#ROW80 Check-In and A Strange Analogy For Sexy Next Book

So it’s time for our first check-in.  As I stated in my goals post, I have to write 871 words a day to finish Red by August 2nd so that I can ship it off to my critique partners while I move.  This has proved to be a challenge as all the things that go into buying and selling a house, which are stressful anyway, are doubly so when young buyers are thoughtless morons who drag their feet on an already obscenely compressed time table.  Yeah, I’m a little bitter.  BUT I HAVE WRITTEN.

  • Sunday: 880
  • Monday: 856
  • Tuesday: 890

Today I was up at a totally ludicrous hour, as I’m leaving for a work trip at 5:45.  I was supposed to be up at 5.  Got woken up at 4:45, which is just WRONG.  WRONG I TELL YOU.  To be deprived of that last fifteen minutes when it’s not even anywhere approaching dawn is just NOT COOL. However, it’s just a day trip, and I should be back by noon, which means AFTERNOON NAP.  I decree it to be so.

So as I was in the shower this morning, letting the water sluice off the fog of sleep (and failing utterly), it occurred to me that Sexy Next Book (you know, when you’re attacked by a really awesome new idea while you are slogging through some portion of your current WIP) is like a case of poison ivy or poison oak.  This occurred to me mostly because I have a real case of poison oak and my leg was itching like CRAZY in the shower (naturally the one day I wear shorts to do the weedeating…).  But seriously, the analogy fits.  Because if you dare to scratch the itch of Sexy Next Book by writing ANYTHING on it, you risk spreading the rash, particularly if you are in any kind of malaise about current WIP.  When I’m hit with Sexy Next Book (and right now I’m actually, not–this post really was inspired by a real poison oak rash), I usually at least try to make some notes so I won’t forget the idea and then put it away.  It’s kind of like having ONE good scratch, then scrubbing up with some mental Ivarest (PSA: Ivarest is the BEST PRODUCT EVER for poison anything…get the foaming wash and the cream) to try to keep it from spreading any further.  That is my not so brilliant thought for the day.  Must run.

17 thoughts on “#ROW80 Check-In and A Strange Analogy For Sexy Next Book

  1. Love, love, love the analogy Kait. Going through “moving itch” right now and trying to decide whether to stay put or go to better location. We moved two years ago, and it just is not a fun process. Anyway, it looks like you’re right on target with your words. Keep it going, and good luck with the newbie house buyers. We were all there once ourselves. 😉

  2. Moving is tough. I moved from CO to MD in October last year with three kids and hubby, so of course my first novel was published at the end of September. I didn’t know a soul in MD (still don’t know many) which made/makes marketing tough.

    Sounds like great progress. And I love, love, love the look of your blog. Gorgeous.

  3. Congrats on the word count! And yes, I am fighting a particularly bad case of Sexy Next Book right now and I’m fighting the urge to scratch. Fighting really, really hard.

  4. Poor Kait. Sorry about the Poison Oak. But good for you on staying focused through the stress of house-shopping and moving. That is tough. And YES on the Sexy Next Book. I’ve got an idea (it actually is the FlashFiction The Prophet I posted) that I want to plot and work on, but I’m afraid to try to juggle two projects at ones. Although I wonder if editing Light and Dark might benefit from working on The Prophet …

  5. Excellent analogy, Kait! It’s funny that you mention it, I just got hit with the “new idea itch” myself.

    I’m doing your ROW 80 for the first time and it’s been lovely so far. Hope you get rid of the Poison Oak! Sounds painful. 🙁

  6. Yes, that analogy is utterly perfect…. and explains why I am now juggling three WIPs, and not just one. But I flatter myself that I am a good multitasker, and that having another world (or two) to distract from the one that just isn’t cooperating is a good and useful thing. 🙂

    Yay on the progress, and I second your call for an afternoon nap. You deserve it!

  7. Congrats on the wordcount Kait 😉 I’ve never had the pleasure of having poison anything, but I’m familiar with the itch you’re referring to. It’s even worse when you know you have to focus on one thing, but then your mind says “Hey, I have this cool idea. It’s so much better than that other one. Let’s go try it.” In moments like these, I try dunking my brain in a bucket of ice water.

  8. What an awesome analogy! Also, pats on the back for managing to write anyway! My cats insist on waking me up early, as if they’re afraid I might awaken well-rested and therefore much less amusing.

  9. The Sexy Next Book. It’s like that mirror in Harry Potter that shows you the way you want to be, instead of the disheveled work in progress you are.

    Congratulation on your word count.

  10. Not scratching that itch is so hard to ignore. Good job with the word count, especially in the midst of the big pack. Hope you got that nap this afternoon.

  11. Congrats on your word counts and your progress. Love your poison oak analogy too! I was having the same thing happen to me Monday night…a new idea was percolating in the back of my mind and I scratched out some quick notes, while I tried to stay focused on the task I had at hand. As a side note, I JUST got over poison sumac myself which I got from weed eating in capris. It was horrible, left a horrible burn (and now a scar) on my lower leg. Glad yours turned out differently–I’ll have to check out that Ivarest for my next run-in with the dastardly plant!

  12. I kinda like it when I get an idea for the next book – I don’t feel like all creativity will end once I’ve finished the current one. But yea, I can’t work on more than one at a time, so I have to take notes and then put it all aside.

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