Thursday, March 19, 2015

Leaning Skyward

I have just crossed the halfway point in writing The Hushing Days!

*waits for the confetti to fly, the trumpets to sound, the balloons to fall from the ceiling… and waits….*

*four-legged, furry muse rolls eyes; the impatient “Get on with it, you goof” is unspoken but clear*

Fine. Getting on with it, dear.

It’s funny but I feel I’m much farther along in The Hushing Days. A three-quarters mark seems imminent, if not just popping up in my rearview mirror. In fact, that finish line should be within a long-jumper’s reach.

Hmm… Let’s examine the reasons for that, shall we?

1.) While I’ve only been really writing on the novel since January, I’ve been working on it since last July. The crafting, outlining, selling the idea to my agent, selling the idea to my aforementioned fuzzy muse started in the heat of last summer. With a new summer rounding the corner, it feels very odd to still be working on the same project. (My previous novels averaged 2 ½ months each.)

2.) For the last few weeks, I’ve basically been on cruise control with the book. While the word count has been steadily moving along on pace for a late April finish, there has been a severe lack of wrestling with storylines of late. With every scene, every character’s every move laid out like the blueprint of some freaking skyscraper, my “big picture/grand scheme” tools have been idling… And these guys don’t do idling very well.

3.) To placate said-idlers, I have begun scoping out my next project. Rarely does this scouting happen before the current book is at least three-quarters done. This “already looking to the future” thing is weird, unsettling but kind of cool.

4.) Not only am I crazy, the muse is a little nuts too. Hence time management suffers.

So, while I keep a hopeful eye to the ceiling for balloons, I’ll let you get on with your day.

Until tomorrow…

Chloe

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