Got up at 4:30, walked the pup, and sat down to work on a new story. I decided to do an outline, and I ended up writing five pages of scene summaries freehand on a yellow legal pad. That maps out the first eight to ten chapters of what will probably end up being a novella.
The creative process felt great, and I enjoyed the writing time. I did need to start my coffee early to shake off the sleepiness, but that's fine. I'm glad I've decided to try something different. The more I think back about my writing habits, I think I've always struggled because I was trying to free write my way through longer works. Maybe after a half dozen published novels I'll have the chops to do that, but right now I'm effectively a beginning writer, and I think the structure of the outline will take the pressure off and help me focus on writing well.
For the first time, I feel like I can think about craft when I sit down to write.
My plan tomorrow morning is to reread the outline so far, add a little to it, and start working on the opening scene. The outline is far from complete. My best guess is that I outlined the first third of the story. The thing is, the outline is a guide, a roadmap, and I don't need a complete outline to start writing. In fact, it will probably change as I write through the story anyway.
Worked for a little more than nine hours today, and now I'm home, ready to relax with the babe. We are taking tomorrow off of work, so I'll be staying up a little late tonight to watch the Giants on Monday Night Football. I'll be setting my alarm for 6:30 tomorrow instead of 4:30, but I'll be getting up, walking the pup, and getting right into the two hour writing session.
Make sure you vote.
See you tomorrow.
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