And so, a return to my own writing.
Boy, am I struggling! See, it’s been a few years since I actually wrote Clown. After that, it sat gathering dust and getting the occasional edit until I got off my backside and published it.
Now, there’s a few things vying for my attention, which is bad enough, but I’m so out of touch with actually sitting down and writing that I’m struggling again. Add to that the distractions which surround me, and I’m REALLY struggling. So, let’s just count up the problems, shall we? (Why not? This may actually prove to be a useful exercise)
1. Time. I have precious little time to write at home. (I considered trying it on train journeys, but ended up falling asleep. When I don’t, I read instead.) I get home from work around 6.30pm, and by the time I’ve changed and eaten, it’s anywhere from 7.30 – 8pm. With a little ‘un to look after, and a good lady to spend time with (sure sacrifices have to be made, but I like spending time with them); or things to be blown up on the Playstation after a stressful day at the office; or a gym to be visited… There’s not much time left for writing. Especially as I need my sleep! And this doesn’t even consider the wealth of games, TV and movies which I want to catch up on (Supernatural, Battlestar Galactica, Warehouse 13, House… all calling for me! I’m desperately trying to leave Skyrim alone, but they’ve just released a new expansion. Bastards!)
2. Distraction. When I do get the chance to get down and write, I invariably find myself distracted. There are too many forums to pop into. The invariable Facebook/Twitter catch up. There’s always something…
3. Writing. And this is the real p*sser. When I do finally settle down. I’m comfortable. I’m relaxed. I’m distraction-free. And I start to write… Or, more accurately, I stare at the screen. Then I write something. Then I delete it, and try again.
Right now, I have five or six ideas for work that are all vying for attention. They’ve all seen Clown make it out of my head, and that people are willing to download and read. Those ideas are jealous. They want to be written and read.
I’m bouncing between a horror/slasher tribute; a sequel to Clown (largely focussed around the Dark Clown); another fantasy piece (Mischief); a collection of fairy tales; a collection of linked urban fantasy stories. And today, another one – which has been tickling at the back of my mind for a long time, and the missing piece finally fell into place.
Because I haven’t been writing for a long time, I can’t quite get into the groove again. I can’t find my voice again. Which is quite phenomenally frustrating.
I tried starting the slasher piece again, but hit a wall. For that, I need to do some character sheets (something I didn’t really use for Clown).
I tried kicking Mischief off again, but there’s a very definite tone in the telling of that book, and I couldn’t quite get to it. Not yet. So it’ll need to wait for a while.
I tried writing a new story. From scratch – just a short, so that it could fit in with the fairy tales collection. It started well enough, but again, I’m hitting that block…
…
…
Sometimes I do my best thinking through distraction. Wander into something else, and the original line of thought somehow becomes clearer.
Sometimes I like to take a walk, or gaze out the window, and a particular line or next step will come to me. Sometimes it works particularly well in the bath.
Hmm…
I think, by your mercy, I’m going to start a story here. I seem to be able to type well enough on these pages, and I’m able to offer critical review to the books I read, so maybe a new approach will work.
Let’s see, shall we?
