On the Road to Revision

In the middle of revising the first few chapters of my novel, I got another short story idea. I jotted down the first few pages of the story, but it hasn’t deterred me from the revision. My imagination has terrible timing. I’ve just finished revising two other stories and sending them out the door for submission. I didn’t need another idea!

But my mind doesn’t work like that. I had the idea and poof! The story formed in my mind. The story of a young woman about the leave for college and goes off on one last girl’s trip with her best friend and her best friend’s big sister. She wakes up and they are gone and she is blamed for their disappearance.

I can see the whole thing unfold in my head. Her fear over their mysterious disappearance and what really happened. But I have to put a pin in it. I’ve written a few hundred words, but my novel hasn’t finished with me yet.

Because while this new, shiny story is sitting in front of me, my novel is whispering in my ear about how I need to add another two chapters to my book. And I agree.

Does everyone else have this happen? Is it common for the creative muse to take detours on the way to a finished manuscript?

Perhaps this is for the best. I can work on the old stuff and, when I get bored, work on the new story. I have no idea what this new story will end up being. Maybe it is the start of another big story, but right now I’m not going to worry about that. The most important thing is to keep working.

As many others have said before me, you can build up momentum when writing. I am someone who believes that habit will always trump motivation. I try to write everyday out of habit, not because I’m motivated. Most days this happens, but not always. I’m tired, or too busy with the mundane things we need to do to be an adult in this world. Habits are the familiarity of action that keeps me on track. One day of new words or revised words leads to another. Before I know it, I’ll have gotten much further than I realize.

September 1^st is my new deadline for Draft #2 of my novel. I’m working towards it… with maybe a detour along the way.

Happy Writing!