Progress Post: Grinding Gears

I posted about how I'd started a new project last month. As you can imagine, it's not going quickly.

Part of the problem is that it's been so long since I've thought about anything other than my trilogy. When my mind wanders, I'm used to thinking about my characters from the trilogy, working out a future plot point, or assessing the ones I have. Switching gears to a new project is good practice for when I'm done and it's out of my hands, but I'm still gaining that practice.

There's also the problem I mentioned in that last post, where I'm relating something that scared me, and writing about it involves revisiting an upsetting time. I've had to deliberately push it out of my head so that I can walk to the basement to do my laundry, wash my face in the shower, and get to sleep with the light off. I also scared myself half to death by letting my mind wander to my story when I heard a noise on the other end of the building. I went to say hi to what was apparently the only other person on my floor, and found all empty offices.

Eek.

There's also the standard process of getting into characters' heads, establishing their motivations, cementing their voices in my head, and all that initial groundwork outliners take care of ahead of time. I've been figuring it out as I go, which makes for a more slowly constructed story.

My pace, therefore, has been glacial. There has been progress, but not nearly as much as I'd like. I'm dissatisfied with myself. I can't give you a number, because what I have is on handwritten pages, but I have seven of them I haven't typed up yet.

I'm also taking part in a walking challenge for work, which is taking away time I could be writing. It's refreshing me enough that I do plan to continue doing some walking after the challenge is over, though not an hour and a half of it every evening.

This has not been my most productive summer, thus far. Still, with everything going on right now, I'm glad to have accomplished what I have. I'll keep plugging away at it.