Photo by Justin Marty. Used under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 license.
I’m in a bit of a limbo land, not sure what to work on next. My ghost hunter novel, tentatively titled And Ghosts Return, is out to a bunch of agents. I’m not working on a new novel yet, though I have a couple of ideas kicking around in my brain. So, rather than writing, I’m spending a fair amount of time these days contemplating what I should write next. Some of the options:
- I got the idea a few weeks ago to design a role playing game based on P.G. Holyfield’s Land of Caern universe, which most of us know from his terrific novel Murder At Avedon Hill. Have I ever designed a game before, let alone an RPG? Um, no. I’ve spent a few minutes jotting down ideas and researching how one goes about designing a game, but this idea is still in its embryonic stage. P.G., to his credit, told me to knock myself out.
- Write some short stories. I know possible topics for short stories are all around me, but I’m having trouble finding some that appeal to me. I suspect I’m letting the perfect be the enemy of the good here. An idea doesn’t have to be The Greatest Thing EVAR, it just has to be a story someone might want to read. Of course, pondering what would make a good story idea is also an excellent way to procrastinate on actually writing a story. Like exercising, I find writing stories exhilarating once I get going, but actually getting started requires convincing myself.
- Start outlining a new novel. Since no one has actually made an offer to me for And Ghosts Return, I’m not inclined to work on a sequel, though I think the story line has sequel potential. The logical thing is to start something brand new, and the options are limitless. To date, I’ve written four novels — one drama/romance, one action/adventure, one humorous, and one paranormal/horror. Should I pick a new genre? Sci-fi? Epic fantasy? Another paranormal book with a different set of characters and setting?
Now, if someone else wrote this post and I was reading it, I’d say, “Just pick something and start working, already!” Which I will do. Watch this space for a progress report over the weekend.
