Struggling.

I'm not used to this.  Ever since I started my streak almost two years ago, there has rarely been a day when I couldn't write.

I've been struggling over the last couple of weeks. 

I'm very close to finishing Ghostlander -- about three chapters.  But I just can't seem to summon the words.  I have a rough idea of where I want to go, at least for two out of the three chapters.  The last chapter is the one I'm foggiest on, but that isn't unusual when I'm focused on the chapter(s) at hand first.

Generally, when I can't write something it means that my subconscious isn't satisfied.  In other words, it's actually a good thing.  It means I want to come up with something better.

So that's why I've been letting the ideas trickle in to me over the last few days.  I'm much more confident about the next chapter at the least -- which has turned into two chapters, by the way.

As it happens, I have another couple of weeks before The Dead Spend No Gold comes back from the editors.  I was going to do some random rewriting in those two weeks, but what may be happening is that I'm going to be wrestling with the end of Ghostlander instead.

It's very tempting for me to say to myself:  Dude, you've done what you set out to do.  You've published 4 books.  You've written quite a few others.  You're on track.  Relax.

But I really want to keep this going, and if I relax now, I'm afraid I'll stall.  Really.  I can almost feel it.

I'm very interested in writing Ghosts of the Lost Blue Bucket Mine, the third Virginia Reed novel.  But I want to make sure it is as good as the first two books.  I want to get a really strong sense of it, and then really focus on it without interruption.  Clear the decks, batten down, and do a good book.

So I figure, work on The Dead Spend No Gold in July, and then spend August working on Ghost/Blue Bucket.  

And have fun.  Enjoy living that other world.  That's the best part of it.