A new story begins to emerge...

Alright, we’ve had quite enough about other authors…though there is a whole lot more coming. Yep, watch this space for something new on Absolute Vanilla, and starting in a few days time. Uh-huh, be sure to come back here on Wednesday, 1 June.

I have to confess that, in part, interviewing so many brilliant children’s authors has just been a whole lot easier than wittering on about what I’ve been up to – mostly because what I’ve been up to equates to STRESS. I can’t say, given my post about being glass half full, that I’m particularly proud of that, but I guess sometimes life just gets in the way and gets overwhelming.

A variety of other things aside, most of the problems pertain to Building a House – which has involved Being Awash in Brochures and Catalogues, Visiting Décor Expos, Getting Plans Done, Plans Going Awry - and then, Tempers Flaring. There should probably be an entire a blog about Building The House. But I don’t think I’m up for the challenge.

The long and the short of it, however, is that The Writing Has Suffered. Yes, I’m also wondering why on earth I’m writing with capital letters. I suspect it may be an after effect of the Stress (or Insufficient Chocolate and Vanilla this morning).

What I’ve learned in the last month or so, however, is that without my writing, without some creative output (architectural and interior design decisions notwithstanding), I take major strain. I’ve been loathe, for a very long time, to say “I write because I have to”. It just sounds so clichéd. But I regret to say, it appears that I do “have" to write. I find if I go without writing for too long I go into a withdrawal space, life seems to lose its colour and the ideas, which just won’t go away, become so out of control that I can’t think straight.

So, I made the decision the week before last that things had to change. Blow the demands from project manager, the architect, etc; I needed to instill some discipline. Mornings would be for writing, the rest of the day for other things. The only trouble is the writing, having been neglected for so long, simply took over, and I’ve been happily doing the hermit thing, scribbling throughout the day, only realizing at about 3pm that I’m still in my pyjamas and haven’t eaten anything. Ah the writing life…!



But all this “hermitry” means that the new novel is finally happening! It is taking shape, there are 7000 words and the plot is evolving nicely. The only problem I currently face is that a secondary character, a hardnosed bitch of an astrophysicist, is trying to take control. You know, it's one thing hearing the voices in your head, it’s a whole other matter when they start bullying you. There is going to have to be some serious reigning in. Characters need to know their place.

Still, I can’t tell you how much fun I’m having, and how much of a treat and a joy and pleasure it is to be immersed in the wild madness of writing a new story!