The plan

The plan is to stop planning.

I've had a story idea since last year that I had written a brief summary, plotted out some characters and story line - even wrote a prologue. Well, another project took shape and I actually got over 70 pages written on that one. But I considered that practice. It was a way to get words on a page and to stop myself from editing before I had a chance to actually write anything. I would stare at the same two paragraphs for months at a time and never take it any further because I was constantly re-writing it, perfecting it, making it better. Right. Of course. It was fear of writing what was to come next. Let's face it. If it's not written, it can't be bad, just not done yet. I'm still working on it, it's all in my head. Right. Of course.

I considered it a practice piece because my goal was to write it and post it. I didn't give myself any time for thinking to hard about it or editing. In fact, once posted I wouldn't let myself go back and change things. That way it was committed. It was just a way of writing, letting it flow on the page and not thinking too hard about it. It worked in that respect. I managed over 70 pages. I only stopped when life got a little too close to the idea I originally had for my plot and needed to break from it for a while.

So, now I'm ready to start again. But I've put things off by planning. And planning. And thinking about my plan. And changing my plan. Huh.

TT