Stalemate

I have written over 42,000 words of my Present Book. And I have reached somewhat of a stalemate. I have so many ideas about ways I want to approach the structure of my book but I don't know which way to turn. Right now the easiest thing to do would be to leave it for a time and maybe just check in on it once in a while. Gosh, I have even considered a Fantastic New Book Idea (and, I admit, I've written around 150 words towards it...and I've collected some pictures...and I think about it often, too often). But, as Andrea of www.acatofimpossiblecolour.blogspot.com once noted, another new book idea in the midst of a present book is like having an affair. And I do feel bad, I really do, but I really am desperate. In the end though, sense will prevail. I know I can't leave Present Book in limbo. So, I have printed out all that I have written so far. And it sort of feels like I have reached a milestone; that is, I have a thick-ish wad of paper. But where to next?

Fancy a Thai resort...

...or a cold Sydney winter?

The air is so fresh.

Standing on the crispy grass with the sun on your back.

 It doesn't get much better than this (for me!).

I love Sydney in the winter.

100 minus your age

For me, one of the best places to be is in a comfy chair and a new book. The anticipation of a new book can be so overwhelming that I start reading as soon as I have a moment to myself. When the book takes off there is nothing in the world that can compare. But then some books can be such a let down even in the first few pages. Trying again and again, and again and still it goes nowhere. So, when do you stop? When is it okay to decide that a book just does not deserve our hard-earned, eagerly awaited Spare Mental Moments? According to a reviewer on our local radio station, if you subtract your age from 100 then the remaining numeral is the number of pages that you should read of a book before giving up on it.

Clearly then, the older we get the less time we have for suffering foolish words. Or is it a case of decreased attention span? I guess it's a bit of both...

So, to one of the books above: I have read 64 of your pages and that is 4 more pages than I needed to read...out you go!

Can you guess which book it is from the pile above that I have had to let go? One of these is also one of the most memorable books I have ever read.

P.S. Sorry Pat (who kindly commented) but here are the titles:

Hotel of the Saints by Ursula Hegi

Will you be there? by Guillaume Musso

The Embers of Heaven by Alma Alexander

The Moneypenny Diaries by Kate Westbrook

The Lighted Rooms by Richard Mason

Like Heaven by Nial Maharaj

Bubbles in Trouble Sarah Strohmeyer

 

Words...for words

 I hope the following quote helps you as it helps me...daily. I have this as my wallpaper on my phone, on my desktop and I can even imagine it as actual wallpaper...okay, time for my OCD tendencies to settle down. Here it is:

'Writing inspires inspiration.

Keep writing.

If you succeed,

keep writing.

If you fail,

keep writing.

If you're bored,

keep writing."

MICHAEL CRICHTON

Keep writing,

Mervat

x

Missing writing...

A quick check in as I type single-handedly and recover from an operation to my left arm. Through the haze of pain-killers I realize how long it has been since I wrote anything. I miss writing and I miss blogging, particularly visiting my favorite blogs. I have even let my own deadline for finishing my first draft, fall by the wayside. I miss my characters and where their life was heading. Time to get them back on track...