Background

The novel has gotten out of control. I find myself spending all day every day reading background, doing library searches, doing internet searches, checking out a particular point here or there. I go through stacks of books scanning the indexes to find the answer to background questions that I will probably never use. I go to bed thinking about the story and wake up in the middle of night with it on my mind. And I awake with it or some part of it rattling around in my head.

Besides computer files I have started a binder with pictures, notes, and calculations about ships. When I try to get away from it by leaving the house, I find myself at the lake watching sail boats, estimating distances to them, and wondering about the distance to the horizon.

The good rough for chapter one is done. It was about as polished as I could get it, but readers have found areas where improvements can be made. Now that they point it out, it is clear they are right and I wonder how did I let that slip by.

My plan will be to write chapter two up to my best level, then take a break from the story.

Just do it.

JUST DO IT!

That's what I keep telling myself as the planning for a project gets more and more detailed. Just do it! Background and planning are wonderful but doing is better. One planning workshop twenty years ago told me to "Swiss cheese" projects into little sections. Then grab one of the sections and do it. As a few of these bite sized pieces are finished, a more organized plan will usually fall into place. Planning a lot and writing little? Here's a plan: 1. free write for five minutes just to get the brain in gear 2. grab one of your Swiss cheese pieces and write yourself an email telling yourself what you want to say 3. then write a page saying what you want to say.