Avoiding the Obvious

It's been one of those weeks (if it sounds like an excuse...). Since I started this blog, I have had only one opportunity to write... today (... and smells like an excuse...). The week was filled with unexpected turns at work that called on me to work late nights (... then chances are...). Duty calls. (Yup! Excuse!)

In my first entry I mentioned that I was in a bit of a funk. My wife read the first two chapters and she gave me some feedback that I used as an excuse to slack off instead of move forward. The key thrust of her comment was that the start doesn't capture her (in marketing we call this stickiness). It's interesting, but not captivating. This is not what a weak ego wants to hear.

What I had secretly wanted to hear was: "Ara... this is so damn good! I can't wait to read the rest!"

I obviously wanted to tell her that she was wrong. Because dang it, I'm building it up. I'm introducing you to new characters, I'm... I'm.... full of it. She was dead on. I've been on and off working on this novel for about four years. I know the twist and turns. The reader has no clue and if I don't bite them fast, they will not want to read the next chapter.

So I've used this as my favorite excuse to avoid writing. "I need to ponder this matter," I've told myself, and apparently I was buying it. I haven't done anything since. And I as I've said before this blog is my therapy.

Now I've come up with a good start, at least the concept came to me... but I have yet to put my Mac to work and command my fingers to spawn the tale as I see in my mind's eye. So today I finally got to the Mac and what did I do? I started editing Chapters 38-40. I avoided the real issue. I need to get this story to explode from page 1... but I'm sleepy now... you see I didn't sleep well last night. I had heartburn, indigestion--What? This sounds like an excuse? Hmmm... so it is. So it is...

Date: Feb 6, 2009

Word Increase/(Decrease): 180

Current Word Count: 52,618