Final Word Count: November 9, 2011- 59 (a smudge on one page); 2,138 (8 pages)
I froze yesterday. I finished my work Tuesday night with a real puzzler. I’ve succeed in really confusing myself and setting up a character who I have no clue what’s going to happen. And it’s not a good kind of clueless, either. So I went to bed satisfied with a measly amount of work I had accomplished and determined to forget about the fiasco I created. Talk about burying my head in the sand (well, actually my pillow)!
So what did I do? I had a wild brain storm yesterday afternoon using my e-mail. I thought it might work if I free write using the story to date as a jumping off point. Perhaps I could figure out what I’ve done and some way I could fix this bump. Well, it worked! I started off with a bang and could have gotten into the groove easily but then life resumed and my little writing break was over before it really started. By the time I got home, I was lucky if I didn’t fall over Yesterday stumbling around my room with my tired eyes. Trust me, I was not at my most attractive.
The secret regarding this small triumph? I just started a new chapter. Yup, if in doubt, just start a new chapter. Flashback, dreams or throwing a new character in the works can all help getting through the writer’s block. Now to just et back into the story for real tonight. It’s another toughie this month. *Sadly shaking head* Sometimes I wonder if all my successes happened already. I hope not! The trouble lies in the fact that each month is different so it’s not like I’m going to be sure that the genre I’m working in is going to work.
Someone suggested to me that I write whatever is floating in my mind and throw in bits and pieces of the genre-of-the-month. I wish I could do that but I’m one of those creative types that needs structure. I love letting my imagination go but if there are no rules or boundaries, I freeze up. It’s like writing poetry- I can write one (or used to be able to, I haven’t written one in years) in perfect meter in an hour. Is it crap? Probably but I don’t expect to become a poet. The point is, in the far reaches of deep space outside the box I need to run into the edge of the sphere.
So, off I go tonight, working away and trying to get into this story. Besides, it’s my Dad’s birthday month. So this one’s for you, Bubba! I hope I can finish it for him… it’d be nice to send him a full manuscript at the end of the month just like my sister got in August. Or perhaps I’m destined to write Young Adult Westerns and that’s my niche. Who knows.
*Note: I wrote this last night but I couldn’t post it because I live in the dark ages and have no internet. So, here it is!
12 Novels in 12 Months 