So my word count is creeping up on my first novel and now stands at just over 77k! I’m at Chapter 20 and reckon I have another six to go but who knows! This will obviously be followed by a lot of heavy editing and improving, but so far it’s all going to plan. However, this week a little seed landed in my brain. A tiny seed of an idea, for a completely different story. I did what I usually do which is to jot the sketchy information down in one of my the many note books that litter my handbags and surfaces of my home and forgot about it. Although the worrying thing is that I didn’t forget about it. I found that I couldn’t forget about it, despite how hard I tried. The idea just kept on growing. A couple of characters started to take shape and one of them suddenly obtained a name! A plot started to unfold and details I would need to research started to surface. I now have seven quite well formed characters demanding my attention. This may all be sounding good, but trust me that it isn’t.
It’s really bad timing. I am not ready to start a new story. I don’t have time for another story, but the temptation to dabble with it, is almost overwhelming. This new story is a good one, I know it has legs but I really need to focus on my current story, the novel that has taken over all my
spare time of late and has to be completely finished by 31st August. I can’t be distracted at the eleventh hour (well its maybe not quite that late but you see what I mean), by a totally different set of characters, plot and
problems.
This is not the first time this has happened, as the four other unfinished novels I have kicking around would attest to. However, it is the first time it’s happened when I have been so far into a novel and so focussed on finishing it. So I now have two sets of characters marching around my head and soon they will be fighting for my attention. So I am now trying to scribble down the new ideas, slam the notebook shut and lock them away quickly, so as not to take up vital brain space, and time. I am also trying to avoid sounding like a psycopath when I talk about It’s not easy but it’s the best I can do!
It’s really bad timing. I am not ready to start a new story. I don’t have time for another story, but the temptation to dabble with it, is almost overwhelming. This new story is a good one, I know it has legs but I really need to focus on my current story, the novel that has taken over all my
spare time of late and has to be completely finished by 31st August. I can’t be distracted at the eleventh hour (well its maybe not quite that late but you see what I mean), by a totally different set of characters, plot and
problems.
This is not the first time this has happened, as the four other unfinished novels I have kicking around would attest to. However, it is the first time it’s happened when I have been so far into a novel and so focussed on finishing it. So I now have two sets of characters marching around my head and soon they will be fighting for my attention. So I am now trying to scribble down the new ideas, slam the notebook shut and lock them away quickly, so as not to take up vital brain space, and time. I am also trying to avoid sounding like a psycopath when I talk about It’s not easy but it’s the best I can do!