Halfway through Ghostlander.

The book seems to be writing itself.

Not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing for the quality of the book.

I was looking at Led to the Slaughter and remembering just how much work went into making sure it was just right.  It was going to be my reintroduction to the world for writing, so I wanted it to be as good as I could make it.  The original story was fairly easy to write, but I gave it several re-writes, I spent more time doing research, and I fixed a couple of problems that I could have skated by on.

That's what I'm trying to do now.  Not skate by.  Be sure I make the extra effort.

Without, however, getting bogged down like I did with Faerylander for so long.

As far as the readers are concerned, they don't seem to see much qualitative difference between the books I struggle with and the books that come  easy.  Thankfully.   Because the books I struggle with become a word-jumble and I simply can't see them anymore.  But they retain enough of the original inspiration, apparently, and whatever weaknesses they have are compensated by the number of rewrites, which is why they are problem books in the first place.

So it evens out.  But obviously it would make more sense to do the books that come easy, right?

I have one more problem book I want to save -- Sometimes a Dragon.  But after that, either a book has a way of being written -- or it doesn't get written.

I spent way too much time 30 years ago trying to finish my fourth book, Bloodstone -- when the book simply wasn't working.  It more or less derailed my writing career.  I started second-guessing myself too much.   I should have just set it aside and tried something else.

So far, obviously, that hasn't been a problem for me this time around.  I seem to be full of ideas and creative energy right now, long may it continue.

So that's my goal.  Write the books that want to be written, and set aside the books that insist on being problems.  I think I can avoid problem books by making sure that I've assembled all the right ingredients.  I seem to understand much quicker when I'm going in the wrong direction.

But I have no doubt there will be problem books in the future and I'll need to be smart enough to figure out when I'm in the midst of one.