The physics of editing: Not Schrödinger's cat

I mentioned that I made some progress yesterday on the project I am doing for the Carmelites. This morning I reflected on why it is easy to keep going once I start, but getting going can be a challenge. Actually, I was thinking about this in terms of my work revising the novel I drafted back in November, but it applies to the Carmelite project as well.

So I thought of Newton's laws of motion:

Newton's First Law:  Every body persists in its state of being at rest or of moving uniformly straight forward, except insofar as it is compelled to change its state by force impressed.

Once I am working, it is easy to keep at it. When I have stopped, however, it is hard to start up again. Even if, like the cat in the picture, I am not resting in great comfort.

Newton’s Second Law: The alteration of motion is ever proportional to the motive force impressed; and is made in the direction of the right line in which that force is impressed.

When I engage in procrastination by avoidance behavior, it takes effort to move that energy in the direction I want to go. And maybe it is easier (and less dangerous) if I come at it sideways, but I have to come at it.

Newton’s Third Law: To every action there is always opposed an equal reaction: or the mutual actions of two bodies upon each other are always equal, and directed to contrary parts.

My laziness opposes my working as much as my working is opposed to my laziness. I know the law implies that they are always equal, but my laziness often seems more powerful.

 Unless and until I get the work rolling. Then the first law helps me stay in motion.

So this morning I decided I would do two pages on the Carmelite project. Two pages. It was not hard to generate the enrergy needed to start that.

And of course, I got through eight pages before I realized it.

Eight pages is not a lot, I grant you. But it puts me eight pages ahead of my scheduled output! 

And finally, if that was too confusing, editors can always take refuge in the words of the immortal Calvin: