Slump Dog Blues

I'm in a bit of a slump of late, and I'm hoping my new critique group which starts tomorrow will help snap me out of it. I'm not sure how much erotica I'll be able to bring to the group—I'll read just about anything, but I don't expect other to read things that make them uncomfortable—but I hope I can at least bring the non-nookie bits of 1794, plus I have other non-erotica stuff I plan to bring as well.

Writing has become something of a chore, which makes me sad. Even projects that I'm interested it make me cringe, because I have this feeling that I should finish this other project first, or that other project first, and wasn't I going to start researching this other thing? Ugh.

I have a short I'm still trying to finish for an anthology that closes on the 15th. I think I'll make it. All I have left is the sex scene and the wrap-up. Part of the reason I want to do this one is the fact that I haven't been submitting near enough stuff this year, and part is I would love to see more money rolling in. (And part is it sounds like a cool antho and I would not mind a free copy!) Even though I wouldn't get paid for this antho until next year, I'd at least feel a little better. Now that my netbook is paid for and upgraded I'm putting all of my writing earnings toward debt. A little extra incentive to write, I hope, although I could spent my time more profitably by getting a part time job. Still, for flexible hours you can't beat writing.

I have a couple of projects I've been meaning to work on but haven't because I don't know what happens in the story yet, and my attempts to outline have been a miserable failure, as usual. Once I get this short story and 1794 done, I think I will just sit down and start writing the first chapters of the YA that's been poking around in the back of my head for awhile. Maybe I'll figure it out with the old pantster method.

Of course, that means finishing 1794. I got to the end of chapter 3, and now I'm stuck. It's another thing where I need to just sit down and write pure first draft. I'm planning on adding a completely new chapter 4, and I need to just suck it up and write it even though it means I'm going to have to edit the hell out of it later. I hate editing soooo much. I'm so jealous of my colleagues who love edits.

I did get some good feedback from last week's critique group on my story "Succor the Child." I'm hoping to finish the last tweaks on that one this week and then boot it out the door. That will feel good.