Figure out the Problem--That's the Battle
Something’s wrong.
I’m home with a sick kid (he’s not what’s wrong) and I should be writing. The sick kid is downstairs watching YouTube, just chilling. There’s nothing keeping me from writing.
But I’m not writing.
I have the scene sketched out. I know what I’m supposed to be writing about—and eventually I’m going to get it on paper. But… something’s wrong.
There’s that tickle in the back of my brain telling me that what I’m putting down on paper (or word processor screen) isn’t the right scene. Logically, from where the last chapter ended, yes this should be the scene. But it’s wrong.
Which means—something earlier in the book is wrong. I have to rethink some things. I’m actually writing this newsletter update in hopes that it will spark something in my brain and send me on the path to fixing it. But for me to hesitate when I have a golden opportunity to get words down?
That’s rare for me.
So, again, something’s wrong. My guess is it has to do with a decision a character made. He’s going against what he would normally do—and I’m trying to pigeon hole him into something because of theme or my idea for the book. Maybe, then, he can wrestle with that in this chapter.
Maybe that will work.
Or… maybe in like two months I’m writing about how I have to rewrite entire sections of this book because of one bad, dumb decision.
I dunno. But I guess I’ll find out.
I should really open that word document. I put it off long enough.
By the way, I’m revisiting Michael Connelly, an author I haven’t read in years. The book is Desert Star and I am enjoy it. It’s very workman like, which is, in my opinion, a compliment. I can’t wait to get back to it. But not until I do my writing.