I hear it happens to everyone. You get neck-deep in a story, you start getting desperate–and the muses start tempting you with something else.
“Hey, so sorry that tournament scene is giving you fits. How about a nice contemporary mystery instead? Or this really cool scene in this other universe you haven’t even started building yet!”
We all know* that I have focusing issues anyway. ADHD gallops through this household, man. In Fast Draft I’ve found some tools to rein that in, but that doesn’t mean the distractions have stopped. For instance, I get emails whenever someone comments on my Lukas and Alan story†that I’m so proud of–and two recurring themes are “holy cow this is free?” and “Is there a sequel? I’d pay to read a sequel!”
Avarice doesn’t motivate me much, but praise does, and the idea of playing with Lukas and Alan again but this time getting paid for it…now that’s a sweet deal. But I’ve been resisting. I’ve been good. I’m working on Remy right now, demmit.
Then I complain about my lack of focus and a friend (an enabler, but I love her for it) links me Jennifer Crusie and Scientific American telling me that CHASE THE SHINY is important to creativity.
Resist, resist…
And THEN…while hitting my wordcount goal last night, I wrote a pretty intense scene. When I got done I went to Tom Hiddleston Tumblr for a pick-me-up.
While wandering about Avengers/Tom Hiddleston/Loki stuff, I found this.
And let me tell you–ATTACK OF THE PLOTBUNNY.
So, umm…if I can avoid any more plotbunnies for a bit, or unexpected mysteriously-appearing deadlines, expect a Lukas and Alan sequel (Christmas? Yes, please!) and then probably a story of two unnamed-as-yet boys running from–well, I know what, I think. No, it won’t be a take on Supernatural, and no, the characters won’t be Thor and Loki in disguise. Though there will probably be some similarities of character, just because that’s how those boys strike me. (Dark haired boy–smart-mouthed and insecure. Blond boy–caring, protective, but regular sufferer of foot-in-mouth disease.)
Now if I could just GET BEAST DONE DEMMIT so I can start on the next project…
Yeah, actually–I do love being a writer. 😀
*anyone who has been here through more than three posts knows, anyway.
†129 five-star ratings!!††😀
††no, that’s not a link to the page with the comments I get emailed. That page you can’t reach unless you’re a group member, so I’m just saving you frustration. Besides, if you want the story, the link above is the page that has the ebook download.††â€
†††Am I making footnotes on my footnotes now? Yes. Yes, I am.
More Lukas and Alan by Christmas? ^_______________________________________^
(Like how I just zeroed right in on that? >_> The other stories sound cool too, really. But Lukas and Alan! *dances* )
I DID NOT SAY BY CHRISTMAS! (though I’d love to manage it.) I meant, “a story including, but not limited to, Lukas and Alan’s first Christmas together.”
’cause I wanna see how close I can get to schmoopy without actually hitting it, probably. >_>
Oooooooh. *chinhands* That sounds like it’s worth waiting for. (Although a Christmas story BY Christmas would be awesome too. Just saying. >_> )
I am the same way. I’m always chasing wisps of plots and characters…except I give in to the temptation. I tend to have three or four stories on the go, on average.
Do you then get them done? If I chase the wisps, I find I don’t finish–I just keep chasing on. Isaac Asimov, though, is said to have had a circle of ten typewriters, and when he got stuck he jumped to the next one. He finished plenty!