Thumb. The Price Of 'Flow'.

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Sometimes writing just hits a brick wall. That's been the case with Shemlan - A Deadly Tragedy, which stalled at 50k words way back when I decided to self publish Olives - A Violent Romance. Although a few pages were added here and there (and notes made on bits that popped up now and then), the finishing, editing and promoting of the first two books has really taken much of my 'writing time' up. I have, incidentally, spent a great deal less time and effort promoting Beirut - A Violent Romance, and it doesn't half show.

So re-reading and editing the MS of Shemlan as it existed, then restarting the telling of the story was something of a 'pick yourself up' exercise. But having restarted work, I've found myself flying along at an exhilarating pace as the  story has taken over and demanded itself be told. New angles have opened up, characters have started behaving differently and forced twists in the plot I hadn't envisaged. It's just snapped together like a well-oiled machine, to the point where I polished off something like 20,000 words over the weekend as the tale just appeared in my head and insisted on flowing into words.

I suppose that's 'flow', where you're 'in the zone' and smash away at the keyboard while you still have the fire in you. Shemlan has been moving at a ridiculous pace and has moved into its final phase now.

I had to rest up today, though. I was typing so much, smacking the keyboard exultantly as phrases and dialogue came together to my satisfaction, that I've bruised my thumb.

First world problems, huh?