Normally, I try to be writing one thing, and rewriting another. That
way, when my brain freezes on one story, I can just switch over to
the other one and pretend the first problem doesn't exist. Then a
day or so later, I can say to myself, 'Oh yeah, I need to get this
piece finished too. Let's see where I stopped. Oooo, I know what
happens next.' I stole the idea from a character in The Midwich
Cuckoos.
Walking away really helps. I used to work on each story really
intent on finishing it, until I got the next idea. That idea would
seem like the coolest thing that ever existed, and I would put the
first piece aside, just for a little while, I promised myself. Then
I would pound away on the new one, until I got another idea. It was
only when I applied some self-control to how I wrote that I started
finishing things, and being able to send them out.
These days there are even more distractions. I write, read, play
Wow, maintain some semblance of being a social animal, and keep up
this blog. Just sitting down at the computer tempts me to go look up
all the trillions of things that I want to know, articles that I've
heard of, seeing what crazy new list Cracked dot com has put up, and
googling my own name. Anytime you feel like wasting time, the
opportunity is there.
But the whole reason I write this blog, or look up what new markets
are taking submissions, or any damn thing else, is to write. I want
to get to that point where I get up in the morning, having slept till
I'm done, and climb up the stairs to sit right where I am now and
start making worlds, again.
That's the point.
By the way, all you ID thieves out there? When I can, I'm coming
after you, with a rusty speculum.
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