Okay. Where have I been?
Right here, writing away. But this chapter kept changing as I tried explaining to someone a few weeks ago. While writing, it was starting to go off my outline. That's okay. There is nothing wrong with that as long as the story eventually returns to the outline.
But that was the problem. The stuff I was writing kept trying to take me onto a tangent that would speed up certain parts of the storyline and take us to somewhere the story might not be ready. I know I could probably fix it, but the trouble is I don't know if I would want to try and fix it.
It's happened to me before. I called it the only thing I could compare to... writer's block. I've always been able to sit at the keyboard and begin writing something. Now it's most likely shit, but it is something. Then again, I might think it's shit, but someone in Hollywood may think it the best idea to ever come across their desk. (By the way, Hollywood, if you're interested, call me.)
My version of writer's block was my thinking everything I've been writing is shit, but someone else reads it and thinks it's pretty good. You end up throwing away chapters of material, thinking it reeks, but you could have added that stuff into the story and kept the barbarians away from the gate.
So, I've written this chapter several times, then started a new one because I don't think it's any good after sleeping on it. I'm not an asshole. I save each version, but that does set up chapter 78, version Epsilon.
But just last night, I stayed up all night in my writing nook, and with the cat from hell safely out of my domain and the small refrigerator appropriately filled, I worked on it.
But it still isn't there.
So, I have to start over once again. But now I know exactly how to do it. And I know exactly how to keep on my outline. But damn, I'm sleepy and ready to jump into the bed. So when I wake up later, I start chapter 78, version Zeta.
But this time... a shitload of cutting and pasting. I have no idea how long it'll take, but I am working on it.
-- Shinerdrinker