The Art of the Slack (Top 10 ways to delay writing a novel)

A friend of mine reminded me that I am overdue for a post.
She's right, and I appreciate the jab. (Thanks Linda!)
As you may know, this blog is a chronicle of my efforts to write a novel for publication, but since I haven't worked on the manuscript for a few months, I haven't posted.
What have I been doing? In my own defense, here is a top 10 list.

1. Making short films for Irony Coast Productions. This has taken the majority of my creative energy since May. We have done two short films, and one of them (Happy Father's Day) is being considered for awards at the Austin 48 Hour Film Festival. We'll know more next week. We might be in the running for "Best Picture" and it will be great to finally get the recognition for all of our hard work.

2. Music production. I have worked on several new songs, two of them for the films, and some others so that I have something fun and creative to do- besides write.

3. Learning to use my new Yamaha digital recorder and production equipment. Kinda goes with number two.

4. Ghost Busters, The Video Game. It was a lot of fun, and as a fan of the films I also appreciated the great writing and story line. Yes, even when I'm not writing, I can appreciate the craft from an "audience" point of view.

5. Summer. Okay, I know it's a lame excuse, but summer for a father of two is very busy. I have kids to convoy back and forth to neighbors and friends houses, pool days, taco runs, etc...

6. Weight Loss. It's hard to regard this as a way of slacking, but I have lost twenty pounds since February, and I've been exercising at least 3 times a week at the gym. I've lost several inches from my waist, and put on some much needed muscle. My ankle injury last year had me sidelined for a long time, and I'm very glad to be active again.

7. New Writing Projects. Aside from script writing for Irony Coast, I've also been writing a weekly skit for our church Wednesday night bible study. I have to act in them too, so that takes some rehearsal time as well. The Humble Fiction Cafe is also getting ready for it's second publishing project, a group of stories centered around a mysterious town called "Moot" and it's odd, sentinel-like lighthouse at the edge of town.

8. Teaching my son to drive. This is a dual edged sword. I can't wait for him to become more independent, (read: GET A JOB) but I'm also terrified that "something" might happen. However, since he won't have a full licence for at least 6 more months, I'm enjoying being shuttled around like a celebrity anytime I want to go somewhere.

9. Changing Jobs. I was relocated in April to a new facility. The new environment, people, processes, and equipment have totally eaten into my mental capacity for creating worlds on paper, but overall it has been a positive experience, and I'm no longer bored at work or worried about my employment.

10. Percolating Plot Ideas. No kidding. Sometimes you have to take your hands off the keyboard and let ideas, themes, and chapters float around in your mind. It may take a while for everything to eventually settle down into plausibility, but sometimes its the best thing to do, otherwise you end up with plots that go nowhere, or ideas that just fizzle out because they haven't been cushioned with a dose of "existence." Even if that means it exist in your own head, it still helps as you mentally edit, revise, or reject things that don't work for the overall story- all this while you're standing in line for coffee.

Okay, that's my list. I do intend to get back to work, but since I have been so busy, I have pushed my draft deadline back to October. The ideas are sill percolating, and I have different feelings about the opening chapter of Good Hope. That issue has me mired for the moment, but I'm sure that while I'm working on a film, recording music, or gripping the hand rest as Justin stalls the Honda in a busy intersection, the right idea will pop into my head and I'll be anxious to get back to the keyboard.

Just as soon as I get out of the body cast.

Gary