Hey all, Morticia Knight here, and I’ve been pondering my writing process as of late. Sometimes I go through phases where I can focus on the series (or two) that I’m in the middle of, my other future ideas or WIP tucked safely away in folders on my computer, waiting their turn to be dusted off and delved into. Then it happens. I’ll be minding my own business, grocery shopping, on a long drive or possibly even attending an event with friends and WHAM. The little bastards pop out from nowhere and I immediately retreat into my head.
Thankfully, I haven’t run into a ditch while driving, but I have been accused of displaying a vacant stare and mindlessly nodding while saying, “Uh-huh”, when poor unsuspecting friends are trying to have a conversation with me. This is a big reason why it’s best for all involved if I don’t leave the house all that much.
Back when I was still working the EDJ, those furry fellows would show up at the worst times. Usually when there was a long line at the register or my District Manager had unexpectedly shown up. Pure agony. I did, however, learn the art of subtle note-taking while giving more embellished responses: “Uh-huh. I’ll get right on that.” And I wonder why she was always yelling at me.
The most recent one hit me while I was in Seattle for Gay Romance Northwest (awesome gathering by the way) and the thing that annoyed me the most about it, was that in addition to interrupting my enjoyment there, I had a deadline for a completely different story and needed to remain focused on those plot elements. I’d sit down to write in-between events and immediately wave goodbye to my focus as it shifted to the brand new, shiny idea. I went back and forth between the two stories to the point of crazy-making.
I’m going to try something new for a while, something I’ve never done before. I’m rather OCD about a lot of things, and when I write, I always start at the beginning, keep going until the end and never work on more than one thing at a time. However, now that I’m writing full time and stories are all I think about on any given day, I no longer have the constraints I had when working the EDJ. Back then, I had so much responsibility and hours I worked, that there wasn’t enough energy in me to explore all the snippets of ideas I wrote on scratch paper and stuffed into my pockets. When I’d arrive home I’d pick up from where I left off the day before and keep going until it was time to close the doc again. Then it was rinse and repeat.
That’s far from the case now. The Peter Rabbits are rushing at me from all sides! The moment I open my Morticia Knight folder, they hop out, all of them scratching and clawing to get my attention. So this is my new plan: I’ll open the current WIP, but I’ll also open whatever other story is begging to be written. Then, whichever one inspires me is the one I’ll work on.
This is hardly a groundbreaking idea. Many, many authors work this way. For me, though, it’s pretty scary. How will my OCD demons react to such a bizarre plan? I guess I’ll find out. My hope is that it will increase not only my productivity, but keep the joy of writing alive. Take that, you fuzzy beasts.
Author Bio
Author Morticia Knight spends most of her nights writing about men loving men forever after. Even though she’s been crafting her naughty tales of romance for more years than she’d like to share – her adventures as a published author began in 2011. Since then, she’s been fortunate enough to have several books on bestseller lists, along with two titles receiving recognition from the Rainbow Book Awards. Once upon a time, she was the lead singer and songwriter in an indie rock band that toured the West Coast and charted on U.S. college radio. Morticia currently resides on the beautiful northern Oregon coast, and when she’s not fantasizing about hot men, she takes walks along the ocean and occasionally annoys the local karaoke bar patrons.
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