Organize, Agonize

Once upon a time, I used to be an organized person. Color-coded file folders, multicolored paper clips, label-maker blazing a trail, the whole shabang! Then I had a child and my office when to pot. Now I consider myself lucky if I get to my unopened mail once a month. So much of my time is spent keeping on top of her homework assignments, special project, lunch menus, gym clothes and requests for money for every darn activity at school. Geez!

As a writer, I ideally strive to keep a writing binder which is sectioned for characters, setting, scenes, research, and plot outline. Critiques of my first draft chapters are kept in one big folder for later consideration since I'm trying to not slow my progress (I think a year and a half has been slow enough, don't you?)

I think my analytical mind is a hindrance to my creative process. Often I'm spending too much time searching for the formula for the perfect plot structure or character profile and not enough time on simply writing, even if it's crappy. Lately, I've been agonizing over plot structure because my story was rolling along, flowing off my fingertips and then BAM: I get stuck in the middle! I knew it was time for a transition in my hero and heroine's relationship but I just didn't know how to make the change happen. That's when I realized that I just had no clue where my story was going. Sure I knew the beginning and the ending but I can't figure out how to get from one to the other.

For now, as far as the story is concerned I'm just pushing the structure and organization aside and just winging it. And boy is it a bunch of crap!!

My organizational tip: Take a nap once a day! (laughing)