Lately it feels like I have a lot going on in the writing part of my life. But since I’m happiest when drafting or revising a novel, I feel a little sad and discontent at the moment. Because I’ve got a lot to do, but I’m not actually creating something new.
Last week, I got edits for a short story that will appear in this year’s Month9Books anthology, VERY SUPERSTITIOUS. Finishing the edits didn’t keep me busy long enough. It was over way too soon!
I’m starting to have promotional assignments for THE CAGED GRAVES, which releases in two months. They’re fun to write, but not like a novel. I have a launch party to plan, but writing out invitations isn’t exactly a novel either.
I’ve got a post to do for Project Mayhem, this blog to keep up, and I’m sure my agent would always welcome a submission for her blog. But again, blog posts aren’t the same as a novel.
I also heard from my new editor at HarperCollins. (The editor who acquired THE EIGHTH DAY retired in January.) It looks like I’ll have some more revision notes coming my way soon. That ought to keep me busy and make me happy.
But it won’t solve my current problem, which is trying to become a plotter.
I’m using Scrivener as a storage place for all my ideas about THE EIGHTH DAY #3 and the series in general – and I continue to love how I can file information in this program so that it’s all at my fingertips – and moveable – and ready to be transformed into a 30 page synopsis, if need be.
But that still doesn’t magically turn me into a plotter.
Right now, I have some basic plot points for the book. Normally, that would be the time I’d jump into the first chapter and figure out the story as I wrote it. But the problem is, I don’t have time to write this book right now. I just need to know what’s in it so I can make everything in the first two books align with it.
Part of my problem is impatience. I want it all worked out NOW, even though I know I need to give myself time to mull things over.
Skiing this weekend helped. You’d be surprised how many plot problems I work out on the chair lift. Long car rides help, too. So I guess it’s a good thing the Salerni family is driving to Killington, Vermont for one final ski trip at the end of this month. Let’s hope my muse is coming with us!