I’m brainstorming and working on the outline for The Flame Reborn. I wanted to have it done by Jan 1.
Guess what. It’s not ready.
My wife and I have had three kids. Let me tell you about babies. They come when they are ready. And unless you try to move the process along with drugs or surgery, we just have to wait until it happens. And that can get frustrating.
While I do not know this firsthand, I can safely say that for most women, the last month or more is uncomfortable. And that might be putting it mildly. A woman feels ready to pop. She’s hot. Her back hurts. She feels huge.
There are natural things to get things moving. We don’t just wait. You can have more sex, eat eggplant, walk a lot, etc. Ultimately, however, it happens when it happens.
As a writer, I know the feeling, in a creative sense. The Flame Reborn is in there somewhere. It is taking shape. It is getting close. I feel bloated with it. I need to write it, or I feel like I do. But it’s not ready yet. That is frustrating.
There are things I can do, though. I can write out ideas. I can imagine scenes. I can revisit characters. I can take a step back and edit another book (Make a God needs to be revised and edited). I can read other works or watch other movies that inspire me and generate ideas.
I’ve written four rough drafts over the last four years. I don’t have to worry. It’ll come. And I’m excited to see what it will be.
Peace.