Top Sekrit WIP

So, now that I’ve walked more than fifteen miles and burned more than 2,100 calories on my treadmill desk (and yes, that is a two-week total), I thought I’d tell you I am a permanently converted “treadhead.”

However, the glories of the treadmill desk are not the focus of tonight’s post. No, tonight I am going to tell you I have a secret.

*leans in close and whispers*

I’d tell you what it is, but it’s a… secret.

I’m working on a new project, and (all you author types will totally get this) I am in love. I LOVE my main character, I love the problems I’ve set up, and I love how the story is unfolding.

I’m a little more than 6,500 words in, and I haven’t told anyone about it – not even my agent. Well, actually Becky knows I’m working on something, but has no idea what it is. It could be a “How To Build Your Own Treadmill Desk” bible, a trashy romance a la “Fifty Shades,” or something not, you know, those things.

I have to admit though, it was hard to start something new. I’m still feeling the effects of the self-doubt that nearly overwhelmed me this spring, so while it’s getting easier, I’m not at my usual levels in terms of production.

June’s Camp NaNo helped – A LOT. I didn’t hit 50,000 words. Heck, I didn’t even make my personal goal of 30,000. What I did do though, was sit down and write EVERY night. I chose a topic totally unrelated to anything I’ve published (or tried to publish), and I wrote for myself; for the love of writing.

I shared my story with my dear cheerleader and one other close friend because they are awesome and said lovely things about my writing, and I really needed to hear those words as I tried to pull my writing-self together.

*hugs writer friends*

As I reached the end of that particular tale, I started to get that tiny niggling at the back of my mind. You know the one that says it’s time to start a new project? Yeah, that niggling.

Self-doubt said I couldn’t do it. But self-doubt doesn’t know what it’s talking about. In fact, I doubt self-doubt could find its way out of a paper bag without explicit instructions and a DVD.

So, with trembling fingers (and a fancy schmancy treadmill desk) I opened a new Word doc and put a few tremulous words to screen. I was so nervous I tried to fool myself into thinking this wasn’t a new book that would get sent out to editors by refusing to format the document correctly. I left the crappy font, weird spacing, and widow/orphan controls on. In fact, I refused to put anything in the header, not even page numbers!

Fortunately (for me and my agent), I have since adjusted things to a more acceptable industry standard.

Part of me wants to tell you what I’m writing about, but another part of me is mean and evil, and wants to make you wait and wonder. I think I will let the mean and evil part of me win – for now.

Maybe after the next 6,500 words I’ll feel differently.

C.

(0.70 mi walked and 95 calories consumed in the creation of this blog post)

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