Write your heroes into a corner.

Wrote one thousand words on "Ruby Red and the Robot."

I've been stuck on this story for months. I literally had the heroes trapped in a room--and couldn't figure out how to get them out. Finally, just before falling asleep, I visualized the scene.

I also went for a walk yesterday.

It felt good to be back to doing both things.

"Ruby Red and the Robots" is my first attempt at a "Young Adult" novel, at least consciously. I love the tone I establish.

I read the first chapter at writer's group and it was a hit.

***

I had sort of decided that I'd wait until the urge to write came upon me.

Ideas have started to come to me, which is the first stage. I'm going to try to help this process along by going out to my old walking path. I'd abandoned this route because it's a twenty minute drive--and I was burning through the gas. I found a closer place to walk.

But that's been closed off, so it's back to the old path, which my subconscious obviously recognizes as a place to write, because it all comes back to me. I have my hat on, my special spots to stop and write.

I'm going to quit each day at between 1000 and 1500 words in order to still have something in the tank so that I'll have a place to begin each day.

It's strange but just an hour walk in the woods per day makes me feel like I've accomplished something. If I get some writing done, that's even better.

It doesn't take much. But it takes more than sitting on my ass at home.