Friday, August 27, 2010

The Return of Nagging Whisper

Nagging Whisper is after me again.

She says (over and over) I need to finish revisions.

She says I need to write query letters.

She says I need to write the two blog posts I owe The Blood-Red Pencil for September.

She reminds me I need to promote the interview I did for Jean Henry Mead that will go up tomorrow at Mysterious Writers.

She tells me I need more exercise and should start going to the gym five times a week.

She pokes me hard and says don't forget I'm teaching two classes for a mini-conference on September 18th and I still need to prepare handouts for the second class.

She says my windows are dirty.

She yells at me, "Finish the stupid revisions already."

She slaps my hand when I reach for a square of chocolate.

She dangles my To Do List in front of my face and laughs maniacally as she points to the items I have not crossed off.

She reminds me I need a new photo for my website and blog, and, with a very snotty tone, says I should wear my glasses. She adds, "And smile this time."

And finally, before she wanders down the hall with three of my favorite pens and a bar of my chocolate, she smacks me on the side of the head and says, "FINISH THE STUPID REVISIONS."

So I'll be working hard this weekend to finish revisions. I gotta get Nagging Whisper off my case.

21 comments:

Mary@GigglesandGuns said...

It's funny but it's not. You shut the Nagging Whispers down unless you do what they say and then they find something else. So frustrating!
Don't you wish you could smack back sometimes? Even once?

Jenny said...

I think you need to take your Nagging Whisper out for a glass of wine :-)

Have a great weekend. I know you'll get a lot done.

RHYTHM AND RHYME said...

I get nagging whispers also.
It would be a good title for a book don't you think?

Have a productive week-end.

Yvonne.

Anonymous said...

Patricia - You hear Nagging Whisper, too!? I thought I was the only one! I feel much better... Well, at least she can't nag you about putting up terrific posts like this one : ). I hope your weekend goes smoothly.

Jemi Fraser said...

Yikes - better get those revisions done before she gets violent! :)

Unknown said...

WOw, that's a busy weekend. Well, I hope you have a productive one. And, if you don't I hope you have a relaxing one and tell the whispers to be quiet.

CD

Terry Odell said...

How DARE she slap your hand for reaching for chocolate. I'm barely back in the groove after just one day away. (But I did get pictures of our Cripple Creek trip up on my blog).

Terry
Terry's Place
Romance with a Twist--of Mystery

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Smack her right back!
There's a trick to turning off the internal dialogue, but you'd have to be a man for me to teach it to you.

Patti Struble said...

Give that girl some chocolate or better yet, lots of chocolate. Then pull out the duct tape!
Thanks for the giggles.
Patti

Barbara Scully said...

Hi Patricia,
Isnt there a saying that goes something like
"if a friend spoke to you, the way you speak to yourself, she wouldnt be your friend!"
We are all so hard on ourselves. Grab the chocolate and relax.. It will all get done - eventually!

Elspeth Futcher said...

My Nagging Whisper is more of a Low-Growling Teethy Creature. I can feel its scaly claws on me shoulder and its hot breath on the back of my neck even now. Mine is growling many of the same things that yours is whispering. Why do all of its sentences have to start with "Finish?" And have you noticed - the sentences never finish with fun words like "wine" or "chocolate"?

L. Diane Wolfe said...

I think my nagging whisper finally developed laryngitis.

Patricia Stoltey said...

This post generated some very entertaining comments. Sounds as if most of us have some kind of nag hovering by our ear or poking us in the shoulder. I'd like to picture mine as a cute little Tinkerbell, but she looks more like a miniature witch (not the green one, though, thank goodness).

Patricia Stoltey said...

BTW, Alex...I'm afraid to ask.

Amy Kathleen Ryan said...

Maybe if you finish those revisions Nagging Whisper will lay off about the other stuff. She might even let you have some ice cream as a reward...

Patricia Stoltey said...

Hi Amy (and by the way, congrats on your new book contract, that's fantastic) -- As for the nag, ice cream would be great (but I'd settle for just getting my chocolate bar back).

RHYTHM AND RHYME said...

Should you go to my blog Patricia there is a little something for you.

Yvonne.

Hart Johnson said...

Well then I blame your Nagging Whisper for the bad habits my Whining Shrieker has picked up... (yeah, I have a similar to-do list and I am feeling SO NOT UP TO IT!) At least my children are across the country for a few more days... should help productivity (and by should, I mean, probably won't) Good luck with your list of tasks!

Patricia Stoltey said...

Thanks, Yvonne. You're a good friend.

Hi Hart. I'd go crazy if my muse/nag was a shrieker. How do you stand it?

Jane Kennedy Sutton said...

Oh my, I think her sister lives at my house!)Let me know if you find a way to keep her out of your chocolate...

Michelle Mach said...

I really liked this post--so well written and fun to read. Did She nag you to write it? If so, I suppose you'll have to keep her around . . .