Old Habits, Inner Selves

Interesting that the short story I've chosen to work on, is about the very thing I'm having issues with. We are who we are, and for me that's being a writer. I can't change that, nor do I wish to. However old ways, distractions, life, tend to block my path. While my distractions tend to be family related and therefore positive events in my life, it isn't so for my poor little thief who wants to change, but cannot.

January, February, and March were mostly nonexistent in terms of my writing. I signed up for the 2YN class that Zette offered once again on www.fmwriters.com. But since I have some distractions coming up in the future that will prevent me from finishing the class, I'm choosing to withdraw. I'm keeping my notes and will write it another time, but seriously, writing a novel about a mom searching for kidnapped infant is not a good thing to write while the writer is pregnant.

I realize, too, that my one rule for writing "Finish what you start" has fallen by the wayside. I have one novel that I started but could not finish (Shadow of Blood), and I started building another novel (Winter Warrior) though I did not start the writing. I've also quit editing Forgotten Star after overediting and receiving a right-on crit that freaked me out. I view this with a positive attitude since it proves that my desire to write is still strong. Unfortunately, I need to re-discipline and get these projects under control.

I think to finish Shadow of Blood, I need to revamp several chapters in the beginning, and rewrite/replan with the intention of which character takes precedence. That darkness of the story, and the confusion between two main characters took the focus off track. I am NOT ready to do this now, but it will be my first step when I am ready to work on novels again.

For now, it'll be short stories. I need to get this one written, and hopefully edited, then I'm going to hit the May Story-A-Day challenge again. I need to start somewhere.