A lack of project monogamy

[mrissa]

A few days ago, fairmer was talking about having too many projects and not focusing on any one of them. She wondered if we had any solutions. (This was in her other journal, I think.)

I'm working on my third book of the day. Plus two short stories got some words today.

So I think my solution is, "suck it up and deal." Also, "wait for the book to get demanding." Because they do, and I understand the urge to trouble trouble, but really your mom was right, and trouble will trouble you eventually.

It's easy for me to say this, because I've finished books before. But so has Mer, so she knows she can. I wasn't always in this position. I wrote my second book accidentally, while working on a million projects at once. It attained critical mass. Things happened. They turned out to be a book.

This is not to say I don't fuss about what I'm writing before a project goes critical on me. It's not at all to say that I'm relaxed and never overthink it. But I try to be. I don't think it's a bad thing, trying to be.

(ksumnersmith, the third novel in question is The Mark of the Sea Serpent. To make matters worse, the first was The Winter Wars, a.k.a. Not The Moose Prequel, and the second was Kjartan's volcano prequel to DBM. This isn't the extent of your birthday present, but I Just Hope You're Happy.)

Comments

[merriehaskell.livejournal.com]

I hope they get demanding. So far, it was me who got demanding. :)

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Well, usually for me there's a pendulum effect with that. The book gets demanding, and then it gets coy and I have to get demanding, because dammit I have 60K of book already and am not giving up, and then it does, and then I do, and then it does again.

[ksumnersmith.livejournal.com]

I Just Hope You're Happy.

Yep. Very. :)

See, this is the great thing about being a fan of someone's work in addition to a friend -- I can keep poking you for the books I want to read. And it's gotten to the point that I don't even have to *say* anything. You poke yourself on my behalf! Delightful.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

And now I can actually hear your voice in my head. It's like my mother's except it sounds very unlike my mothers and doesn't tell me to hydrate. Other than that, exctly like.

And speaking of voices outside my head, I should probably figure out how to call Canada one of these first years.

[ksumnersmith.livejournal.com]

Just so long as my voice in your head keeps telling you to do good things like write those books, eat more chocolate, don't get sick, and add a little more garlic.

I do like these new-fangled phone things. If only I'd remember to use them more than once every few months. And email. Just more things generally. (Five more days of work.)