What was that I was saying about inertia?
I don’t know whether it was a function of going hourly instead of being paid by the story, or whether it was the spring weather, or — most likely — just my nature, but there it was for the next few days:
But somehow, although I felt good, I could not get psyched to write today other than the “Odd Couple” review. Maybe tomorrow. At least the letters.
Journal, Volume II
28 April 1979
… and a long call to Tex and Larry kicked off the afternoon, during which I also worked on my wedding present for Tom and Ginny — which put me on a high for the day. … No great reflections except that I’m psyched for writing “Wedding Presents.”
Journal, Volume II
29 April 1979
Getting “psyched” — or not — is a poor excuse for doing — or not — one’s job. If that job is writing, you can’t wait for inspiration to hit you.
The “Odd Couple” review had a deadline. I knew that Monday would be busy, and the material was fresh, So I worked on it over the weekend.
I had already written “The Wedding Presence” as part of a collection that I was now going to expand. Cousin Tom and his fiancee Ginny were going to have their own story, “City Mouse, Country Mouse.” That, too, had a deadline: their wedding date. But that was more than a year off. We had all the time in the world.
“All the time in the world.” Yeah, James Bond found about that the hard way. Twice.