Of stories, novels, as well as the random novella and play that are either in various states of progress, or consist of only a few idea notes.
I have the ideas... I just lack the gumption/motivation to write them.
At writers group, I read an exercise piece I wrote willy-nilly sometime back in June. It took about ten minutes to vomit it up on paper/processor.
And I got some unexpected (and good) feedback on it. People seeing nuances in it that I didn't contemplate myself. It was, after all, just an exercise. But there's potential there for something more. Or so it seemed to eyes other than my own.
So that's another I'll probably stow away in the ever burgeoning notebook of ideas, along with my newly printed index/catalogue of stories I need to be working on.
Perhaps it's the writing as "work" idea that's been putting me off lately.
I've spent much of this last month (really since I returned from Savannah in late June) writing scripts and lessons and various other odds and ends for different projects for my day job. By the time I come home in the evenings, all I want to do is vegetate in front of a piece of fanfiction (my guilty pleasure, both reading and writing...but lately, not so much writing) or stare blankly at the television.
Hardly promising positions for a would-be author. Though one is, admittedly, better than the other. At least fanfiction engages the brain--even the bad stuff, since it brings out my inner Editor/Proofreader and makes me take a closer look at my own work, both original and not.
But it doesn't put my pen to the page.
And that's where I need to overhaul my life.
Correction: That's where I need results when I overhaul my life.
The overhauling needs to start in a slightly different place.
I'm thinking first: a new mattress.
Sleep is key, and while I do sleep well, I've been suffering from aches and pangs in the last few months (brought on by my first ever round of frizbee golf, how unfortunate) that have not gone away. They've improved, but I have good days and bad and part of me is thinking the mattress (left over from the days of Matt's childhood) is to blame. So, we'll probably be taking a trip over to The Avenue and start mattress hunting this weekend. Time to break out the credit card for another big purchase. (The last being the compressor on my Sable.)
The second is keeping the energy up and that means getting back into an exercise regime (which might, also, improve the previously mentioned aches and pains). I was doing quite well for a while, walking well over a mile four to five times (possibly more) a week. That schedule got skewed when I took my week off to visit Georgia.
The third is to get out more. Gas prices, of course, must be considered, but I rarely take weekend day trips like I used to do with my parents. Those were usually good for getting the mind engaged and the energy flowing. I'm beginning to contemplate heading out to a different bed and breakfast once a month or so (finances depending), just to get a little taste of being away from home.
This includes writerly things. So, I may be taking myself up to Killer Nashville next month to check out some of the panels. I'm not a "mystery" writer per se, but all stories are mysteries until you finish them and my writing would very likely benefit from some of the panels that are being given this year. (Just wish I could do all of them, unfortunately I've yet to master the art of being in two places at once.)
I guess that's something else to work on.
