As I knew would happen, I got hit by a really nasty writer’s block/depressive episode in week 2. In the space of four days, Josh ate up my 6,000 word lead and then opened a 3,000 word lead of his own. I just couldn’t get unstuck, and grew to hate my book, my characters and everything else about my life.
I’m pulling out of it now. Finally. After pathetic daily wordcounts of 81, 267, 442 and 489, I’ve got a solid 1700 words under my belt today and can catch Josh again with another 1100. My characters are surprising me again I’ve figured out how to minimize something I’ve been dreading as too boring to write.
I think that’s what led to the block. The launch is right around the corner, and the actuall trip to Mars is in sight. Unfortunately, while this “six months of four characters locked in a tin can” might be riveting in the hands of a better writer, to me it seems like “MTV’s The Real World: Mars” and I just don’t wanna write it.
So I’m not. At least not in this first draft. The trip to Mars will be summed up in one chapter (”Let me esplain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up.”) and then we land on Mars and I try to see if I can successfully make the transition from suspense technothriller to full on horror.
But at least now I’m looking forward to the rest of the book rather than dreading it, and that makes all the difference.
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