40 Day Rush

So my exceptionally ordered routine spiralled into chaos about two months back. And, being me, I did what I always do when chaos ends up visiting – I stepped back, re-evaluated my priorities, and started adjusting my schedule to meet the demands being placed on me. Eventually, I figured, things will return to normal. I will find the new equilibrium and learn to plan around that.

My writing suffered, as that happened, ’cause other work impinged on writing time. Lots of other things suffered too, ’cause the last two months have been crazy in good ways and in bad ways, but when I sit down and try to figure out why I’m stressing out, the lack of writing is always a big part of it. Writing workshops and applications are not an adequate replacement for creative work, in terms of keeping me sane and focused on what matters.

And, since it been two months and the chaos shows no sign of leaving, I am wedging writing back into my schedule whether it fits or not. There’s an idea that’s been kicking around inside my head for a couple of months. Something novella-length, very short, very focused. One of those rare projects where I can actually sit down and plot out scenes, rather than make it up as I go along.

One of those rarer projects where I actually know what excites me about the story, before I sit down to start writing.

So, today, I start a new novella project – working title Float – and set myself the deadline of writing 40,000 words in the next 40 days. Not an unreasonable goal, by any measure, but fitting it in will be murder given how hectic the next few weeks are going to be.

PROGRESS ON FLOAT

It’s going okay thus far, but today is Write Club. It gives me a chance to get ahead before the long, endless Thursday of working/teaching hits.

See you tomorrow, peeps.

A photo posted by Peter M Ball (@petermball) on Mar 2, 2016 at 4:09pm PST