Monday, August 9, 2010

How Do You Untie Knots?

Happy Manic Monday! The scent of Fall is in the air in Vermont today. After the weeks of blazing heat, the cool air is welcomed. Even my boys slept in to 9 AM, which is an unusual event and celebrated with a large cup of tea and a few chapters of my latest read.




Why didn’t I jump onto my laptop and start writing instead of reading? My brain is tied up in knots. When I write I need a clear path, a road map, and a compass. At the moment, I’m confused, disoriented, and the road have detours signs. I blame this on the four weeks of no-writing my doctor prescribed and enforced with a cast after some minor surgery on my writing hand. My stories had no outlet. They got jumbled in my head and instead of coming out in a steady stream like before they are all trying to get out at the same time.

In the span of two weeks, I’ve started three books and I NEVER, EVER do that. Not to mention the three other plot demons hanging out to torment me at night. Motivations, characters, and goals are all jumbled together now. I’ve managed to pull myself away this morning and wonder, “What the hell am I doing?”

It’s almost like a writer’s block but instead of a lack of ideas, I’m being bombarded and torn in umpteen directions. I can’t write different books at the same time. I’ve tried and my writing sucks when I’ve tried. So I plan to pull a title out of a hat today and stick with it until it’s done, done, DONE.

What do you do when your thoughts get stuck?

1 comment:

J Hali Steele said...

Oh, Annie, I've so been there. What's worked for me is the fact I write a synopsis/outliny thing first. When I do that it seems to quiet the plot beasties for a while. I file it in a folder called WIPS and continue working on whatever's on the desktop.

Good Luck!