Scaffolding

“A schedule defends from chaos and whim. It is a net for catching days. It is a scaffolding on which a worker can stand and labor with both hands at sections of time.” ~ Annie Dillard

One of my favorite writers, Annie Dillard, reminds me of the main tool I rely on as a writer—a schedule. When I do not stick to one, my writing stops, I get grouchy, and life loses it luster. A day of lousy writing is better than a day without writing.

Having said that, let me talk about my nemeis—distraction. When I put in the Annie Dillard quote, Word suggested that “It is a scaffolding on which a worker can stand and labor with both hands at sections of time” should be “It is scaffolding on which…”. My mind was off and running. Did Annie, craftswoman extraordinaire, make a mistake? Perhaps she was misquoted? How do I confirm the original quote?

Then I saw that I had fallen off the scaffolding. Good thing I wore safety equipment and am back to work. The quote stands without verification. I have a life to get to…