How many times do you set an alarm on your phone as a reminder to complete a task?

I do it frequently, although not as often as I should. Because there should be an alarm going off every morning saying, “Get out of bed. It’s time to write.”

But I don’t set that alarm. And by the time my feet hit the floor, there are so many distractions it’s easy to forget all about writing. I can’t count the number of mornings my day begins with my husband asking if I’ve seen his keys, or his belt, or his wallet, or his [insert belonging here]. After the scavenger hunt is over, there’s cat puke to clean up, a litter box to empty, dishes to wash …

You get the point. Life as we know it.

The times I remember to write are when I have time alone to think. In the car, in the shower, in the waiting room while my oil gets changed. But those moments and environments aren’t exactly conducive to writing.

So I got a visual reminder. Meet Plot.

Plot sits on my desk as a reminder: “Hey Julie. Get over here. It’s time to write.”

In NaNo writing circles, the phrase “plot bunny” gets tossed around a lot. A plot bunny is a story idea that stays lodged in your mind and nags to be written. Like real-life bunnies, plot bunnies have a tendency to multiply … one idea leads to the next.

The plot bunnies for The Mountain of Dempsey Molehill have been hopping around my brain for a long time, and I need to get them on paper so I can set free other plot bunnies that are starting to clutter up my head. So I decided it was time to get a writing mascot to catch my eye and keep me on task.

And what better mascot than Plot Bunny? Especially since 70 percent of the toys for sale right now are Easter bunnies.