Yep. I’m wiped out. I pushed too hard again, am facing a possible setback that I won’t get into yet, and just am burned out at the moment. What’s worse is that I want to start working on book 2 but just cannot find the handle I thought I had, so I may have sunk too deep into the philosophical and just need to say “Screw you, plotline! I’m pantsing the hell out of this book too!”
It’s even affecting my posts as I have now shelved 3 of them I’ve started that got too deep into the philosophical end of the pool and I realized I didn’t know what I was babbling about. So you get this one instead. Maybe I’m just trying too hard.
I know where I need to be at the end, I just don’t know where to start or how to get there. It’s like waking up in the trunk of a car at an unknown airport. I know I need to get home, but first I have to figure out where I am and then how to pay for the tickets without a wallet.
On a positive note, my copy of The Story Grid showed up and I’m reading it. Some good stuff which will probably help me out of this hole relatively quickly.
I’m sorry you’re going through a rough spot. I’ve found that stepping away from a work for a day or two usually helps. (And honestly, I think your willingness to pants it might also get you started! Sometimes it works for me.)
Thanks for the encouragement. 🙂
Book 1 and 3 were pantsed till the last section when I had to do a flowchart for all the threads I had going on. But I also need to consider what my Foolscap summary is going to contain and not to mention re-focus on the fundamentals of the story. Book 2 was unplanned because I did not expect a character (Brother Finn) to become as popular as he did, and it fits in the timeline I have.