Why Can't I Multi-Task

When I was younger I worked as a cook in a pizza restaurant. In those days ALL restaurant pizza was cooked on stone. None of this "modern" conveyor belt crud. We made our own dough and our own sauce. We shredded the cheese, chopped the vegetables, and mixed the spices into the meats. Except pepperoni. But we had to slice that.

Cooking meant not just pizza. We also served pasta: spaghetti, ravioli, and lasagna. We had deep fried chicken. We had french fries. We cooked burgers and made grilled cheese. Toast.

My point? I used to do all of that. At the same time! I multi-tasked. I could monitor five orders cooking while I prepared a sixth for the ovens and stoves. Very seldom did I burn anything. It did happen, but strangely, seldom when we were busy. I still recall a slow night when it was just the boss's son, a waitress and myself. We had got a phone call for a pepperoni pizza. I made it and went to sit with the Manager and waitress. A car pulled up. Suddenly, I remembered! I ran to the oven. The pizza was black. The man came to the counter even as I was running the dough through the roller (we didn't toss it).

"It will be just a minute," I said.

The manager (boss's son) walked into the kitchen and over to the stove. He opened it and peered in. Then he stood beside it grinning at me as I put in the new pepperoni pizza. Fortunately, a pepperoni pizza didn't take long to cook. When the pizza was finished and I had bagged (not boxed) it, the customer paid for it (only $3,00 back then) and left. That was when the boss's son laughed out loud at me. He threatened to make me eat the burned pizza, but I knew he was joking.

Anyway, back to multi-tasking.

Why can't I multi-task with my writing? I had no less than three great story ideas since Christmas. Started to write a couple, but left off right away. This morning I was struck with another cool idea. I'm not even going to waste my time. The Muses won't help me work on more than one big story at a time. Oh, I can write poetry. I might even get a short work done, like Apprentice. But a full story? Forget it.

It's hard even for me to keep up with housework when a story is flowing, such as Traitor is now. (Thanks again, LaughingWolf.) I let the dishes pile up and Spouse - gets annoyed. Haven't vacuumed in ages. (But since the carpet's so filthy you can't hardly tell. [grin])

Haven't seriously practiced the bass in weeks. Son hasn't said anything, but I know he's put out about it. He liked playing songs with me. But he is practicing and I can no longer keep up with him. I have to play so slow.

When the Muses tell me to write a story, they won't help with other things. (Not that I need their help with housework. Wait. I take that back. I do need their help with housework.)

Why can't I multi-task anymore? I have other cool stories to write. But Traitor is taking up all of my creative time. It's appropriately named. Thanks, LaughingWolf.