The Journal, Sunday, 9/10

Hey Folks,

Rolled out late again this morning. That’s all right.

Had an urge to write something different, so I started another story. Then I got stuck. Then I sat back and thought about that. It’s been happening a lot over the past couple of months. Then I realized what’s going on and wrote the topic below.

TOPIC: Introspection

Recently, privately, a friend applauded me for sharing the down sides as well as the up. Possibly he didn’t realize he was only encouraging me. (grin)

I find myself in a ridiculous predicament, though “predicament” is too strong a word. Besides, it’s so ironic I have to laugh.

After 182 short stories, 26 novels and 4 novellas, I’m stuck. I can’t say I’m blocked. I don’t believe in writer’s block as others have desribed it to me: a general inability to come up with anything to write about.

Um, if nothing else, write about the writer’s block. Soon your brain will grow tired of you wasting its time and move on to something more interesting. It worked for me back when I still believed writer’s block was possible.

So I’m not blocked, but I am stuck.

Now it seems to me when a professional encounters a problem, he simply takes a deep breath and works through the problem to a solution. He keeps working the problem. Diagnose, attempt and repeat.

In Writer World, that simply means Practice.
I’ve diagnosed why I’m stuck.

I write an opening, concentrating on grounding the reader. Then I seem unable to Just Move On.

Why? Because I’m concentrating.

Allowing my conscious mind in to make sure I’ve pulled the reader deep into the story at the opening.

How do I get past it?

Practice.

In coming days (as long as it takes) I’ll practice writing openings and moving past them to finish stories. I’ll resist the urge to cycle back until I’ve written at least a thousand words.

And when I do cycle back, I’ll just read what’s there, allow myself to briefly touch it, then move on. That’s the practice part.

I won’t stick on it.

I won’t become encumbered (and allow the story to become encumbered) with details.

I already know how to ground the reader, and my subconscious has it. I’ve forgotten how to move on because I’m not trusting my subconscious. So that’s what I’ll be practicing. Trusting. Moving on.

If I can do that, my novel goals for the calendar year are still well within reach.

***

Today is an excellent day. It is a lazy day. We made a necessary shopping trip.

I walked our quarter-mile lane, clippers in hand, to cut back the encroaching mesquites. I watered our large cactus-and-succulent garden (attempting to tempt some rain to fall).

I read. I did some online stuff. I took a few pictures. I rooted for the gathering cumulus clouds.

I even wrote the earliest beginning of a story (about 100 words), which led to a bit of Deep Thought and the topic above. But the only real writing I did today was on this Journal.

Back tomorrow.

Of Interest

Nothing really of note that I saw around the web today. I didn’t receive a newsletter from The Digital Reader (supposed to come every day) or Science Alert (ditto).

I did receive The Passive Voice and it was fair, but nothing specifically that I thought I should point out.

Fiction Words: XXXX
Nonfiction Words: 580 (Journal)
So total words for the day: 580

Writing of Doctor Ramsey (novel, working title)

Day 1…… 1781 words. Total words to date…… 1781
Day 2…… 2678 words. Total words to date…… 4459
Day 3…… 1142 words. Total words to date…… 5601
Day 4…… 2460 words. Total words to date…… 8061
Day 5…… 1302 words. Total words to date…… 9363
Day 6…… XXXX words. Total words to date…… XXXXX

Total fiction words for the month……… 16444
Total fiction words for the year………… 396064
Total nonfiction words for the month… 5750
Total nonfiction words for the year…… 142150
Total words for the year (fiction and this blog)…… 538214

The Daily Journal blog streak……………………………………… 652 days
Calendar Year 2017 Novels to Date………………………… 8 Novels (since Oct 19, 2014)………………………………………… 26
Novellas (since Nov 1, 2015)……………………………………… 4
Short stories (since Apr 15, 2014)……………………………… 182