Between books feels weird.

I guess this has become a habit, or something.  If I go more than a few days without writing, I start getting antsy. 

Right now, I'm reading Linda's book.  I'm doing some of the necessary store stuff.  I'm going to work on my "painting" today.  I'm sort of taking it easy.

But each day, the pressure starts to build. 

What are you going to to do now, boy?  What are you going to do?

My instinct is to just dive into something, just follow my instincts.  But my brain tells me it wouldn't hurt to plan a little first.  The beginning especially needs to be right, or all the rest that follows is wasted.

I wrote down a bunch of ideas over New Year's as to what I thought a good book contains.  It is pretty much a reflection of the books I've loved.  It's kind of a loose list, with some crossover, and somewhat vague, but I do believe it's valid.

Tell you what.  Why don't I just write it down here:

Underdog/underestimated.

Surprise.

Unique.

Nostalgic.

The worm turns...

Intimate voice (present and engaging).

Sense of hidden history.

Friendships.

Interesting places.

Unexpected turns.

Believable.

Love interest.

Reluctant adventure, comes thru in the end, grows.

Rebel character, gets into trouble because of his integrity.

Inner world/not outer.


Like I said, pretty universal and vague, but it doesn't hurt to think about them in advance, make sure that these elements are included.