Knowing the right time [writing]

There are certain things in life, certain events, where you just have to make the hard decision. Knowing when to abandon friends to invading zombie masses. Knowing when the deal the aliens are trying to make for your planet’s water is a bad deal. And now to add that to that list – knowing when it’s the right time to step away from a novel.

This is not an easy decision point. At least with the zombies, I know who among my friends will slow them down a little. But as readers of this blog know, I’ve been struggling pretty hard for the last month or so with the epic fantasy novel I’m working on. And by struggling, I mean flailing around a lot, arms and legs kicking out in spasms, and no substantive progress being made.

It’s time to take a break.

It pains me to admit that, because I loathe stopping projects once started. The interruption usually leads to me not finishing. But the fact is, I am floundering horribly on the current bit, and spinning my wheels on it isn’t getting me anywhere. I had hoped our road trip would breathe new life into me, but when I got back to the Bay area and sat down at the keyboard, I was still dead and lifeless when it came to the novel.

With NanoWriMo looming just around the corner, I think I’m going to shelve The Goddess Unbound for now.  I’m writing up all of my thoughts for the novel, all the murky hunches and notions I had brewing so that I can pick it back up later. I will probably spend a good week on that (there’s a lot in my head still). Once I’m satisfied, I’ll start working on my ideas for this year’s NanoWriMo novel, a YA book. I’ve picked up some old favorites from when I was a kid to try to recapture that feeling, but I already have a solid plot developing in my head.