No, I’m not. Strangely, more people have asked me this lately than have when I have been working on a book.
Just yesterday, it occurred to me that it’s about a year, maybe more, since I put out Finitude. I felt funny about it — you know, that old immediate response of “Uh-oh, something’s wrong!”
But nothing’s wrong. I’ve just been catching up on life-stuff, then started the DIY Book podcast. That project is the size and scope of writing a novel, except instead of using my usual process to write content, I’m using the process to write out the process. Kinda odd.
I’ve had the fourth episode of the podcast ready to record for a while, but being away in Canada for the last month I haven’t had a chance to do it. Last night was my first regularly-scheduled writing session since then, and I was feeling hesitant about it: “Who am I to be talking about this when I’m not doing it myself?”
Of course, I knew this was just mental babble, so I had a nap (always a great way to change your state of mind, rather than bloodymindedly ploughing on — as long as it’s a short, timed nap), and while I was lying there I thought, “Okay, just to prove to yourself that you can write something anytime you like, come up with an idea.”
I let my mind go, and I found myself following this young girl around a little town. She had a nasty habit of tattling on everyone and was causing holy hell, wrecking lives hither and yon. The effect was pure evil, but she did it out of a righteous concern for them, or just unconsciously. But then something happened in her life and she needed a secret of her own kept…
So there it was, beginning, middle, end, just as I was going to talk about in this podcast episode on plotting out the acts of your book. I got up, went into my little office-oubliette, and spent the next few hours recording it.
Like I say, “If you’re stuck, it’s always because there’s a question you’ve forgotten to ask or answer.”
Still, I feel the urge to start another book, but nothing is demanding my attention. I’ll know when it’s time.
<
p>