A Writer’s Life: Sorting the Pieces
Finding the real story underneath the excitement of a new idea is great. But it doesn’t get the book written.
I started The Irish Project last year, and wrote a large chunk of it for NaNoWriMo in November.
At the time, I thought I had this story mostly figured out, and I jumped in with both feet, happy to be writing again instead of wringing my hands about The Avalon Project. (I’m still doing that, by the way, and my hands are tired of it)
I didn’t have it figured out.
It was only after a few months away from the story, and many many notes written in the notebook dedicated to this project that I found out how much I really didn’t know.
For the past two weekends, I have scribbled ideas, thoughts, and character traits and motivations into the beautiful Erin Condren Notebook I designed for the project. Then I ordered some new index cards. Because it’s time to put this thing together.
I’ve never done April’s Camp NaNoWriMo. I’ve done July and I’ve done November, but never in April. But NaNo seems to motivate me, and I’ve got two weeks to get some semblance of order achieved.
I signed up. It’s official. I’m doing this thing.
It’s easy for me to be distracted by shiny new Netflix Series (Have you seen Inventing Anna? What a ride!) or chores that need doing (cleaning out my writing room would be a great start) or new books that need reading (March was a big month for some of my favorite authors).
But three months of procrastination is enough. Three months of waffling between third and first person. Three months of looking for villain motivations and character depth.
I’m either going to do this writing thing, or I’m not. And because I am allergic (figurately) to wasting money and time, I’m doing it.
As I start working on the index cards this weekend, more ideas will come, I’m sure of it. But by the end, I should have a fully prepared outline and be ready to write.
No, not should be. Will be. Have to be. Because I am doing this thing.
Struggling to start over does not come with an instruction list with tips to overcome it. That’s good and bad. It means I get to make my own rules.
Rule #1: Be ready to write on April 1.
