Mmm, how good do those look? *Homer Simpson-style drool* Where did I put my multi-pack of Cadbury's Flake? Ah, yes...
(Gets Flake. Opens Flake. Devours Flake. Pours large glass of fruit juice to make up for eating Flake.)
So. I am now on the precipice of starting a new project and for me, this is something that always gives me a funny mix of feelings. They consist of the following:
1. Excitement. A brand new story, waiting to be told. New characters, new challenges, new settings, new plot twists, new dialogue... A blank canvas that nobody else knows is there and which I, to all intents and purposes, am going to invent and then unleash upon the world. Bwah ha ha!
2. Nervousness. Otherwise known as The "What If I've Used Up All My Writing Credits?" Frets and other such sayings of self-doubt. I felt like this before I started One Shore Thing -- that what I'd already written and had published was "my lot", that I'd used up whatever writing talent I'd been given and that it was the end of the line. This could be something that improves as an author moves onwards and upwards in their writing career, but I suspect it isn't, since most authors I know or have heard speak seem, in the main, the complete opposite of big-headed. Perhaps it is a feeling that is just always there, hovering, in the backs of the minds of people who "create" for a living.
3. Itchy feet. Getting something off the ground is one of my biggest troubles. I can plan, make lists, bold-up important points, insert bulleted and numbered lists, and bookmark relevant research websites until the cows come home, but it often takes me a great deal of effort to BICHOK (Butt In Chair, Hands on Keyboard) and start writing the damn thing. Even when all my plans are ready, when I've opened a new file, typed "Chapter One" and inserted my headers and footers, I will stare at the flashing cursor and then decide I need to walk the dog/put the laundry on/do the dusting/have a bath/get the chicken out the freezer and so on and so forth. Sometimes these ridiculous (though often beneficial for the state of our house) diversionary tactics can last a number of days. However, with the new pressures of being self-employed and having a large metaphorical roadblock coming up in mid-June that will stop my writing for a little while (BIRTH), I know I need to be productive and stay productive.
How do you feel when you're starting a new project? The same mix of things? Less? More? Better? Worse? Let me know!
Just finished reading: My Best Friend's Girl by Dorothy Koomson
1 comment:
Jess. I know that feeling about using up your writing credits. I'm not v experienced but the past few months have taught me that far from using them up, you have really only just begun. Good luck xx
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