Tuesday 3 March 2009 Bad Habit

I’m sure I have many (bad habits, that is) but I’m talking here about a bad writing habit I seem to have developed just recently. Pretty common I'm sure, but here goes: I have tendency to be tapping along quite happily with a story, when another idea raises its ugly little roguish head. I think about it for a while and then return to the original tale while the rogue idea recedes harmlessly into the background.

Come the next writing session though, that little rogue has bugged me so much throughout the day with its seedy little whisper and its impish nods of encouragement, that I have to get some of it out of my head and on to the screen. Fair enough; write it while it’s fresh, I guess.

But then, the inevitable happens and another idea ploughs its way to the surface, and another, and another until I’m working on Lord knows how many different versions of how many different tales all vying to be heard. Rogues, I tell you, the lot of them.

So, which little voice do I listen to? Right now, it’s all of them, which probably explains why I haven’t written the words ‘The End’ for a while.

4 comments:

Rebecca Nazar said...

Better to have a feast than famine, eh? :-)

L.R. Bonehill said...

Always, but it would be nice to make it to the end of a meal too!

Rebecca Nazar said...

Try starting from the end. I know it seems ridiculous. It's worked for me a few times.

L.R. Bonehill said...

Good call - I'll give it a try.