Decisions, decisions

Since I'll be leading a group of diligent Nanowrimo folk, I suppose I ought to work on something myself.

I know many people dislike Nano, and I wouldn't try to argue it with them. For some people it works as a kick in the pants to really dig in on a project. For some people it's distracting and leads to lousy writing habits. And for some people whose lives regularly interfere with their writing, Nano provides them with an escape to give them leave to work on their passion - the spouse and kids can't tap them on the shoulder if they're at a write-in.

For me, it is an opportunity to focus on writing, as opposed to the business of writing. I am sorry to say that between my daytime profession, my own promotion, travel, the Literary Underworld and the Eville Writers, I spend probably 2-3 times as much time on the business of writing as I do on actually writing. For Nano, that gets flipped, and if that is the only benefit I draw from it, it's very much worth the effort.

I have to choose between two projects this time. There's a novel I've been working on between other projects for years, and this is an opportunity to drive a stake through its heart and finish it. It's been far too many years, and this shows what happens when I try to work on something "in my spare time." Insert laugh track. It's a fun novel, and one I think you all will like a great deal.

Alternatively, however, I can work on the final chapter of the Blackfire trilogy. I intended to save that for next year, but during the Fall Deathmarch, I heard from many voices asking when I will finish that series. The short version is that the publisher for the Blackfire novels went out of business, so I will need to find a new home for it before I can complete it. Thus, it was kind of backburnered this year, with my focus on the Nocturne Infernum release.

Project A or Project B? Dither dither dither. Yes, I could write both, if I were Superwoman. And I will write both, but not in a month!

I'm looking forward to it, whichever I choose. It will be nice to dig back into the writing part, after so much travel and promotion, selling and signing. With the exception of one small holiday appearance, I have no such obligations from now to late February. I wonder how much I can get done in that time?

Comments