The Author’s Sketchbook

So after attempting to write a full post for the 4th time today, I’ve decided to take a break, and maybe not worry about the #MondayBlogs schedule too much.

It’s been 12 hours since I ate or drank anything, and there are just 3 hours left for the first fast of Ramzan (in Karachi, at least) to come to an end. I’ve spent some of this time outside, some of it trying to write my regular Monday blog, and part of it scribbling in my sketchbook:

Needless to say, my sketching’s doing pretty well in comparison to the writing.

But that’s because everything seems to be distracting me. My normally obedient cat has decided to bring her fresh tuna up to my study to eat at a later time. Presumably, she’s also fasting, which is why she isn’t eating anything right now. The meaty smell of the tuna keeps wafting up at me. I can hear another cat lapping up water from just outside the room, which is just as distracting. And while I have no particular love for chocolates, the bag of Maltesers in the mini-fridge is taunting me, begging me to be eaten…

But this is just day one. In a week or two, I’ll be used to waking up at 3.30 in the morning (the fast starts at 4.15) for a hearty breakfast and several glasses of water. In a week or two, the lust for all the foods I normally can’t stand will have waned, and I won’t have a problem coming up with a nifty little blog post that might (or might not) drive traffic to my Amazon page, which is where I really want all of you to end up (Ramzan is not just a physical fast, it’s also spiritual, so no prevaricating).

But this is day one. My will power’s stretched a little and I am going to let my sketching carry the blog post. If it works out, then I may just make it a regular thing: an author’s sketchbook. What do you think?