Saturday, January 22, 2011

THE PROCRASTINATING WRITER!

As I write this, hubby is outside feeding a whole tree's worth of branches through a mulcher. Very noisy. I could blame that on my failure to do any writing, but that wouldn't exactly be the truth. I have been lagging ever since I finished NaNo (way back in November) but these last few weeks have been totally barren in the writing department.

The red-winged blackbird of my novel's title. 
I think the problem is that I know I have to virtually rewrite the first half of Blackbird - my WIP, and I still have the finishing chapters to knock into shape. Then there is the matter of this new story that raised it's head whilst on holiday. I wrote the prologue and first chapter yesterday and today I guiltily got back to Blackbird.

I'm being very strict on myself. You see I'm the sort of person who starts projects and before I finish, start something new. For example, there is a small pile of unfinished quilts and wall hangings in my sewing room. But when I started writing, I promised myself that I wouldn't do that. And three years later, I've kept to it. Except for yesterday's momentary lapse.

So, new story is saved and temporarily forgotten and Blackbird is being pulled out, shaken and attacked with renewed vigour. I'll keep you updated with my progress.

One of my characters is a Shoshone Indian named Standing Eagle. I thought this was a magnificent specimen.

4 comments:

  1. What beautiful bird photos!
    It's easy to see-saw between writing and other projects, but always you come back to the writing at some point. Lapses are good.

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  2. I'm exactly the same way about suddenly getting new ideas and dropping a current project to work on them. I have to be very strict with myself sometimes...or attempt to be, anyway. :)

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  3. You absolutely have to keep going with the new story it is brilliant and I really think a change of story scene is not going to hurt, when you come back to blackbird you'll be recharged and passionate about it again.

    Don't feel guilty Blackbird has had your sole attention for 3 years!

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  4. A Certain Book - the birds are wonderful, aren't they? And you're right, lapses are good, in fact sometimes they're essential.

    Elisabeth - glad to know someone else struggles with the same things, although in this instance I think I'm going to have to break my own rules.

    Pen - just the thing I needed to hear.

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