Forgetting the charging unit for my MacBook (required for the dayjob) turned out to be a blessing in disguise when we were in Canada. I’d also packed my Moleskines, and the red one got a lot of use from me. I’m not entirely sure where or how the motivation hit me, but one day up north I just cracked it open and started writing. What resulted from that was a new opening for the first book of the Godslayer trilogy.
I will admit that my previous tack, a kid fretting over his grades as he wanders the streets of a magical floating city, was a bit too dull. While it’s possible to engage in character building and a bit of exposition in such a scene, there need to be more to it than that. Now our hero moves through those streets on a mission, one that makes him both driven and a little paranoid, and demonstrates that he’s more than willing to break a rule or two to get what he wants. He’s doing something foolish and dangerous, and I think that’s good for him. It makes his character more interesting from the get-go.
The downside to the power situation was having less motivation to work on Cold Streets. I’m still not sure why I’m struggling to maintain a daily count with that thing. But I have to find a way. Writing isn’t just something I get to do when I feel like it, or when I’m all caught up in the thrill of a new idea. It’s like a relationship: it takes time and work, even when (some might say especially when) you want nothing to do with it.
I may not be huge on resolutions, but that sounds like a good one. Right up there with “Art harder, motherfucker“.
