Overtaken

I think you know I'm working on a big, long writing project. It's fiction and it's over 100 pages and nearly 60,000 words and there's a ways to go before it concludes. I like this project. As with any creation that takes time I have my doubts about it's long term value but they ebb and flow and the only way to find out if they have any validity is to forge ahead to the conclusion. I have publicly declared that I will have the "shitty first draft" complete by Christmas.

When I'm working on a performance project I find that there's a point about 2/3 to 3/4 through the process when I get absolutely sick of it but know I have to keep going. Shortly after that I have a brilliant idea for a new project that I want to devote all of my time to. I thought it was just me but I recently met two writers that are experiencing the same idea ambush.

I'm also reading a book that I thought would be good but turns out to be one of the ones that is more than that, it gets right inside you from the get go. I want to keep reading and I want it to last forever even though I know it's going to break my heart. It's not unusual that something like that will spark the dream farm in my skull to sow seeds in every furrow. This morning in the shower I clearly saw the way the scene I'm working on in the big, long project should go. It was the sort of directional signal that renewed my faith in the piece.

I couldn't take action on that idea until after my lunch date, though. I had to get dressed and get on the bus and enjoy some time with my friend. Somewhere in that process I was ambushed. It's a story. It might make it to novella length but is probably more short story sized. Like the book I'm reading, it burrowed straight under my skin. Scenes popped into my head fully formed and a general outline for the style of the piece came with them. I feel all of the feelings about it.

I tried to make myself write on the inspiration for the big, long project when I got home but it didn't work out that way. After struggling to get myself in front of the computer for a while and continuing to have pieces of the ambush come at me I knew it was better to go with the flow. I have a goal for myself with the big, long project to write at least 15 minutes a day. I've actually been doing 30 minutes a day on weekdays lately and being intermittent on my weekend work. Tonight I worked for over an hour straight on the ambush. I could probably have gone on longer but the pets were starting to ramp up their crazy due to hunger and once I'd broken the spell I let myself rest.

This is all to say that I think I'm going to have to take Blog Post off my to do list for a little while. I think that I don't have the wherewithal to split my writing brain in more than two directions and these two have to take priority right now. I won't be completely gone. We've got Photo Challenges in the works and I'm about to do my first sponsored thing next week. I know you guys are awesome and will understand but I wanted to get it out there because I'll also need you to keep me honest about my goals for completion and I trust you for that.

Thank you.