As I write this I’m in one of those strange writing places. As a fairly accomplished procrastinator, I usually have between one and a hundred writing projects on the go in some form or another. Typically there’s a novel being edited, a short story being written and a couple of other things in various states of action.
At the moment, though, I’m kind of in between everything. I have a novel at my alpha reader, another that I’ve put aside in the editing process to simmer, a short story with beta readers and I’m prepping a novel. Okay, so that last one is something to actively work on, but overall I feel kind of like I’m out of work.
I know that as a self-directed writer, this situation is entirely up to me. I could start pounding away on one of those story ideas cluttering up my notebook, I could skip the simmer and get editing that novel, or I could just declare myself to be on holiday, spend my days playing Guitar Hero and finally finish Metallica’s One on hard (it’s just those meedlies at the end — I’m so close I can taste it!).
I’ll pick one of those options soon enough, but for now I’m kind of enjoying the somewhat weightless feeling of being in between projects. I haven’t had it for a long time and it’s interesting. Doubtlessly, something productive will come of it.
No contest – nail the Metallica track.