Time Wasters...but in a Good Way

Regret for wasted time is more wasted time. - Mason Cooley, O Magazine, April 2004

There are weeks when I feel as if I'm simply spinning my wheels, trying to accomplish something and yet seemingly accomplishing very little. This is usually when I have a plot problem I can't figure out, when a character has said "I don't want to do that. Find something else for me to do" or when I have a particularly distasteful job to do. 

During those times, the Internet, which is usually this wonderful, magical place (what I think of as "fun at my fingertips") develops this irresistible pull. Like the best chocolate. Like your first glimpse of snow capped mountains. Like romance. Okay, scratch that. Maybe the lure of the internet doesn't even rank anywhere near what romance does, but still, it's very difficult to keep myself from wandering around looking for all kinds of awesome things.

Amazon is one of the places I hang out. I have a saved list of interesting items that would break the bank if I even bought half of the things I find there. Etsy is another one. Visiting Etsy is like wandering into a maze or a very thick forest (a beautiful forest) and instead of looking for the way out, I just keep moving deeper and deeper into the woods (or the maze) until long periods of time have slipped away and I'm not even close to the exit. The intrigue of all of those handmade items, some clunky, some useful, some amazingly beautiful and some absolute works of art totally captivates me. Home-based soapmakers, jewelry makers, personalized items, things that aren't mass produced. It's positively riveting, but...tick, tick, tick...where did that hour go? It slipped away, but you know? I don't feel as if it was wasted time. I found new treasures. While I was there a story idea came to me. I did some birthday shopping, came up with ideas for next year's Christmas and, on the days when I bought something, I helped a small business person move a step closer to achieving their dreams. Entrepreneurship lives, and I can feel good about that. 

Lately, I have a new time waster, although it may not be new to you. Have you ever clicked over to Mental Floss and looked at their Amazing Fact Generator? There's something totally hypnotic about it. Click and a fact (an amazing fact!) pops up. And like potato chips, you can't have just one. You have to click again. And again, until you have a whole brainful of facts! (brainful: new word--just made it up, I think. If not, kudos to whoever did make it up. I like it). I just know that at least one of these facts is going to show up in one of my books someday. So see there, universe, I wasn't wasting time. I was doing research. I just didn't know it at the time!

What are your favorite time wasters? They don't have to be Internet-related. I have a word game I play that also sucks up a lot of minutes when I let it (usually I don't. This one gets me through my time riding the stationary bike). Any activity will do. Kite flying. Reading television guides. Even (shock!) housework! It's all good and somehow (in my "let's rationalize this" mind) I think that we use all that stuff. Eventually. At least I hope I do. 

Best Wishes and Happy Reading!