For those who have followed this blog, you know I am a wee bit of a planner. I map out my writing year, my month, and my days all in an effort to meet my goals. Within this planning, I do leave some wiggle room for catch up days, because life happens and even the best laid plans can crumble in an instant.
Such was the case on Friday, when I was scrolling on social media and saw that Season 3 of YOU had dropped on Netflix. Crap. Cue the inability to think about anything else until I’d binged all 10 episodes. Because, damn it, that show is addicting. How can Joe be both super sexy and creepy as all get out in the same scene? Good writing + good acting = Danielle not getting any writing done for two days.
And that’s okay.
I did not feel guilty about it. I gave myself permission to indulge in a fictional world I didn’t create. It felt decadent to erase my to do list items and move them to a later date (because I budgeted for such events.) Yes, I have a looming date with my editor, but taking mental break from the pressures of writing are essential as well. Not to mention, creepy shows like this are GOOD for a writer to absorb, especially when said writer is working on another phycological thriller. A show like YOU lets you know, oh, yeah, I CAN be this creepy and not to cut out that stuff like my editor brain tells me.
After two days of binging creepy content I am recharged and ready to dive back into my own projects. Binge watching doesn’t have to a negative thing. Sometimes you need to sit on your couch and be a potato and through cereal at your kids for dinner. Sometimes being obsessed is cup-filling. And sometimes it’s just Joe. It’s a fine line. 😉
Now if you’ll excuse me, one of my characters, Conner, is up to no good and I need to write that stuff down. (Wait until you meet Connor! oof!)
Danielle Bannister, Author 