Logjams

Time to ‘fess up: I have not been writing. Nothing on the novel, nothing meaningful at school, not even an outraged editorial (which is pretty common when governors and legislators reveal their latest “brilliant ideas” about how to “fix” public schools without even bothering to check with a teacher first). Haven’t been blogging, haven’t been posting on my usual loops. Haven’t been reading my usual loops, to be honest. Meaningful literature around here lately has been of the jump-up-and-write-it-down-before-I-forget variety, which means most of the stuff in my handwriting conveys vital things like “pay bills” and “library books?” and “lunch in fridge.”

This not-writing thing is pretty unusual for me. I rarely have nothing to say. Hell, I never have nothing to say. But this little to say business has me perplexed. There’s zero chance I’ll finish the new book if I never write anything in the new book. (There’s a shocker)

Thankfully, the beavers who seem to have taken over upstairs from my usual squirrels appear to be hibernating, so the logjam might be breaking up a bit. I restructured the first “chapter” (read: backstory dump stolen straight from synopsis) of my current ms and actually was able to insert some new material tonight. Nothing like running away from home and having my usual dinner date cancel unexpectedly–I took over my booth at Moe’s, ate my naked burrito, listened to my iPod, and actually wrote.

I WROTE.

Yes, this is big news. Now the trick will be to keep the momentum going. Hmm.