Well, Folks. When I promised to finish something I guess I lied (wait did I ever really promise anyone anything?). So far, I've kept to my goal and finished at least 1,000 words a day. Some days have been much much better. The goal to finish something remains, but for now I'll continue to settle for production.
I've done a terrible thing and started something new, again. I had a flash of overwhelming creation at the gym, while mindlessly chugging away on the elliptical. It was so visual and strong that the second I got to the car I took out my voice recorder and started describing images as quickly as possible (I always do my best work at the gym or in the shower). It has been over a week now and it's still going strong. I can't get away from the obsessional phase of writing. I love new ideas so much that I allow them to consume me and to become my only focus. What's more, I've switched into a genre that I've never tried before and worry that my idea is perhaps cliche. In the interest of growth, I'm allowing myself to explore this to its end (wherever that may be), but at some point I'm going to need to talk to someone or read something that either confirms or denies my suspicions.
Mayer, who actually writes very nearly in this new genre, says that there are never cliches only formulas and that simply by writing from your voice and prospective you will never duplicate someone else's work, even if you are influenced by it. He's a strong proponent of formulaic writing, which I am not. It is fun though, a bit like 'choose your own adventure', where you fill in the details. I'm going to let it run it's course and see where it leads, though I may just be spinning my wheels in self-gratifying writing. J.A.
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