Making new words

I’m writing again.

It feels good. It’s been a while since I’ve made the time to sit down to work on a story, spend a few moments with new characters. There are reasons (there always are). Mostly they go something like: “because work”, or “but this TV series is just so engrossing”, or “blah, I just don’t wanna”.

But no matter how lazy, or sidetracked I became, the stories never went away. And I’ve still been reading a ridiculous amount (hooray for travelling by bus). So while I wasn’t tapping on the keys into the wee hours, I was still allowing my imagination to cavort about in the background. And so the seeds for my current novel started to get all moist and slimy until I had just had to do something about them. So I started.

I got the first few chapters down and then let it all start to grow roots. The last week or so I’ve really started to work at it. Dedicating at least half an hour a day to it. It helps that I have an inkling of who I’d like to send it to first when it’s done. And that’s the thing – it needs to be done.

So, no more procrastinating.

You can keep your iPad

On the bus to and from work you’ll spot me scrawling longhand on the back of work waste paper, getting as many words down as possible. It doesn’t matter if I suspect they’re not great. What matters is that I’m writing again. Then later I transcribe them and fix bits and pieces as I go. In between those bursts of writing and slogging away at the day job, the story is ticking over in the background. My characters are slowly revealing more of themselves and colour is seeping into the world I’m creating. It’s exhilarating.

Realistically, if all of my characters cooperate, I should be able to have the first draft finished by the end of February.

In related news, I’ve also made a decision about where to start with sending my first novel out. It’s been languishing on my laptop and flash drives for years now. I’ve fussed over it, tried to rework bits I’m not happy with and just generally delayed the inevitable. I need to just give it the boot. If I don’t try, I’ll never know.