Slacker

*hangs head in shame*

I’ve been a slacker all weekend.  I opened my file (Tara_009) several times, but I just can’t get through this scene.  I’ve played a ton of computer games.  Even though we didn’t take the roadtrip to That Man’s parents’ house, I still didn’t get much of anything accomplished, other than beating several levels of Diner Dash Through Time.  This game was seriously kicking my ass.  After the first couple “easy” levels, I got seriously stuck in each new “time.”  I could not figure out the secret to the game.

Cooking Dash, which I also have on this computer, was a piece of cake compared to this one.  I love that game.  It made sense.  Serve the customers as quickly as possible, keep them happy, and don’t lose any of them.  Diner Dash had a different flavor though.  I didn’t have to rush to various prep stations — all I had to do was grab the food from Grandma and deliver it to the tables.  So why was I struggling so much?

There were a few tricks to the game that I didn’t figure out until yesterday.  I didn’t know how to use the podium, for one, which if I let Flo stand there and talk to the waiting customers long enough, they didn’t leave as quickly.  But even when I didn’t lose a single customer, I still couldn’t clear some of the levels.

It finally dawned on me last night around 10 pm.  I was being too efficient.  I was seating and cleaning tables too quickly.  Only by taking my time, deliberately letting guests stand and wait, while I let only 3-4 tables in at a time, did I finally start winning every stage.  The trick was to match up the colors in the seats as often as possible, doubling, tripling, etc. my points.

I had to make people wait in order to win.

Suddenly, I wasn’t as stressed.  (Yes, I know it’s a only a game, but I get very obsessed about such things.)  I took my time and took really good care of much fewer tables at a time and then went over and chatted with customers in the down time to keep them happy. 

At one point, I looked up and it was almost 1 AM.  *dies*  I’m in the last “time” world — the futuristic one — so I almost beat the game.  Once I do, the obsession will end.  I hope.  Now that I know the tricks to winning the game, I’m sure I’ll want to go back and win each level at the expert level.

So what does all this have to do with writing?  Sometimes it’s okay to let stories wait at the podium awhile.  Sometimes it’s perfectly fine to stand and chat with them awhile before sitting them down and writing.  I can certainly do a better job with fewer stories at their seats. 

And once this game is licked, I have a feeling I’ll be obsessed with finishing Revision Xibalba, because the end is in sight.  If only I can finish this current scene…