It’s been harder than usual to get moving on my next project, a Trent/Jenks novella. Today should be better as I’m slowly wedging into this man’s head and his reactions begin to come easier. (Mmmm, I need to capitalize on that feeling . . . Just got an idea . . . ) Taking a week off to plot out a few non-Hollows ideas that I had previously simply shoved to the back of my head to forget about isn’t helping either. The opportunity to maybe work on them has proven to be more enticing than I gave it credit for, and I’m distracted. And not in a good way. I’m making progress, but not as much as I wanted to, and things need to shift or it’s going to be a miserable couple of weeks.
So today, I’m shoving said ideas firmly back in the closet until I can truly work on them, and C.O.N.C.E.N.T.R.A.T.E–as I often say to Thing Two as I touch my hand to my forehead, then his, as if we’re trying to exchange thoughts but really I’m trying to wedge into his to bring down all his laundry, not just the first layer.
The contest for submissions for the world book Hollows Gazette pictures is done, and I’ve got a bunch of smiling faces to choose from to give a face to my top two reporters, Devin and Whinney. This has been wonderful, guys, all the way around, and I have to thank you again. I’ll have my favorite mug shots up at the website tomorrow, and then the winners of that and the fountain shortly after. It feels like it’s wrapping up!
Kim Harrison 
I’ve tried several vulcan mind melds with my friends, all with only a partial success rate. Mental osmosis has met with similarly poor results. If you do get Thing Two to bring all of his laundry down, call my mom and tell her how to do that. I always forget all of my laundry. 😀
I hope your writing gets a little easier. I left my working notebook at my parents from my birthday >.< I'm hoping a friend can bring it up on Saturday. I'm not completely lost without it, but it's a large blow to my progress. Bah!
Thanks, Stephenie. 🙂 No day of writing ever feels the same. Good days, not so good days. Hope you get your notebook soon!
I finished hacking out my first story skeleton today. It felt like I’ve been hacking for weeks, but finally the block of marble is looking a little like a sculpture. Woo! My first novel-length outline! 🙂 Your advice to get organized is both incredibly helpful and also harder than it seems. Tomorrow I’m chopping it into chapters and scenes and trying out the character sheet technique. This is really exciting, and again whenever I read a “today was harder than usual” post it helps me keep forging ahead. Such a relief to hear that even prolific writers have their off days now and then, when I’m still trying not to be daunted by the amount of work to be done.
So, thanks again!
Excellent news, Lesley! That is a true accomplishment! I’m always fond of comparing writing to long distance running. (Since I often see the cross country team run past my window.) At the beginning of the summer, there is a huge number of kids, enthusiastic and excited, then tired and exhausted. In a few weeks, and there are fewer kids, the ones left being tired and exhausted. By the end of summer, fewer yet, leaner, stronger, confident runners go past my window, and I nod and smile. You just gotta stick with it.
My Texas summer is teasing me out into the sunshine in the early morning, but then drives me inside by 11 with 90-100 degree weather. It’s distracting to be trying to focus on work and responsibilities when all that bright happy sunshine just yells “Play.Time”
I tried making blueberry muffins to cheer myself up, but forgot to look for my muffin tin BEFORE I had everything mixed. and of course it was missing. and word to the wise: muffins baked without the tin, but in the little paper cups, bake up to look like tea cakes! 🙂 it was a happy mistake
I hear you, Victoria. It was like that when I lived in SC. It took me ten years to get used to doing outside work in the am, and now that I have, I suffer in the cold am Michigan mornings instead of waiting like my smarter neighbors for the afternoon warmth.
Very cool on the “tea cakes”!
Oh…I’m sure that you fill find a way to concentrate.
I sat for 4 hours last night & concentrated before my muse decided it was time to laze around on the back porch.
And the laundry? I’m wondering if it’s just a male thing? My hubby does the same thing!
I think part of it stems from the natural male attitude that there are different shades of clean. Give it a good shake, and it’s still clean.
LOL to Summer fever. Summer is already trying to boil us down here. Oh well, free facials for four, no make that five, months. Mug shots? I should have sent you my driver’s liscense photo…scary bad.
Summer fever . . . I’s got it.
Ooo, Jenks! I can’t wait to hear all of his new curses and one-liners. My husband occasionaly has bursts of idiotic genius that remind me of Jenks. His latest one, while trying to fix a computer:
“This will either be a piece of cake, …or a shit sandwich.”
I’m sure writers hate it when people say this (but I’m going to do it anyway), feel free to use that one. I can totally imagine it fitting into a Jenks/Trent adventure.
Love!
-grin- I just might do that, Devious.
I think Greg is right summer fever! I know I’ve got it bad, last week and a half of school is killer (even for us teachers). I’ve got a book idea rolling around in my head but can’t seem to sit long enough to get anything started besides little notes or emails to myself. Only time will tell.
Its great hearing that you have so many ideas rolling around too!
It has felt like Friday all week for me. Blahhhhh!
Good luck getting the story on paper. 🙂
Sounds like you have a touch of Summer fever, Kim. We all get that from time to time. Things will come, you just need to keep at it.
Thank you and jkh for your kind words. I’m plugging away, but would really like a break from the drudgery.
I hear you, Greg. I hear you.