All this talk of career planning and resolutions and whatnot has all jumbled into one concept for me this month: Focus. I need to focus my energies in concrete directions.
And how the hell does this work when your Muse has Multiple Personality Disorder? Not well. I need to set up some kind of voice mail system for her in my head. For romantic comedy, press 1. For romantic suspense, press 2. For women’s fictiony stuff, press 3. For erotic werewolves, press…end, then dial somebody else. I just had a visual of the hero dragging his butt across the grass, and we’ll add that to the “Not This Writer” list, along with matchmakers reincarnated as vomitously-mischievous pets. I’ve tried to whip my Muse into shape before, only to have her cry “Ooooh, a bondage story,” and cash in some more frequent flyer miles on Tangent Air.
So I’m going to ignore her for a while to concentrate on the myriad of ideas I’m already working on:
1–A romantic suspense for SIM. I’m suffering from a severe lack of motivation where this story is concerned (mine, not the character’s). More on that later.
2–Romantic comedy for EC. (The one with the chafing hero)
3–Comedic futuristic novella and big, fat vampire series for EC. (More evidence of my Muse’s many personlities.)
4–Novella for Brava, affectionately (working) titled Crotch Rocket.
5–Futuristic time-travel series for Silhouette Bombshell. This is a project I’m pretty excited about…
But. (Of course there’s a but.) I’m excited about the series, but less excited about pouring too much blood and sweat into it yet. I was working on a Duets when the editor moved and then the line closed. Was pondering Flipside, but didn’t think it would work. And Flipside’s folding, anyway. Had a Harlequin Historical I was putzing with, then that line closed in North America. Or did it? Who knows? Temptation, where my orphaned Duets might have fit with a lot of revision, is leaving the country. And SIM has cut back to 4 books per month and is focusing on top-selling authors & themes. Not sure what that means, other than ‘No slot for Shannon.’ And yet, for some reason, I’m having trouble focusing my creative energies on H/S right now. *eye roll*
But I’ve decided those are the projects on the table right now. Anything else the Muse comes up with will be totally ignored. I won’t even let myself “just down a few notes…really, just a few.” To very badly paraphrase Stephen King: if it’s not a good enough idea for the muse to cough up later without written notes, it wasn’t a strong enough idea for a book.
Of course, the list is open to negotiation should one of those stick. *g*
Comment
8 Comments:
Anonymous said…
i’m never writing another werewolf story
*g*
howling here…and not in a wolfie way
As far as the tangent muse…ummmm yeah…once again, welcome to my world. I’m working on a futuristic BDSM, a werewolf BDSM (well I’m not anymore since I know how he…never mind), and a bunch of oversexed faerie sisters. There’s a reason I call the muse a bitch
Pick one and write it til it’s done. YOu have a for sure editor waiting for your story. Worry about the rest of it later
Jaci
10:58 PM
Anonymous said…
I don’t think I’ll READ a wolfie story again without that visual sneaking in. GAH!
Okay… my admission:
I’m working on two vampire books, one of which I have to expand.
Then there’s the Magic epic story I have to edit for EC, the chick lit that needs some time adjustments… *(Whaddya mean Thursday isn’t Sunday’s tomorrow!)
I’ve got a secret society story that I’ve started.
On the other hand, I do have to agree with SK. Two of my three books are the result of year old ideas I dug out. The muse perked right up and said, “There it IS, I’ve been looking for that story!”
Then again maybe she was just looking at Bash’s ass….
Not to… uh, deter you, but have you considered writing a story in first person?
*runs and hides*
~Mel, who thinks Shan has EXACTLY what it takes to be successful in this world!
11:13 PM
Gus said…
Cool blog and cool message. Don’t forget to visit me on Thanatox’s Averno
11:18 PM
Shannon said…
I don’t believe any of your Devlins scooted across the grass. And the Paradise ladies will lynch me if you don’t write more werewolf stories. *g*
Mel, you witch! I have a first-person action/adventure type story that I’ve been putting off for…a while. Now she’s nattering in my head. :p~~~ But it’s good to have all these stories we have, right? Tis better than having none, at any rate.
And, Gus, in case you didn’t notice from the “cool post” you read so attentively, I speak English. Chances are I read English, too. But thanks for stopping by.
8:06 AM
Anonymous said…
What J says, Shannon! And I happen to like the reincarnation idea and your other ideas, too!
J/Mel’s editor
PS
Is there a reason I don’t have anything from you in my inbox?
9:38 AM
Shannon said…
Ooooooooh, busted! Who ratted me out?
And…well…there was this seizure problem, then the whole chafing thing and…
*slinks off to do final read-through*
1:51 PM
Anonymous said…
Shan, my inbox is still so very empty!
9:58 PM
Shannon said…
It’s not now.
If anybody needs me, I’ll be under my desk.
12:13 PM