Christa: A flooded engine
After a full week of directing all my creative energy toward work for other people, I finally reached a point where I feel comfortable starting to work on fiction again (you know, without feeling like I’m wasting time).
Too bad it’s such a struggle to get started.
I have on my plate:
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a novel, sequel to the one I’m currently shopping.
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a project that started as a short story, but which, once I finished it, asserted itself as a longer project. Hopefully a novella only.
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a novella.
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half a dozen short stories, two of which are maddeningly close to completion, if I could only figure out what to do with them.
All whirl around my brain like a solar system in print, making it impossible to pick just one. In short, if life is the fuel my creativity needs to run, then this past week (month?) has flooded my engine.
Anyone got a spark?
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Studio Mothers: Life & Art 
Well, this isn’t much of a process, but if I were in that situation, I would go to my writing place (a chaise lounge, with my laptop on my lap) and just randomly start opening files, rereading, and see what I wanted to do. On the ones that I felt I was banging my head against the wall, if I really wanted to feel productive, probably would stay away from those unless I thought some magic might actually happen. What you don’t want, it sounds like, is to stare at the screen during your precious time, not when you might be doing work on something else.
I’m a firm believer in going with whatever is grabbing you the most; that’s what you’ll do the best work on. OTOH, you might feel good finishing something, so consider selecting something you have a shot at completing in a couple of sessions.
That’s the trouble, Betsy – they are ALL grabbing me. I might be more interested in one on one day, but in another the next. That just makes it so hard to knuckle down and focus, especially with my time so limited!
Maybe I’ll get the husband to read a couple of the short stories, see if he has suggestions on where they should go next….
Christa, having so many interesting things to work on is a GREAT problem to have! So much better than feeling bereft of ideas. If you’re like me, and you enjoy a sense of accomplishment, maybe you could focus on the one (or two ) projects that seem most “finishable” as of now? Or maybe you could pick an upcoming short fiction contest deadline as a way to push toward finishing one of your short stories.
Miranda, I think what it’s related to is my strong desire to get a book-length work published, at the same time that I’ve been dealing with an increasingly stagnant agent hunt. Of those who have given feedback, all say there is nothing *wrong* with the book, just that they don’t think they can sell it.
So – I’m looking at small presses, so it’s not like I’ve given up, I had just wanted to have an agent by now and am not looking forward to another round of queries. But meanwhile, I’ve got this book’s sequel that I’m excited about – so I’m really wanting to get that done and into the world. At the same time, working as assistant editor for the new horror magazine, I have two viable novella projects that that market may print. And of course the short stories, which I’ve had successes with.
So really what it boils down to is not so much picking which I will enjoy most, but picking which I think I can get done in a reasonable enough amount of time so I can shop it and feel successful. My ego, it boggles my mind! š
So, I am in Betsy’s camp… just go with what is grabbing you the most right now. If it is the sequel, don’t worry about book 1 and just get typing! And really, this *problem* is a good one. When you get that agent, one of the first questions they’ll ask is “What else are you working on?” Or “What else is complete right now?” You’ll have a hard drive full! š
omg.. good work, man