Arrrgh -editor attack

• Words so far: 28,000
• Completed Chapters: 15

Another slow weekend. I mean honestly you'd think two days off work would be enough for me to get at least a few thousand words down, but no.

So I didn't get any writing done this weekend. I opened up the file at least six times, but each time I suddenly though of something else I needed to do - I even convinced myself that I needed to vacuum. There is something about the working week that is forcing the habit of writing on me.

Then today it got even worse as I found myself re-reading and making technical and artistic edits to the first chapter. It snuck up on me and at first I didn't realize what I was doing. I was half way though a paragraph and just changing a few words when I realized my editor had struck.

I'm moving ahead again now and I think I know what had me stuck. I'd reached a point where I felt like I was moving towards a conclusion, closing out the planned parts of the work aspects of Jacob's life, but it's much too early.

I want everything to come together at the end of the book, hitting him like a wave and lifting him. I've managed to throw another wrench in the works, but I need to keep in mind the different streams and ensure I'm not getting ahead of myself in any of them.

Evolution vs. Plan

• Words so far: 24,000
• Completed Chapters: 13

So much is evolving as I write.

The order of plot pieces is changing, new elements are creeping in along with new characters and the scope of the book is becoming wider.

So I'm pondering the the thought, should I be sticking to the plan or allowing the plot to evolve?

On the plus side for firm commitment to the plan; I get to know what is next and avoid any dead end story lines that will leave me with writers block and uncertain of the way forward and the last thing I need at the moment is a reason to stop writing. Several important work projects requiring intense focus and with short deadlines at my day job are leaving me a tired and drained. The wider scope is also requiring more research and detail checking.

The flip side though is that some of the evolving ideas are deepening the characters. providing more interest and (I think) contain some of the best moments so far.

I'm going to try to combine the two placing some limits on the evolution to prevent the 'dead end' possibility (which is the one I fear most), but otherwise I'll let my muse take me where she will.