! I fixed your plothole! Grab a pen! Let's get to work!"

Sometimes you're lucky enough to go back to sleep. But if you're anything like me, you're wide awake. Once the muse has struck, you're stuck. It's 3:43 in the morning, and the squirrels in your Panda brain are running at the speed of light.

Not that I would be going through anything like that right now. Because that 3:43 AM is just some arbitrary time I pulled out of the ether. I was definitely not awakened from a nightmare last night. Especially not a nightmare about how my daughter left the rabbit cage open and the rabbit jumped from four feet straight onto the concrete floor. I most certainly did not wake up screaming, "Ah! Oreo!" 

The rabbit, not the cookie.

This also probably has nothing to do with the fact that I got a script last night that needs a polish and it's due ASAP. The two events are totally unrelated. I'm sure of it.

Ahem.

From one chronic insomniator to another, here are some suggestions. 

Exercise 

Not right now, not in the middle of the night. But on a regular basis, and in the mornings or afternoons. Exercise before bed has the tendency to keep you up, not let you relax. If I exercise before bed, it's some sort of relaxing yoga.

I missed a few days at the gym last week, and now I'm insomniating. Learn from my mistakes, Pandas. Watch and learn.

Tell Yourself to Stay Awake

Sounds counter-intuitive, I know. Just like concentrating on going to sleep keeps you awake, if you try to stay awake, sometimes it makes your brain shut off. Sometimes.

Drain Your Brain

Read, work on puzzles (I sudoku), and do whatever it takes to keep your brain going. If I can make it through a tough sudoku without falling asleep, I know it's inevitable. It's time to-

Shut up and Color
If it's been more than thirty minutes, you're probably in it for the long haul. What? Do you need a personal invitation? Get up and write already!


And then tweet at me on Twitter, because I'm probably already up.

 

Decisions, Decisions

Hallo, Pandas! Miss me?

I've been here, slinging words, working on deadlines, living in a basement with a rabbit, and going thru some major life-changing events.

I'm also juggling two screenplays with deadlines, and a teleplay writing course.

I've been thinking a lot about the blog. There are so many ideas I have for the blog, but I'm not sure any of it is interesting to my Panda pals. 

I think what I need is a bit more focus. More importantly, I'd like to know what you, my favorite Pandas, want from me (and the blog).

• Should I keep things the way they are, amusing stories about life in general and sometimes spin it back to writing?
   
• Should I focus only on writing?
   
• Should I focus on my quest to go from basement-dwelling to writer-with-a-paycheck?
   
• Should I post more? Less? Give it up altogether? It's been a while since I last posted--does anyone even care anymore?

So, Pandas, weigh in. Let me know what you're looking for. 

For Today's Homework...

Hey there, Pandas. I'm not dead, it just feels that way. Round two of the antibiotics seems to be helping. I will defeat you, bronchitis!

Give me a few more days to cover, and I'll be back to my verbose self.

In the meantime, I saw this video today about the power of words, and needed to share. 

Take two minutes to watch it, Pandas. Keep a box of tissues handy.

Talk with you soon!