of cupcakes, literature and black metal

Wow, if you ever needed reason #1,997 to WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN RIGHT AWAY DON’T WAIT…

I keep putting off writing this scene in my novel because once I do I’ll not be able to stop but with school, etc., I don’t have time. So I have a couple of sentences and the overall structure of the scene written down for a prompt when I do have the time. I got some good ideas for a character recently, so I bust out my project notebook to jot them down. I happened to read wistfully over that scene sketch and I wrote down such a genius idea that will turn into a huge story arc that I TOTALLY FORGOT EVEN THINKING UP. SO glad I wrote that down, it was like a tiny gift from the novel fairy because my memory had no cookies stored from that idea-site.

This also makes me think about the project in general. I have two going right now. Both YA novels, both in similar stages of writing. I have more research to do for the second novel but I’ve got a huge outline ready. The first novel I have a few chapters written at least, and an outline, but, like I said, they’re both infant, writing-in-progress novels. I’m definitely more excited about the second novel, because it’s newer. I have a single notebook that I jot down research, outlines, scene ideas and character notes in. A pile of books to read for research. The other one I just have crappy chapters and a synopsis that I need to crank out into full novel form by this fall. I’ve been at it (outline and first chapter) for a year. It keeps changing. The other novel just keeps getting bigger (in scope) and better (in my head).

I need to think of something to get re-excited about the first project and try and stymie my interest in the latter so I stop wandering around “researching” it for hours. But there’s another voice inside me that says roll with it if I have the steam and the energy. So I’ll throw balance out the window and DO WHAT I WANT. (Because if it feels good [and doesn't harm others] then why not?) For now. And trust that when my passion is allowed to unfurl, the work will get done when it needs to. It usually does.

I am excited to finally get a project into a different phase, so I can maybe edit one while I write the other.

UPDATE: This post was originally written a couple of weeks ago. Today, I indeed threw balance out the window and wrote for hooours on my first project and effectively, by not worrying myself about burnout, totally got re-jazzed into my project and have left plenty for me to go forth and conquer with for future days when I might not be feeling it. The writing bits in my spirit feel like a cool, mountain breeze for all the refreshment today’s work has given.

from Danielle LaPorte at White Hot Truth: The Suck Factor of Life