Fresh Start

When I started this endeavor back on November 29, I thought I knew what it was going to be.

I was going to use the "Current Script Status" on the right to keep me honest, to (if I'm honest) even shame me into writing through the holidays.

I knew what the next script was going to be.

I had it outlined, and had even written a bit on it.

Things changed.

And instead of writing, the holidays were spent not writing.

Except for here. Here, I've been writing. (Rambling, more like it.) This was meant to prime the pump, and instead, it became the flow. That's not a bad thing. Oh, of course it probably is if you're reading this -- or if you started reading this and lost interest because it's so boring, and for that, sorry.

But it isn't a bad thing for me. For me the daily discipline has been good, and with the exception of Christmas Eve, I haven't missed a day.

Today is my first work day of 2006, and I'm back at ye olde drawing board, starting from scratch, coming up with ideas for a new project. And that feels good.

Will keeping a blog prime the pump once I'm actually writing? Possibly not. I don't know yet.

I'll tell you what really primes the pump for me, but if you're a writer, you already know this.

Writing well. Writing something that jazzes me -- not just pages, but a twist of plot, a twist of character, a twist of words. When that happens, the fizzy-flow spills over into my entire day no matter what nonsense the day throws at me. When it doesn't happen, I'm just flat water, no sparkle.

For some people there's a tendency to let a blog or journal be the jazz, the twist, the sparkle. It is their writing. It's a new form and they've made it something worth reading. For me, it's something on the side, not really my form.

But I'm glad to be able to dabble in it.

And now ... to a fresh blank page waiting for adjectives and verbs and nouns and sleight of hand.

It's time to stop waiting for The Idea and track it down with a loaded gun.