You’d think this would be easy. But it’s not. There are so many things going on in my head it’s hard to stop one thing to work on the other. I’m writing a new story, and a new idea pops up, so I get that one started, then I have to stop that to read an article, then go back to the first story, then back to the second because inspiration struck, now I need to write a quickie, but now another idea has formed, and on and on and on.
Is this what writing is? Constant new ideas bombarding you until you get to a point where you have several stories begun and none of them are finished? Countless articles about becoming better, endless words of advice that steer you in the right direction? There are many paths laid out for me, but it’s hard to stay on one track when another path beckons.
I’ll figure it out I guess. I kinda have to. Perhaps I’ll meditate on it. Yet I find that real progress happens when I step away from a story and come back to it with fresh eyes. The problem is when I step away I get distracted by something else. I must focus, one thing at a time (believe it or not, that’s my motto, along with ‘finish what you started’).
In the meantime, I sent out queries for a book I did finish for publication. The hard part is the wait. 6-8 weeks before I can get an answer! The suspense just may kill me. And I’m not just talking about getting a positive response. Any response will do, just so I know how I did. I crave open and honest criticism, whether good or bad. To be honest, I crave bad critiques, because, like Kung Fu, you learn more from your mistakes than your successes.
Also, I’m taking a new course, How To Write A Novel. It’s an already paid for on-line course, so what do I have to lose.
Funny, I didn’t think I had anything to write, but here I am, six paragraphs later. Perhaps it’s true, the key to writing is to write.
One last thing. Here’s a picture:
Arid Testimony 