Sigils Update and Existential Artist Personality Bullsh*t

 
I'm just over 26,000 words into Sigils, which means I haven't quite averaged 1000 words/day on it. Which is slower than I wanted or expected.
 
I'm not sure if I'm losing faith in the story, or just need to write something else. Or maybe I need a short break from writing.
 
If I'm losing faith in the story, is that because the story isn't making sense anymore? Or is it just that the story is proving harder to write than anticipated? If the story isn't making sense, there's probably a way to fix it. If it's just harder to write than I expected, I should just suck it up and keep going. Learn something, maybe.
 
If I need a break to work on something else for a bit, how long is a "bit"? And what should I work on? Another novel-length project? Or something shorter? Would doing something else provide perspective on Sigils? Or kill it? I've come back to projects before (it took me 18 months to write the last two chapters of The Girl Who Ran With Horses; it took me 3 years to get back to Gunwitch, but for a completely different reason). I prefer to work on something from start to finish, though. I can be a bit OCD about that.
 
If I need a break from writing … well, I have other work I can focus on. I'm 54 days into my current writing streak, though. My longest ever. I would hate to end that (and then have to start over again). I went straight from "The End" of GoSH1 into Sigils, starting Sigils the next day. I usually give myself more time off between projects than that, but that doesn't mean I have to. And, as is obvious from looking at my daily writing production, it's not as if I'm working myself too hard.
 
It's probably all true: I'm losing faith in the story. I'd love to work on something else. And I need a break.
 
But the caveat to all of those is the same: but not that much.
 
I'm losing faith in the story, sure, but not that much. I'm sure I can fix whatever is wrong. And it's possible there's nothing wrong at all. It's probably just normal artist personality bullshit, anyway.
 
I'd love to work on something else, absolutely, but not that much. I want Sigils done as much as I want anything else done.
 
I need a break–who doesn't?–but, no, not that much.
 
So, odds are, I'll still be working on Sigils tomorrow. And the day after that. On until THE END.
 
Write it, don't fight it, I like to say.
 
Or, as my brother Don has said: Paint it, even if it ain't it.
 
One of those, I'm sure, holds the key.
 
Have a great weekend!
 
-David
 
Related Posts:
April WrapupA Sigils Progress ReportA Milestone