Today is one of those days that started with good intentions.  I was going to dig into a first chapter on the new proposal that I’ve been brainstorming for the past couple of weeks.  It’s now almost 5 pm, and I haven’t written one word.  I haven’t opened the file.  I’ve been caught up in other projects, answering questions and providing information for two different editors.  That’s good, because it means those projects are moving forward.  That’s bad because I haven’t even begun the work designated for today.

But a writer’s life often is pulled in unplanned directions.  When my children were little, there were the crises of a scraped knee or the diplomacy needed when two kids wanted to play with the same toy at the same time.  As they grew up, there were the interruptions (many unplanned) for events they needed to attend or they would just be an utter outcast.  I learned during that time and I’ve been reminded so many times since that it’s important to roll with the demands of the day.  Maybe that’s why I’ve learned to write later at night when the rest of my world is quieting down.

So later tonight, I’ll open the file for that chapter and begin.  I hope…

I could have titled this entry “what I did on my summer vacation”, but I’ll get to that later.  Today I’m at the beginning of a new project.  At that point when everything is possible, and nothing is set in stone.  It’s both fun and overwhelming as I focus on goals, motivations, and conflicts.  On the romance.  On the research.  On getting the storyline going.  I thought I had it all set…and then my mind starts with the “What about this?”  and “What if?” and “Why?” questions that soon lead me into a new direction.  So instead of trying to fix it all in a first scene, I’m sketching out a synopsis.  15 pages and counting, but this synopsis is just for me to answer all those nagging questions.  When I’m done, I should be ready to jump into writing.

Or so I hope…