Deep Breath, Dive In

It's difficult to explain why the past few months have been so unproductive as there are so many small reasons that combined into an overall feeling of "Meh!"

Between the two of us that make up the entity that is Marshall Buckley there have been a number of changes in our own households, many small, some larger but the overall effect has been a distraction from the writing.

With the nights drawing in, and things (hopefully) settling down on both sides of the Atlantic, it's time to take stock of the situation, and one thing is clear: The writing has to start!

It's been a bit of a juggling match, trying to decide which project to pursue; at one time there were three separate books being written: a hundred words here, a hundred words there, but that proved unsustainable.

I'm happy to say that the focus appears to have returned to the main project, the one that was already the most advanced and, after what seems like a real drought, the words are coming again. Not fast, not flooding out, but coming. There's still plenty of work to be done before this becomes cohesive, before the real story emerges (that's how we always write: the seeds of an idea and some characters and we watch them grow and develop), but it will emerge.

So, the other projects are sidelined one more, but they'll have their time.

I've tidied up the progress column on the right so there's only one entry for the current book (helpfully known as "Y"). At roughly 15% complete there's enough there to be going on with. Watch this (well, that) space.

At the beginning of the year I said that, ideally, I'd like to finish three books this year, but would be content with two. Barring some sort of miracle, that's not going to happen, but one complete and one in progress really isn't anything to get upset about.

I'm going to try to be more vocal here on the blog but, as always, if you really want an idea of just how much procrastination is taking place, come on over to Twitter and find me there: @MarshallBuckley