First Born

Do I dare say it’s working? Or will I jinx the entire thing?

Having meticulously constructed two starkly different characters… having researched my brain numb over an exotic, contemporary setting… and then having dropped said characters into said setting and simply let them be, 1,100 scandalously marvelous words have been born to my new novel, Blue Is Not the Sky.

So, is the organic thing working?

I grin and dare not say.

Until tomorrow or Thursday (possible travel day on Wednesday, depending on the weather)…

Chloe 

Organic Writing

I’m allowing my new writing project to grow organically. I have planted the seed but will not interfere in its maturation unless dire situations present themselves (i.e. nibbling deer, tunneling groundhogs or stagnating story.) We’ll see how this hands-off approach to growing a plot goes.

I have 11 weeks until the final manuscript is due.

I will give the organic agenda 3.

A fair shake, I believe.

Until tomorrow…

Chloe

Justified?

Before setting a story in a new spot, before plopping a plot into an unfamiliar place, a writer’s got to research, right?

I obsess over this. I study, take absurdly detailed notes, catalogue histories, memorize street grids, and a whole bunch of other etcetera’s despite knowing none of that will make it into the final manuscript.

Question: why do I do this?

Answer: Authors must feel comfortable in a place before their readers ever will.

Whether this is just spirited justification on my part or something actually useful, I’ll leave to you. I 

have subway schedules to memorize.

Until tomorrow…

Chloe

The Aging Gremlin

Well, the delusions of literary grandeur have started up again.

A worrisomely fast return, I admit. My next writing project isn’t due until May 31, but I’ve already built it up in my head as publishing gold.

While I appreciate the aging Gremlin of Optimism that rattles around in my head, it gets harder and harder feeding the old coot.

Until tomorrow…

Chloe

A Peculiar Expertise

While I enjoy a spot of peculiarity just like any gal, I do wish my peculiar life would grant me with something more than an expertise in panic.

At times, it seems, I know scarce more than Fear’s ins and outs.

*sighs dreamily*

Wouldn’t an expertise in shooting stars be nice?

Until tomorrow…

Chloe

Sweet Release

I enjoyed a bit of dabbling yesterday.

Dipping a toe into this writing project, lazily swirling a finger into that work-in-progress. There was no rush. No deadline munching at my heels. It was utterly delightful, and I smiled all day long.

Ahh! The release from an 8-day writing binge is so sweet.

Until tomorrow…

Chloe

Battling Submitter's Regret

It can’t be ignored. Like the clacking of rat toenails on wet pavement or a ghost’s breath upon your neck, Submitter’s Regret is a dastardly thing that can drive you insane if you let it.

There are always things that you’d wished you’d done better. Or different. Or not done at all. Or not done as much.

Acknowledge these “should haves” only briefly, then dump all on the backburner and look quickly away.

There is nothing to be done about them now. Later, perhaps, they will teach. But at the moment they 

can only torture.

Until tomorrow…

Chloe