A Writer's Tasks

My desk top. Yesterday, I cleaned out the big box housing all the "stuff" from Festival Madness. The Burning Man photos and souvenirs went into a plastic box, and the other research went into yet a 2nd plastic box. The book is almost completed, and I don't need the research at my fingertips. I still have a box for Promiscuous Mode, now lying somewhat fallow, and World of Mirrors was put to bed a while ago, although the books and photos remain handy. I put all the research for Such Stuff As Dreams into the now free box that formerly held Festival Madness records, and the hanging folder now contains Such Stuff As Dreams research and ideas, from "Art Scene" to "Slang." This tells me that Such Stuff As Dreams is the book I'm really going to write next, because I must be ready, with characters, a setting, part of a plot, beginning, middle (parts thereof) end and two big scenes. It's not an outline, but it has to be enough. Certainly it is more than I've ever had before. A little scary, that. I have 20's slang, music, clothing, and tons of stuff about old L.A., Mexicali, Pomona and all the places I need. A trip to California is in the offing, but now I know which libraries and historical societies I'll visit.

In technical parlance, this is known as "speccing up", i.e. getting one's head centered in the project. Today, even if it's only a page, I'm starting the book. Am I psyched? Think so.

You see of course, that none of the research, filing, shuffling of papers, character sketches, making tabs--none of that was writing, and yet it is all necessary for writing. When I worked as a project leader, I always had a file for each project, and being organized contributed to my success. I don't think it will help me get any of these books published, but it does make managing now 4, count 'em, four unpublished books without losing my mind.

So now, the nitty gritty writing looms. Am I scared? Yes, because I don't have a handle on how this book is going to generate energy. I'm still so pumped for writing crime fiction, that fiction-fiction is a strange territory that I am lighting out for.

I hope it will be a grand adventure.

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