Bad Chocolate

"I feel terrible so the chocolate's terrible."  -Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory


Yes, this is how I have felt about my writing lately.  100 pages of bad.  That's what I've got.  Granted I was sick and overburdened but, really... it's bad.  I'm in high spirits though!  How, you ask?  The only thing I can figure is that my choir was excellent yesterday.  They all worked so hard to get the Christmas program together and it was beautiful.  Prayers were definitely answered.

A week or so ago I realized I write better under pressure.

So I said to my friend, "Pressure me!  It's the only way I'm going to get the first draft of my book finished."

So, like a good friend does, she pressured me.  She said, "I want 170 pages by the 24th!"

I gasped and panicked for a moment.  70 pages by Christmas Eve?  No way.  December is the absolute busiest month of the year for me.  "I wouldn't want to ruin your Christmas Eve," I responded, coyly.  I really wished she would have said January.

"Fine, by the 26th then." Not what I wanted to hear.

I finally realized it might be a good challenge for me, so I consented.  Then, on top of everything else I had going on, I got sick.  Great, I thought.

I had written five pages that I didn't love, but I was just trying to get the story down on paper.  Guess how many pages I've written in total for this little challenge?  5.  On a roll, huh?

(Insert deep, exasperated sigh)  If I'm being honest, I do need input on the story because it's going nowhere, 100 pages of nowhere to be more exact.  I'm pretty sure she's not going to get the total 170 pages, heck! she's going to be lucky to get any at all at this point.  He he...  (Insert devious grin)  Nevertheless, I feel a change in the wind.  This story may still continue to sit on the shelf for a while until I find the most suitable direction for it.

Cheers to you, writing rule books!  I'm throwing you out the window (figuratively) and saying, "So long for now."  It's time to unleash my mind and let my stories go the direction they want to go!  You've said your words, it's time to say mine!