Historical and Contemporary Romance Author

Writer’s Log Jam

X-posted from the Manuscript Mavens blog.

Like Darcy, I was going to blog about my pre-conference preparations, jitters, and excitements this week, but another topic has been pushed to the forefront of my mind by recent events. You see, I’m in the throes of writing my two contracted but as yet unfinished novellas, and I’m realizing that I have a problem. It’s kind of like writer’s block, but not exactly. It’s more like writer’s log jam.

You see, I’m not suffering from a paucity of ideas. Quite the reverse. I have too many!

The novella I’m currently writing (the third chronologically in the anthology, but the second I “conceived”) is giving me fits because I’m afraid it won’t fit within its 25K-35K boundaries. I have at least a dozen more scenes rattling around in my head that could and/or should go into this story, but I’m already pushing 20K and I’m still miles from the Black Moment. The result is that I’m finding it difficult to decide which scenes I should write and which I shouldn’t. Worse, I’m an incredibly linear writer, so I can’t just write the scenes out of order and put them together later. I have to know for certain what happened before the scene I’m currently writing, or I can’t write it.

To make matters worse, other stories are plaguing me. Driving through the Black Hills on our way back from our vacation in Minnesota the week before last got me itching to write a Western historical (which I never thought I’d do, but the place is just do darned evocative!). Add that idea to all the others taking up space in my brain (there must be at least a dozen, if not more, begging to be written), and I’m finding it quite difficult to concentrate on the projects I’m actually obligated to complete! The words for the stories I must write are getting jumbled up with the words for the stories I want to write.

So, is there a solution to this dilemma? Short of just plugging away and doing what I have to do, I doubt it. But somehow, putting my finger on the root of the problem has me feeling a bit less anxious if nothing else. “Writer’s block”–the possibility that my ideas will dry up and I won’t be able to write anything at all–terrifies me. Being caught in an idea traffic jam doesn’t make me nearly as nervous!

YOUR TURN: Do you suffer from writer’s log jam? How do you overcome your selfish desire to set aside the project you’re currently working on to start a new one? Or do you just give into temptation?

P.S. I’m also blogging today at the Aphrodisia Authors blog and guest-blogging with my critique partner, Emma Petersen, over at Shiloh Walker’s blog. Drop by and see me if you get a chance!

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