It’s been a slow start today on the writing front. I find that writing, particularly fiction, is a funny old business. Essentially, I’m sat here making it up as I go along – how many jobs can you do that in, and from the comfort of your own home too! Of course, there’s the old dreaded writers’ block, and that hit today. I spent a lot of the morning and some of the afternoon with barely three words strung together, and I wasn’t particularly happy about those either.

That’s when I did my usual couple of tricks. The first is to try and talk through the plot with some-one. I’ve got a rough idea of where the plot is to go (so it isn’t entirely made up on-the-fly) but it helps to talk it out into the open, and flesh out the ideas. I find it makes things an awful lot clearer in my head. The second thing I do is lie on the bed that is in my office (some writers have a couch, I have a bed – it’s handy when there’s visitors staying over too) and just daydream, steering the daydream through the plot of the book. Sometimes I nod off and snooze. Hey! There has to be some perks of this stressful job!

It seems to have all worked, and I finally sat down and managed to start writing this afternoon. When the inspiration strikes, it certainly does come. I haven’t really stopped since, except for a meal and a couple of plays on the drums on Guitar Hero 5 for a break – you can’t write non-stop without going crazy. I’ve exceded my daily target, and I’m pretty happy.

One of the important things I’ve been trying to do today with BHTS2 is to introduce extra charectors. Tehre is, of course, the main charector, and a second one that I’ve had in almost from the start. But I thought it would be best to start getting a few more introduced and streamlined into the plot fairly early on. One of those extra charectors has been fleshed out today, and I’ve talked over the idea for two more who will be introduced and have a part to play later on. I’m really pleased with progress so far. We’ll see what tomorrow brings.