Here is a rendition of “The Scream” by my son Milo. He is enthralled with the painting and I’m not sure why but it seemed an apt illustration for the post.
Notwithstanding fine writerly folk like Marshall Buckley (who is in fact two fine writerly folk) and the heart attack he(they) almost caused me by suggesting that producing 10,000 words a day kept you in fine writing trim, my usual method of achieving at least 1000 words per day is not working for me right now
Too many interruptions.
Also I’m at the end of the book and there aren’t that many words left to write. This is, of course, giving me what amounts to writer’s block.
2 things:
I know that doesn’t make sense. Why seize up when i’m almost done?
And secondly, don’t tell me that writer’s block doesn’t exist. I know this too. Or at least I don’t want to get into that argument again.
So then it’s something else which shall remain nameless because it’s simply awful.
Anyway, what I’ve decided to do is throw the whole word per diem thing out the window and get this next chapter done.
I will sit here tonight after the Lucy Factor has gone to sleep and I will finish this bloody chapter.
This I vow. (And since I’ve announced it her, I have to do it.)
Tomorrow I will complete the next one and then the next and at that point I should be done.
Oh and re. Marshall Buckley, he(they) meant ‘steps’ not words, and you can follow his (their) other witticisms on twitter @marshallbuckley and on their website www.marshallbuckley
/////////////////////////////