Work has been a struggle of late. It’s no surprise. When the real world threatens to pummel you day in and day out, it leaves little escapism. March started okay. I had a strict deadline and a draft that needed completing. There was a clear path ahead.

After that, things went haywire. Sure, there was editing and re-editing (and hey, MORE EDITING) but essentially the last draft of the year was done.

I could have taken that as a win, but I never do that. I like what I do–crafting stories. Down time is my enemy, yet here I was stricken with it against my will.

Pushing ahead

COVID rocked my plans for the next two years. I know that seems strange to most, but there was a level of momentum I was gaining with each launch. The pandemic wiped that out. Local shows ended. All thought of the next series, the next season of DSA, all of it quietly faded away.

I needed a new plan. Dammit, I needed to write something!

I started with a few notes, a thread I wanted to explore at some point. For what series, in what form, didn’t matter. All I cared about was figuring out the narrative. Finding some means of creative expression was more important than hitting the publishing button.

It was a way to get into a rhythm.

A little bit every day

It’s become my mantra of late. I’m not looking to pound out a draft in a week, or even a month. For the last two months I’ve been outlining like a fiend, adding dialogue to scenes, and building story.

Some days beat me back. The news is overpowering. The world is screaming to be heard and sometimes I have to listen. We all should for certain things.

But I strive to put a little bit of myself down on paper every day. Be it a short story or the entire outline of a novel or five.

I take each victory as they come. There was a piece of dialogue I found completely satisfying yesterday. It made me smile and that’s all I needed to keep going.

So that’s the plan for the rest of 2020 (the year of doom):

Write. Create. Stockpile some amazing content and take my wins as they come.

A little bit every day. It matters. It will always matter.