Wednesday, June 03, 2009

Inspiration

Boy, I almost missed another Wednesday. Bad blogger.

I'm currently running my RWA chapter's contest and the entry deadline was Monday night, so swamped doesn't begin to describe it.

And I'm also at the beginning of another project -- one I promised my agent she'd see something on before we meet in DC in just over a month. So, yikes.

The start of new projects are a time that can be both exciting and scary for me. A time I love if the ideas are coming, characters are forming, and the story is falling into place, but a time I hate if I keep going over the same issues in my mind over and over without finding solutions. A time I hate if I keep thinking too much about the market and how my work fits into it. A time when I, personally, need to be thinking about little other than my story.

What a great time to be spending 10-12 hours a day on contest matters and putting out fires, and trying to solve puzzles like how to divide up 100 judges, all with preferences re genre and limits on the number of entries they'll judge, across nearly 500 scoresheets that need to be completed, rather than the puzzle of my plot. Fun. Fun. Fun.

My mind can't handle too many puzzles at once. And based on the 25 pages of crap I've written for my ms this far... I need to stop and puzzle out more of my plot and start again.

Why are some books so hard?

BTW. This is NOT what I was going to post about when I started typing. Go figure. Brain broken.

8 comments:

Molly O'Keefe said...

I honestly could not do this contest and try to start a book at the same time. If I have just one minor other thing on my plate -- ie this week a thing I'm doing for father's day for adam while trying to start a new project, or in my case do some big outlining -- I overload. I am seriously a basketcase. I can multi-task brainless stuff forever -- ask me to do two puzzles at the same time -- I have a heart attack.

Seriously, you should stop doing that contest....ha ha.

Kendra Leigh Castle said...

I can barely walk and chew gum at the same time, so I totally sympathize! I also overload REALLY easily, which I keep telling myself I will solve through a Massive Organizational Overhaul...which, three years in, has not remotely happened:-) I wish I knew the secret of why some books are so hard. Nothing ever pours out of me, but my last one was pulled from me inch by excruciating inch. Current one is better, but I still got 80 pages in and then realized I had screwed some major things up. Cue screaming and lots of Delete button usage. It never changes...which is why we're all slightly insane, I think! Hopefully the WIP will get a lot easier for you when the contest stuff is waded through! Good luck:-)

Stephanie Doyle said...

I also started a new project. And I swear each time I do think... write a book? I don't know how to write a book. That's crazy! Pages and pages of stuff? No way.

Here's wishing you better luck with both projects!

Maureen McGowan said...

Thanks guys. :-)

Last book I started, started with a huge rush. Thousands of fairly usable words a day.

But I think I forget how much pre-planning I'd done. I certainly didn't have it all worked out (and paid for that later) but I knew the basics.

I need to put my serious plotting hat on.

Writing is hard. (said like a barbie doll)

Anonymous said...

These days walking and talking at the same time is hard... so forget trying to organize a really large contest and write.

Crazy, but glad you took it on and are doing such an amazing job.

Kimber Chin said...

You're doing a great job with the contest, Maureen.
LOVE the judging tips.
Wonderful lessons.

Amy Ruttan said...

HUGS. You are doing awesome coordinating.

My ability to multitask is ... gone for now to say the least, you have my admiration. :)

Kimber Chin said...

I just read my first entry last night. No one told me how inspiring it was to glimpse these flashes of baby brilliance. The entry wasn't ready for publication... yet but wowsers, in a few years...

It really pushed me to work on my very different manuscript this morning!

Great job!

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