Wednesday, March 30, 2011

The Art of Dilly-Dallying: aka What I'm Doing when I Should be Writing

Someone asked me the other day what's going on with me and my book. Well, let me tell you.

I'm waiting for copyedits, but basically book 1 is done. (And I'll share a secret: I've seen a rough draft of the cover. It. Is. Awesome.)

What I should be doing is writing book 2. Instead, I'm dilly-dallying. (As a side note, if your name is Michael, you can totally stop reading here. Nothing to see. Just know I'm working.)

What does dilly-dallying involve, you ask?

Let me tell you.

I've been remodeling my study:
Oh, the shiny pretty.

After I put it together yesterday, I sat there for two hours just staring. And staring. Don't worry. No actual writing got accomplished.

Also, I've been dealing with Kid B's obsession with Yoshi. Are you familiar with Yoshi? Here's a little introduction: He's the green little dinosaur in the Mario World. 

Hi Kid B! Will you be my best friend?

He also comes in yellow, Kid B's favorite color. Yellow Yoshi made the trip to Disneyland.

His obsession spills over into every aspect of my own life, particularly when it comes to my iPhone. If I leave it unattended for even a few seconds, I will return to find every app has been erased, and the ones that haven't are in a new file:
Check out the upper right corner. Yep, it's a Yoshi folder.

Can I tell you how frustrating it is to have my Angry Birds app wiped clean about once every other day? And to have to start all over with those stupid red birds? What am I, an amateur? I'm so much better than those red birds!


It takes a lot of time. Thankfully I have a nice quiet study in which to work. On my Angry Birds.


Kid C is sort of obsessed with Kahn Academy. It's an awesome website where this guy put together a bunch of videos to help his niece with math. He now provides the videos for free, with funding from Bill Gates.


Kid C decided he wanted in on that action. He's made his own series of educational videos, starting with this one- Kid C teaches Addition. I especially love his reasoning for why 4+7=11 at around minute 1.



Not to be outdone by his big brother, Kid B decided he had a few things to teach as well. And guess what he decided to teach?






So, yeah, I've been busy. But I hope you've learned something by watching these educational videos. Do you know how much time it takes to dilly-dally? Especially when it's a full time job?


What do y'all do to dilly-dally? 


p.s. I'm going to see Carrie Ryan (author of The Forest of Hands and Teeth series) at the Jordan Landing Barnes & Noble tonight. If you're going too, be sure to track me down and say hi!

20 comments:

  1. Ah, dilly-dallying. It's very important. And I'm so glad to finally know why 4+7=11. It's so simple! Why didn't my math teachers ever bother to teach me that?

    I'm going to be at the signing tonight! I just hope it doesn't go as long as the Markus Zusak signing was last Saturday...

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  2. I'm dilly-dallying by visiting your blog. How does it feel to be responisble for someone else's dilly-dallying, eh? You should be ashamed.

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  3. Such cute videos. I love how Kid C and B are both so excited about their videos. And, Kid B and I must be kindred spirits because Yoshi is my absolutely favorite character EVER. I always choose him when I play any Mario game.

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  4. Jenilyn- I know! Who knew that 4+7+11 because 7 and 11 rhyme? See you tonight!

    RSJ- I'm honored to be part of your dilly-dallying. I feel absolutely no shame. Dilly-dally away!

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  5. Dilly-dallying is an art, never to be underestimated. :) I mean, gosh, it can be HARD to find things that are more important than writing...like, say, color-coding all my knitting yarn, and other essential things like that.
    Hey, what am I saying? Get back to work! Because I so look forward to reading your books!

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  6. Jenni- Me too. Yoshi is just so lovable.

    Faith- Thanks Faith! I will totally get back to work. Right after I label my broom closet. Because it's embarrassing to have a broom closet, and guests don't know what it is. :)

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  7. I'm with Faith. Dilly-dallying is important, but if it delays your books AT ALL, you'll have some tough answering to do, missy!

    Cute boys. :)

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  8. Love the videos. I confess that I read your blog when I'm dilly-dallying.

    But it's SO worth it! =D

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  9. I'm so excited for Carrie Ryan! :-) And I love your study - so pretty. Mine is a bit more... cluttered. Still a few things to file and what-not.

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  10. Robin- I promise book 2 will be delivered on time! Thanks for applying the pressure.

    Donna- Again, I'm always happy to be the object of someone else's dilly-dally.

    Chersti- Hopefully we'll get to say hi tonight!

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  11. *snicker snicker*

    I seriously think that there should be a career in dilly-dallying. It's so much fun!!

    But then I feel guilty if I dilly-dally too much and end up not writing as much as I should....

    On another topic, the boys are too cute! :)

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  12. Nowadays, I dilly-dally by watching the BBC production of North and South. I have to admit, I'm quite obsessed by it. Elizabeth Gaskell was a genius!!

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  13. Hudson wants to watch the Yoshi video over and over again. Thanks Kid B for introducing Hudson to Yoshi!

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  14. I have sadly never played Angry Birds but I have seen an awesome movie trailer for it.

    http://appadvice.com/appnn/2011/03/humor-angry-birds-spoof-takes-birds-warzone/

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  15. Totally digging C's math skills. Substituting rhymed verse for addition. Love it. And love your new writing space. That's fantastic that Book 1 is to copyedit. Hurrah!

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  16. Kristin- if there were a career in dilly-dallying, I'd be a millionaire!

    Marianne- Be prepared for everything in your life to become centered around Yoshi. :)

    Heather- thanks!

    L.T.- That video is awesome. And I would suggest not ever starting to play angry birds. Unless you have oodles and oodles of free time.

    Cath- Always remember 7 and 11 "pretty much rhyme".

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  17. I'm pretty much obsessed with Yoshi too. I think I would like your kids. ;)

    ~Tara

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  18. You're kids are way cute! I love that 7 and 11 Rhyme! I tend to write way more blog posts when I'm dilly-dallying.. can't fight the need to write but Its so much easier to tell random stories on a blog that never have to go together:) Yup I'm setting my writing goals high:)

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  19. Tara- You would totally love my kids! Do you want them?

    Andrea- If blogging paid, I'd be a millionaire. :)

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