Let it roll

Here is some free rolling unstructured writing, inspired by another Medium writer

Not in real good focus but this is my dog now. Her name is Heidi. She is a studious type dog, likes to read a lot. photo by james jordan

ADHD

ADHD is a wonderful thing sometimes, sometimes not. Ideas flow free like a river or maybe like a bunch of clouds flying by in a strong wind overhead. Try to grab a hold of one or two of them and write can be tricky. The five second rule applies. If I can get rolling on one real quick, it has a chance at germinating into a real story. The downside is there are usually three or four floating around.

Ive tried keeping a notebook and writing ideas down as they come. That has worked some of the time.

I’m usually structured in my writing that I do for money. I know, you can make a little bit on Medium, but “little” seems to be the word. I have assignments due in my freelancing work and so forth. Deadline is a great thing. It helps me stay focused. Having been in the newspaper business a long time, I am used to deadline pressure so it isn’t a big deal. But when it’s for Medium, or just for me, there is no real deadline even if i say there is one. A self imposed deadline doesn’t work too well. I need that external deadline, that threat that I won’t get paid if I don’t deliver. That helps me focus.

This is Heidi as a young dog. Photo by james jordan

Dogs

I got home from my day job a little while ago. My dog sits snoozing beside me on the couch. She is 15. That’s well over 100 in dog years. She is old, but still acts like a pup in some ways. She still likes to wrestle, roughhousing, pulling on a rope or whatever. She has lost a step though. She can’t outrun me like she used to.

She is a miniature Schnauzer. A very small dog and she used to be able to fly. She was lighting fast in her youth. It often appeared she was flying about six inches off the ground. Fluid movement but her legs moving her very fast.

It’s been a long relationship. She knows several words. Outside, treat, eat, food, being just a few that she knows. Ride is another one. Don’t even say ride in a sentence around here. One of her favorite things is to ride in the car with her head out the window in the wind.