The Blank Page: Conquered

For the last few days, I've been struggling with myself over how to start the next Clockwork Century book. Honestly, I hadn't done any writing in weeks – not since wrapping up the sample content for that steam-horror proposal – and it's always tough to get back into the habit once you've let it lapse.

Just like anything else, I guess.

But in addition to the struggle to reestablish the habit, there's also this godawful uncertainty about starting anything new – wondering if I'm getting the pitch right, hoping it's not stupid and I'm not deluding myself, and what does this damn thing want to sound like, anyway? Eventually after fiddling with it, playing with it, starting it and deleting everything a few times, something will finally … catch. And then, voila: I have a beginning.

Well, I think it's happened now.

This might not be the beginning that makes its way into the finished book. More than once I've chucked the first chapter (or two, or three) upon realizing that those early pages weren't working and the book needed to get underway differently. This is not to say that those chapters are useless – far from it. Sometimes you have to write through a certain measure of the wrong stuff in order to work up to the right stuff. It's just a fact of the process. (Mine, anyway. Your mileage may vary.)

Anyway. The next book – tentatively titled Inexplicables – is underway. I'll keep particulars to myself for a bit, if you don't mind, until I have some traction on the story. But for now, here are a few piddly stats (early stats are always piddly), and official declaration that I'm On It.

And now I have to stay on it.

Because I've told you about it.

Project: Inexplicables

Deadline: September 15, 2011

New words written: 1052

Present total word count: 1052 words

[Crossposted from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so either here or there.]